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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

UNK Football
Todd Gottula
44
Winner Emporia St. ESU 5-2 , 5-2
21
#22/13 Neb.-Kearney UNK 5-2 , 5-2
Winner
Emporia St. ESU
5-2 , 5-2
44
Final
21
#22/13 Neb.-Kearney UNK
5-2 , 5-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ESU Emporia St. 17 7 13 7 44
UNK #22/13 Neb.-Kearney 7 7 0 7 21

Game Recap: Football |

Lopers Stung By the Hornets

Kearney, Neb. – The 32nd-ranked Emporia State Hornets totaled 553 yards of offense and forced seven punts to down No. 22/13 Nebraska Kearney, 44-21, Saturday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

The fast-break Hornets (5-2) win a third game in a row to move into a four-way tie for second place in the MIAA standings. Earlier this fall, E-State missed a PAT and two field goals in a 14-13 loss to league leader Pittsburg State (7-0). UNK is also 5-2 but will need to win out and get some help in order to make the NCAA Division II playoffs for a second straight season.

"That's a good football team and I said earlier in the week this was going to be our biggest test to date and that includes Pitt State," said UNK head coach Josh Lynn. "I think they are the best team in the conference, I really do. They beat the brakes off us today but we didn't play our best football."

Things started perfectly for the Lopers as they took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 12 plays and took 6:10 off the clock. Quarterback TJ Davis (Colorado Springs) recorded his 51st rushing score when he called his own number on 3rd and goal from the Emporia one. UNK converted all three third downs it faced on the drive but finished the day 5 of 14 in this category.

"We didn't do ourselves any favors. We had a good drive right off the bat and then they came back and matched us with the big strike. That deflated our tires a little bit and then we fumbled (three minutes later). Against a MIAA opponent like Emporia and the team that they are, you can't make those mistakes and spot them points," said Lynn.

Emporia scored 44 of the next 51 points as lefty QB Braedon Gleason tossed a 65-yard scoring strike to senior receiver Corey Thomas on the Hornets third offensive play. After the defense recorded one of its six three-and-outs, the offense went 63 yards in seven plays with senior back Canaan Brooks running up the middle from 16 yards out. UNK fumbled on its next offensive play and that led to a 42-yard field goal to make it 17-7 late in the first.

"That's another thing with this group we saw today. They are different (defensively). It's something (scheme) we haven't seen all year and they did a very good job of containing TJ and not letting us get outside," said Lynn.

The Lopers did get within three early in the second quarter as Davis tossed a 30-yard TD pass, the 40th of his career, to senior receiver Cody Nelson (Albion) in the right corner of the end zone. But E-State responded with a 17-play, 78-yard TD drive that ate up 5:20 and then took the second half kickoff and went 79 yards in 13 plays to open up a 27-14 lead. After the Lopers second TD, their next six drives ended with five points and an end of half situation. These drives totaled just 40 yards.

"We had some opportunities on offense. Our defense got us back the ball (several times in the first half) but we didn't take advantage of those drives. And that's a credit to them. Their defense played extremely well," said Lynn.

A quick-tempo Emporia offense with a series of short passes and inside runs averaged 7.1 yards per play. They were 12 of 18 on third down, 5 for 5 in the red zone and ran 18 more plays than UNK.

"Our defense had opportunities to get off the field and didn't get it done. We had opportunities for drives and had the ball but didn't do anything with it," said Lynn. "The beginning of the third quarter was big … we needed to get a stop and put points on the board. We didn't do that and they continued to roll."

Gleason finished 27 of 41 for 276 yards and that one score while running four times for 36 yards. He completed passes to eight teammates led by Thomas (seven recep., 110 yds.) and senior receiver Cole Schumacker (six recep., 52 yds.). Reserve back Billy Ross Jr. had 52-yard scoring run in the third quarter and a 44-yard run late to tally an even 150 on 16 attempts. Brooks added 85 more yards on 15 totes.

Defensively, senior rover Jaedon Pool had nine tackles, junior free safety Chris Pope and sophomore bandit Derrick Maxwell had six apiece as they limited UNK to 174 rushing yards on 40 attempts. The Blue & Gold came in leading the MIAA in rushing (271 ypg.).

"They (offense) are different and that's a credit to them. Their QB operated really well and they are extremely big up front. It's a good offense that's hard to prepare for," said Lynn. "We had to establish drives .. they have the ball, we don't have the ball. They did a good job on third down and we didn't".

Davis went 11 of 20 in the air for 136 yards and those two TD's. Returning from the injured list, redshirt sophomore slot JerQon Conners (St. Louis) scored late and had 37 yards with sophomore Zorian Stanton (St. Cloud, Fla.) at 24 receiving yards on two catches. Next, Davis ran 15 times for 53 yards with senior back Montrez Jackson (Trenton, Fla.) at 47 yards on 10 carries.

Finally on defense, junior ILB Jimmy Harrison (Hobbs, NM) had a game-high 12 tackles with position mate Jacey Nutter (Thedford) at 10 and safety Darius Swanson (Aurora, Colo.) at eight. On special teams, Sargent co-captain Hunter Kraus averaged a healthy 50.9 over seven attempts with a career-long boot of 73
yards in the second half.

The Lopers head to winless Lincoln University next Saturday in Jefferson City, Mo. The game kicks off at 2 p.m.
 
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