October 12, 2019-Emporia State held Fort Hays State to four field goals and just one touchdown in their five trips to the redzone but were held without an offensive touchdown for the first time in 13 games in a 19-3 loss at Fort Hays State on Saturday night in Hays, Kan.
The teams traded punts on the first four possessions with Emporia State's
Ross Brungardt pinning the Tigers at their own six yard line with 5:56 left in the first quarter. Fort Hays State used two plays of 34 and 40 yards to get to the Hornet 20 yard line. After giving up an eight yard rush down to the 12, the defense forced an incomplete pass and
Parker Bass tackled Harley Hazlett for a loss of five yards to force a Dante Brown 34 yard field goal.
The Tigers took a 3-0 lead into the second quarter and were forced into another Brown field goal, this one from 31 yards out to take a 6-0 lead with 13:42 left in the half. They scored the only touchdown of the game on their next possession when Chance Fuller hit DJ Hickman for a 23 yard touchdown pass with 10:35 left in the half. Following another three and out by the Hornets, Fort Hays State drove 49 yards in nine plays before Emporia State forced another field goal. Brown's 42 yarder made it 16-0 with 4:02 left in the half. The teams traded three and outs, including Emporia State's fifth straight such series, before the Hornets were able to pick up a couple of first downs in the final 1:37 of the half before time ran out.
Emporia State had the ball to start the second half and drove 68 yards in 12 plays. The big play of the drive was a 26 yard completion from
Dalton Cowan to
Wil Amos down to the Tiger seven yard line. They were not able to go any further and settled for a 24 yard field goal from
Clark Schoonover to get on the board with 9:43 left in the third quarter. Fort Hays State answered with a nine play, 61 yard drive of their own that again ended with a Brown field goal to take a 19-3 lead with 6:19 left in the quarter. The Hornets would get down to the Tiger ten yard line on the next drive but Schoonover's 29 yard field goal attempt missed left with 2:58 left in the third. That would prove to be the last true scoring opportunity for either team. The closest either team would get to scoring the rest of the night would be with 12:52 left in the game when Emporia State got down to the Tiger 23 yard line but turned the ball over on downs.
Gary Woods II had 12 tackles to lead the Hornet defense while
Jaedon Pool and
Lawson Holbert each had nine.
Parker Bass had seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and a pass break up while
Gee Stanley had seven tackles, an assisted TFL, a pass break up and a quarterback hurry.
Jace McDown added eight tackles.
Dalton Cowan was 14 of 29 for 129 yards and added 56 yards on 13 carries.
Wil Amos had two catches for 40 yards while
Dexton Swinehart had four catches for 30 yards.
Emporia State is back in action on Saturday, October 19 against Central Missouri. Kick-off for the Hornets homecoming contest at Jones Field at Welch Stadium is set for 2:00 p.m.
