Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Senior quarterback Anthony Abenoja threw for 377 yards as the 9th-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas scored the final 23 points to rally past Nebraska-Kearney, 36-21, Saturday afternoon in Kansas.
 
In front of 8,417 fans, the Gorillas (7-1, 7-1) have now beaten the Lopers (2-6, 2-6) seven straight times to take a 9-8 series lead.
 
Coming off a 35-17 upset win at defending national champion NW Missouri State, Pitt found themselves down 14-13 at the half and 21-13 early in the 3rd quarter.
 
Directing an offense that finished with 571 yards, Abenoja led the Gorillas on four consecutive scoring drives that erased the Loper lead and finished th scoring.
 
In the 3rd quarter, and after a 10-play, 60-yard drive ended with a 38-yard field goal from Connor Frazell, Pitt saw Loper freshman kicker Brendan Wentling (Grand Island) misfire on a 50-yard three point try.

 
The Gorillas responded with another 10 play drive, this one ending on an Abenoja 15-yard pass to running back Jamal Tyler. Pitt did miss the two point conversion, making it a 22-21 score.
 
The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds but the Lopers couldn't take advantage. Ending the day with 333 yards, UNK's final four drives resulted in three punts and that missed field goal.
 
A 32-yard punt by senior Davis Brendel (Denver, Colo.) pinned Pitt at its own nine yard line. However, the Gorillas went the distance in seven plays, the key gainer being a 50 yard bomb from Abenoja to a diving Gavin Lutman.
 
Abenoja and Lutman then hooked up again, this time from three yards out for a 29-21 lead. Pitt's final scoring drive featured five runs and a 27-yard pass by Abenoja. Tyler capped things with a 14-yard scoring run with 3:45 to go.
 
UNK surprised the home crowd early on as junior QB Bronson Marsh (Millard South) ran 34 yards for a TD 11 minutes into the game. Early in the 2nd quarter, he threw a 75-yard TD strike to junior receiver Cougar Williams (Hanford, Calif.).
 
The big plays kept coming as Marsh tossed a 74-yard scoring strike to redshirt freshman receiver Tityus Mitchell (Hastings, Fla.) two minutes into the second half.

UNK's final big gainer was a 43-yard run by junior back Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.) later in the 3rd quarter but that, unfortunately, didn't result in any points.
 
Defensively, the Lopers stopped Pitt on three 4th down tries in the 1st half. Those stops came at the Kearney 30, 35 and 43 yard lines. UNK also forced the Gorillas to settle for a 20-yard Frazell field goal with 7:52 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
 
Marsh ended the game with a team-best 56 rushing yards on 14 carries with Cotton having 53 yards on nine totes.
 
Pitt got its ground game going after the break as they totaled 194 yards on 38 attempts (5.1 ypc). Tyler led the way with 102 yards on 15 carries with fullback Brian Poston having 37 yards on eight attempts.
 
In the air, Marsh was 9 of 17 for 197 yards and those two TD's with Brendel, a former QB, tossing a 28-yard pass to junior tight end Omar Rodriguez (Tempe, Ariz.) on a trick play to keep a first half drive alive.
 
Junior receiver Allen Sampson (Tampa, Fla.) once again was Marsh's favorite target, having four catches for 25 yards. Also, Rodriguez ended with three for 47.
 
The MIAA's leading passer, Abenoja was 28 for 47 and completed passes to seven different teammates. They included Marquise Cushon (eight recep., 134 yds.) and Luthman (six recep., 98 yds.).
 
Sargent sophomore ILB Tyke Kozeal had a team-best 14 tackles, 11 being of the solo variety, and three PBU's to pace the Kearney defense. As a team, UNK had seven TFL's, including a six-yard sack by redshirt freshman end Nathan Hinrichs (Adams Central).
 
In the secondary, Columbus junior safety Dillon Loschen had eight tackles (six solo) with freshman corner Famous McKinnon (Miami) having six. Finally, senior end Matt Bowman (Kearney Catholic) had four solo stops among his seven tackles.
 
UNK hosts Fort Hays State next Saturday. Kick time is set for high noon.