Kearney, Neb. – Junior quarterback TJ Davis threw for a career-high 307 yards, the defense made two stands inside the 10-yard line and No. 21/22 Nebraska-Kearney survived a late on-side kick recovery by Emporia State to win 42-35 Saturday in Kansas.
The Lopers improve to 6-1 and are now in first place in the MIAA standings. No. 2 Northwest Missouri State fell today at Washburn, 17-16, to drop to 5-1. UNK travels to Northwest on Oct. 30.
UNK and ESU (3-4) have seen the majority of their games decided by seven points or less and nothing changed today. In a game with 77 points, 1,128 yards of offense, 10 punts and three turnovers, the Hornets were strong early, the Lopers controlled the middle of the game and then E-State closed hard.
"You look at the first quarter. I knew going in its hard to simulate what they do offensively … the tempo, the pass rush. They get the ball spot they are running another play," said UNK head coach Josh Lynn on the KRVN Radio postgame show. "It's not what we see the rest of the year and with some injuries in the secondary it's kind of a nightmare for us. But what I'm extremely proud of is that we adjusted."
ESU ended the day running 109 plays to UNK's 63. The Hornets had a 609-519 yard advantage but just a slight advantage in time of possession (30:41-29:19). One big reason was four fourth down stops by the Loper defense.
The game changed late in the first half with ESU up 21-14 and driving for another touchdown. However, the Loper "D" stuffed the Hornets on three straight runs from the one to give the ball back to the offense.
A 98-yard drive followed and featured a 41-yard completion from Davis (Colorado Springs) to senior back Dayton Sealey (Hastings St. Cecilia) with true freshman receiver AJ McPhee (Belle Grade, Fla.) then tossing a 37-yard scoring strike to junior receiver Cody Nelson (Albion). McPhee is the third non-Loper QB to throw a pass to date.
"They put that in and go up 14 plus they get the ball to start the second half. Instead, we get a stop and go 98," said Lynn.
Facing a fast-paced, dink-and-dunk offense, the Lopers fell behind 14-0 and 21-7. The deficit could've been worse but junior safety Darius Swanson (Aurora, Colo.) tipped a pass with junior OLB Atoatasi Fox (San Diego) catching the deflection at the UNK 14-yard line on ESU's opening drive.
UNK got another key stop early in the third as a 4th & 9 pass from ESU QB Braden Gleason fell incomplete at the Loper 26-yard line. Junior ILB Jimmy Harrison (Hobbs, N.M.) applied the pressure to force Gleason to throw quickly. The lefty finished 37 of 62 for 371 yards and completions to eight different teammates.
"In the second half we got going offensively. TJ threw the ball well .. they were taking the inside run away, taking away TJ from the run game. We had guys run down the field wide open and TJ made the throws," said Lynn. "The two series of the game were right before the half. The goal line stand and then the 98-yard touchdown drive."
The Lopers were poised to break the tie a few plays later but the Hornets forced a fumble at its own one-yard line after a 26-yard completion. However, Swanson picked off Gleason soon after, thanks to a deflection by junior corner Armani Webster (Chicago), and that led to a seven-yard scoring run by senior back Montrez Jackson (Trenton, Fla.). It capped a 31-yard drive and UNK didn't trail again.
Scoring passes of 42 yards to Sealey and 37 yards to senior cruiser Thomas Tews (Omaha Concordia) made it 42-21 with 9:14 to go. During this stretch the UNK defense had two three-and-outs. But the Hornets didn't buzz off as Gleason directed a 10-play, 68-yard drive to make it a two-score game with 7:07 remaining.
"In the fourth quarter we got conservative defensively. As a coaching staff we talked and wanted to make the grind and eat up clock. We made them use all their timeouts but credit them for scoring and then getting the onside kick," said Lynn.
UNK's next possession lasted just three plays but the Loper "D" stopped Gleason & Co. at the seven-yard line. A 4th & 6 pass fell incomplete after the Hornets had marched 62 yards in 10 plays. However, ESU forced another punt with Gleason guiding his team on a 32 second drive that made it 42-35 with less than a minute left.
Emporia recovered the ensuing on-sides kick at the Loper 49-yard line but Webster broke up a first down pass, junior end Tell Spies (Mullen) recorded a four-yard sack and then Gleason spiked the ball. After a timeout, Gleason completed a pass to redshirt freshman slot Tommy Zimmerman but it went for only seven yards.
Davis finished 12 of 19 and completed passes to eight teammates, led by five for Sealey that covered 152 yards. He is UNK's first 100-yard receiver since receiver Sedarius Young in November 2019. Next, Davis ran for 23 times for 96 yards and one TD, making this his fourth straight game with four scores. Finally on offense, the Lopers tallied a season-high 519 yards.
"We knew this year defenses were going to have to adjust and take away perimeter runs, inside runs and that we'd have to throw the ball," said Lynn. "Today was a good example of that."
Besides Gleason's quick hitters, junior back Canaan Brooks ran 30 times for 151 yards and two scores, Zimmerman had nine catches for 99 yards to lead a deep Hornet receiving corps with 6-6 punter Ross Brungardt averaging 49 yards a boot.
UNK saw junior Hunter Kraus (Sargent) have a career-best 69 yard punt in the second half with junior ILB Zach Schlager (McCook) tallying a team-best 14 tackles (11 solo.). Finally, senior OLB Will Lansman (Harlan, Ia.) had a career-best 10 tackles with Swanson at nine and Harrison at seven.
The Lincoln Blue Tigers (0-6) come to Cope Stadium next Saturday at 2 p.m.
