Football | 11/14/2025 9:06:00 AM
Game #11
Emporia State Hornets (5-5, 4-4 MIAA)
vs. Fort Hays State Tigers (5-5, 4-4 MIAA)
Saturday, November 15 • 1:05 p.m.
Jones Field at Welch Stadium • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU Leads 56-39-2
Last Meeting: FHSU 36, at ESU 7 (11/2/24)
Radio: KFFX-FM (104.9) Pregame 12:00 p.m.
Internet (Audio):
www.kvoe.com Internet (Video):
The MIAA Network Television: The Spot
Live Stats |
Ticket Info |
Complete Game Notes in pdf
Officials: Announced on Game Day
Up Next: at Minot State
Saturday, August 29, 2026 • TBA
First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium • Minot, N.D.
SENIOR DAY SALUTE
Emporia State takes on Fort Hays State on Senior Day.
Kingsley Bennett,
Caden Dodson,
C.J. Adams,
Keveon Robbins,
Nehemiah Figueroa,
Elon McKenzie,
Talon Wheeler,
Cade Stephenson,
Darby Roper,
Wesley Young,
Brock Ferguson and Brexten Green will be recognized prior to the game.
LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State scored 28 second half points on the way to a 45-17 Turnpike Tussle win at Washburn. The Hornets used a blocked punt return for a touchdown and a 35 yard pass from
Jamison Sarver to
Diego Cearns to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The teams went to the half tied at 17. Sarver hit
Kingsley Bennett for a 24 yard touchdown in the third quarter, then scored on a two yard run in the fourth to make it 31-17.
Landon Boss and
Kaliel Boyd iced the game with a pair of pick sixes. Cearns had a career high 136 rushing yards. Bennett had 52 yards on five receptions, a 23 yard rush, a 22 yard kick return and the 13 yard punt return off the block for 110 all purpose yards. Sarver was 22 of 31 for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Boss had 12 tackles, 11 of them solo, three tackles for loss, a sack and a 43 yard interception return for a touchdown.
Kaliel Boyd had three tackles and a 29 yard pick six.
THE COACHES
Garin Higgins has a career record of 169-98 in his 22nd season as a head coach. He is 118-89 in his 18th season at his alma mater. He has passed Fran Welch's school record of 116 wins from 1928-54. He is the winningest active coach in the MIAA and has the fifth most wins among MIAA coaches in history. 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 9-8 against Ft. Hays State.
Chris Brown is 94-63 in his 14th season at Fort Hays State. He is 6-7 against Emporia State.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 5-5, 4-4 in the MIAA. They are 15th in the nation in passing offense. ESU leads the nation with six blocked punts and are fifth in net punting.
Landon Boss is sixth nationally in solo tackles, 13th in tackles for loss and 18th in sacks.
Malik O'Atis is 13th in receptions per game and
Dylan Davidson is fifth in the nation in punting.
Diego Cearns is leading the MIAA in total rushing yards.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is 5-5, 4-4 in the MIAA. They have the top red zone offense in the MIAA. John Johnson is second in the MIAA and tenth in the nation in total tackles.
THE SERIES
This will be the 98th meeting between the two with Emporia State holding a 56-39-2 edge. The home team has won six of the last nine games.
LAST TIME AGAINST FORT HAYS STATE
On a rainy day that included two lightning delays, #11 Emporia State fell 36-7 to Fort Hays State. The Tigers took a 5-0 lead on a 30 yard field goal and a safety when a punt snap went out of the end zone midway through the first quarter when the first lightning delay hit. On the first play of the second quarter Shane Watts scored from 43 yards to give FHSU a 12-0 lead. ESU scored with 4:40 left in the half when
Tyler Kahmann took a pass from
Gunnar Gundy and went 45 yards for a touchdown to make it 12-7. The Tigers answered with a 69 yard touchdown run by Watts to go up 19-7 with 3:53 left in the half. A second lightning delay came at the start of the second half. After the delay Caleb Heavner scored from seven yards to give FHSU a 26-7 lead and would go up 33-7 with 3:28 left in the third on a seven yard pass from Heavner to Jabari Lewis. FHSU hit a 36 yard field goal with 1:13 left in the game. Gundy was 17 of 29 for 133 yards with a touchdown. Kahmann had five catches for 84 yards and a score.
Caleb Mondi had ten tackles, three sacks and 3.5 TFL.
UP NEXT
The Hornets will open the 2026 season at Minot State in North Dakota on August 29.
Complete Notes available
here
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