Trip to St. Joseph up Next for Emporia State Football

Football | 10/2/2025 4:28:00 PM

Game #5
Emporia State Hornets (1-3, 0-2 MIAA)
at Missouri Western Griffons (1-3, 0-2 MIAA)
Saturday, October 4 • 6:00 p.m.
Spratt Stadium • St. Joseph, Mo.
Series Record: MWSU leads 28-18 Last Meeting: at #13 ESU 30, at MWSU 27 OT (9/21/24)
Radio: KFFX-FM (104.9) Pregame 5:00 p.m. 
Internet (Audio): www.kvoe.com Internet (Video): The MIAA Network Television: None
Live Stats | Ticket Info | Complete Notes in pdf
Officials: Announced on Game Day
Up Next: Missouri Southern
Saturday, October 11 • 1:00 p.m.
Jones Field at Welch Stadium • Emporia, Kan.

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
Emporia State goes back on the road to take on Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo. Three of the last four meetings between the two have been decided by three points or less.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State had over 600 yards of offense but could not overcome 395 rushing yards by Pittsburg State in a 42-29 Gorilla victory.
The Hornets fell behind 14-0 but would score the next 16 points to take a 16-14 lead with 5:41 left in the first half.  Pittsburg State scored the next 21 points including a six play, 47 yard touchdown drive after they recovered an onside kick to start the second half. Emporia State would get within 35-23 early in the fourth quarter but would turn the ball over on downs three times in the second half. 
Ben Harris went 39 of 61 for a career high 429 yards and two touchdowns. Malik O'Atis had ten catches for 110 yards while Mason Ford had seven receptions for 117 yards and each of them scored a touchdown. Diego Cearns gained 88 yards on 13 carries on the ground. 

THE COACHES
Garin Higgins has a career record of 165-96 in his 22nd season as a head coach. He is 114-87 in his 18th season at his alma mater. He is the winningest active coach in the MIAA and has the fifth most wins among MIAA coaches in history. He needs two wins to tie Fran Welch's school record of 116 wins from 1928-54. He has led the Hornets to the post season in eight of the last 12 seasons with three NCAA Playoffs and a national semifinal appearance in 2015. He had a 51-9 career record at Northwestern Oklahoma, including two trips to the national championship game. Higgins was a quarterback for Emporia State from 1987-90 and was on the 1989 national runners-up team.  He is 7-10 against Missouri Western.
Tyler Fenwick is 13-14 in his third season at Missouri Western and is 66-62 in 12 seasons as a head coach. He is 2-2 against the Hornets at Western after going 1-1 while at Southeastern Oklahoma.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 1-3, 0-2 in the MIAA. They are third in the nation in passing offense and ninth in total offense. They are fifth in passing yards allowed, but 156th in rushing yards allowed. ESU leads the nation with three blocked punts and are sixth in net punting Ben Harris is leading the nation in completions and passing yards per game and is second in total offense. Malik O'Atis leads the nation in receptions per game while Dylan Davidson is third in punting.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western is 1-3, 0-2 in the MIAA. They are ranked 11th in the nation in time of possession and have the fewest turnovers in the MIAA. Kane Donovan is 19th in the nation in passing and 23rd in total offense.
 
THE SERIES
This is the 47th meeting with Missouri Western holding a 28-18 edge. Emporia State has won two of the last three meetings but has not won in St. Joseph since 2016.

LAST TIME AGAINST MO. WESTERN
Emporia State came from down ten points to defeat Missouri Western 30-27. The #13 Hornets took a 10-0 lead with 1:08 left in the first period. The Griffons scored the next 20 points to take a 20-10 lead into the half. A Tyler Schultze interception set up a 33 yard Caden Dodson field goal to pull ESU within 20-13 with 9:36 left in the third. The Hornets tied the game on a 26 yard touchdown pass from Gunnar Gundy to Tyler Kahmann with 12:42 left. Brandon Hall scored on a seven yard pass to give Western a 27-20 lead with 6:26 left. Gundy hit Kahmann for a 30 yard touchdown with 1:42 left to tie the game and MWSU missed a 55 yard field goal to send the game to overtime. Dodson hit a 36 yard field goal in OT for the win. Gundy went 49 of 73 for 454 yards with three touchdowns and had 493 yards of total offense. Kahmann had 13 receptions for 178 yards with two touchdowns.

UP NEXT
The Hornets return home on Saturday, October 11 for Little Hornets Day at Welch Stadium against Missouri Southern. Kick-off is at 1 p.m.

Complete Notes available here
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