Football | 8/26/2025 4:46:00 PM
Game #1
Emporia State Hornets (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
vs. Minot State Beavers (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Thursday, August 28, 2025 • 7:00 p.m.
Jones Field at Welch Stadium • Emporia, Kan.
Radio: KFFX-FM (104.9) Pregame 6:00 p.m. |
Television: 38 The Spot
Internet (Audio):
www.kvoe.com |
Internet (Video):
The MIAA Network
Live Stats |
Ticket Info |
Complete Game Notes in pdf
Up Next: at #13 Angelo State
Saturday, September 6 • 6:00 p.m.
Legrand Stadium • San Angelo, Texas
BLACK OUT TO START THE YEAR
Emporia State opens their 127th season of football against Minot State on Thursday, August 28. It will be the first meeting between the two schools.
SEASON OPENERS
Emporia State is 73-48-5 all-time in season openers and have started the season 1-0 in 20 of the last 23 years. Coach
Garin Higgins is 14-3 with the Hornets and 19-3 in his career in season openers. Two of the three losses were to teams ranked in #1 in the nation at the time. Emporia State has won their last six season openers by an average score of 42-12.
THE COACHES
Garin Higgins has a career record of 164-93 in his 22nd season as a head coach. He is 113-84 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 three 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. This is his first meeting with Minot State.
Ian Shields is 6-16 his third season at Minot State and is 46-63 in his 11th season overall. This is his first meeting with Emporia State.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State went 7-4, 5-4 in the MIAA last season. They were slated for fifth in this year's MIAA Football Preseason Coaches Poll. The Hornets return four starters on offense, four starters on defense and their main kicker and punter from last season. Emporia State has gone 31-16 and finished ranked in the top 16 of the nation in passing offense over the last four seasons.
Trenden Collins was third in the MIAA with receptions and sixth with 791 receiving yards last season.
Tyler Schultze led the MIAA with five interceptions and was second in the league with 16 passes defended.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Minot State went 5-6 overall and 4-6 in the NSIC last year. They are picked tenth overall in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll. Evan Lovett was a First-Team All-NSIC performer at running back after gaining 958 rushing yards last year. Kevin Speed was a First-Team All-NSIC defensive back with one interception and five pass break ups.
THE SERIES
This will be the first meeting between the schools and the first time a school from North Dakota has come to Welch Stadium.
HORNETS IN THE NON-CON
Emporia State is 39-13 in non-conference action since joining the MIAA with a 19-3 record under coach
Garin Higgins. Two of Coach Higgins three losses have come in the post season.
KNOW THE FOE
This will be the first meeting between Emporia State and Minot State and the first time the Beavers have taken on a team from the MIAA.Minot State did play Neb.-Kearney (then Kearney State) in the 1966 season with the Lopers winning 52-0.
The Hornets are 4-5 against NSIC teams and have won their last two meetings against the conference. Emporia State defeated The #13 Minn.-Duluth 59-26 at Welch Stadium in the 2016 NCAA Division II playoffs and won 51-49 at then #6 Minnesota State-Mankato in the 2015 playoffs.
LAST TIME VS. A NORTH DAKOTA SCHOOL
Brian Shay rushed for 224 yards and two second half touchdowns to lead Emporia State to a 23-21 season opening victory against eighth ranked North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D. Shay scored on runs of 79 and 57 yards with the last one giving the Hornets a 23-15 lead with 2:51 remaining. Craig Fredrickson scored with 54 seconds left to bring NDSU within 23-21 but Maurice Davis batted down a two-point conversion attempt to preserve the ESU win and also had a 29 yard interception return. Leon Brigham had a game high 14 tackles as Emporia State held the Bison to three field goals in their first ten possessions. The Hornets became the first team to ever win in the FargoDome and are the only team to hand the Bison a season opening loss in the facility.
UP NEXT
The Hornets will take to the air for the first time since 2013 when they fly to San Angelo, Texas next weekend. Emporia State will take on San Angelo State on Saturday, September 6 at Legrand Stadium. Kick-off is set for 6:00 p.m. The last time the Hornets flew to a game was in the 2013 NCAA Playoffs at Minn.-Duluth. The last regular season flight came in the 2004 season at NCAA Division I-FCS Jacksonville State.
Complete Notes available
here
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