2019 Game Notes Emporia State Hornets vs. Northeastern St. RiverHawks Home Opener Emporia State Ticket Prices Game #1 Reserved .............................................................. $20 Emporia State Hornets (0-0.0-0 MIAA) Adult General Admission .................................... $15 vs. Northeastern State RiverHawks (0-0.0-0 MIAA) Jr/Sr General Admission (4-17/65+) .................. $10 Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7:00 p.m. • Jones Field at Welch Stadium (7,000) • Emporia, Kan. Family Pack (2 Adult GA/2 Jr GA) ..................... $36 Series Record: ESU Leads 8-5 Current Streak: ESU Seven Wins ESU ticket info: 877-341-6378/tickets.emporia. edu Last Meeting: ESU 34, at NSU 7 (Aug. 30, 2018) 2019 ESU SCHEDULE Radio: KFFX-FM (104.9) Pregame 6:00 p.m. TV: None SEPT. 5 NORTHEASTERN ST. 7:00 P.M. Internet (Audio): www.kvoe.com Internet (Video): themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets Sept. 14 at Pittsburg State ............7:00 p.m. Officials: Announced on Game Day SEPT. 21 NEB.-KEARNEY ......... 2:00 P.M. Up Next: Pittsburg State • Saturday, September 14, 2019 Sept. 28 at Lincoln .........................6:00 p.m. Carnie Smith Stadium (7,950) • Pittsburg, Kan. OCT. 5 NORTHWEST MO. .... 2:00 P.M. LET'S GET THINGS STARTED SCOUTING THE RIVERHAWKS Oct. 12 at Fort Hays State ..........7:00 p.m. Emporia State begins the 122nd season of Northeastern State is in their first year under OCT. 19 CENTRAL MO. ........... 2:00 P.M. Hornet football against Northeastern State. head coach J.J. Eckert. The RiverHawks were Oct. 26 at Mo. Western ...............1:00 p.m. 0-11 last season and have gone just 12-64 in NOV. 2 WASHBURN ................ 2:00 P.M. SEASON OPENERS seven years of MIAA play. They return three of Nov. 9 at Mo. Southern ..............3:00 p.m. Emporia State is 68-48-5 all-time in season five players that were named honorable men- NOV. 16 CENTRAL OKLA. ...... 2:00 P.M. openers and have started the season 1-0 in 15 tion All-MIAA a year ago - offensive lineman Thursday, September 5 of the last 18 years. Coach Garin Higgins is 9-3 Jason Staggs, safety Jean Bezile and safety Lincoln at Washburn ............................ 6:00 p.m. in season openers with the Hornets and 14-3 in Courtland Clark. Neb.-Kearney at Mo. Southern ........... 6:00 p.m. his career in season openers. Two of the three Fort Hays State at Central Mo. .......... 7:00 p.m. losses have come to then #1 ranked Northwest THE SERIES Pittsburg State at Central Okla. ........... 7:00 p.m. Missouri. Emporia State has gone 19-9 in MIAA This will be the 14th meeting between the two Northeastern State at Emporia State .. 7:00 p.m. openers since joining the conference in 1991. schools with Emporia State leading 8-5. The Northwest Mo. at Mo. Western............ 7:00 p.m. Hornets have won the last seven meetings, Thursday, September 12 THE COACHES all since the RiverHawks joined the MIAA in Mo. Southern at Lincoln .......................6:00 p.m. Garin Higgins has a career record of 129-70 in 2013, and eight of the last nine contests. Mo. Western at Fort Hays State ..........7:00 p.m. his 18th season as a head coach. He is 78-61 in Central Mo. at Northeastern State ......7:00 p.m. his 13th season at his alma mater and is 69-37 LAST TIME VS. NORTHEASTERN ST. Central Okla. at Neb.-Kearney ............7:00 p.m. since the start of the 2010 season. He has led Emporia State forced four turnovers and Saturday, September 14 the Hornets to the post season in five of the scored 14 points off them on their way to a Washburn at Northwest Mo. ................1:30 p.m. last seven years with three NCAA Playoffs and 34-7 road opening win at Northeastern State Emporia State at Pittsburg State .........7:00 p.m. a national semifinal appearance in 2015. He in Tahlequah, Okla. The game was delayed Saturday, September 21 had a 51-9 career record as the head coach at slightly due to a severe thunderstorm in the Fort Hays State at Washburn ..............1:00 p.m. Northwestern Oklahoma, including two trips to Tahlequah area. Neb.-Kearney at Emporia State ..........2:00 p.m. the national championship game. Higgins was a Landon Nault had 88 yards on 19 carries Northwest Mo. at Mo. Southern ..........6:00 p.m. quarterback for Emporia State from 1987-90 and with two touchdowns while Ricky VanWeezel Northeastern State at Pittsburg State .7:00 p.m. was on the 1989 national runners-up team. He added a career high 81 yards on 17 carries. Central Mo. at Mo. Western ................7:00 p.m. is 6-0 against Northeastern State and was the Braxton Marstall was 17 of 30 for 144 Lincoln at Central Okla. .......................7:00 p.m. offensive coordinator for the RiverHawks in 2006. yards with two touchdowns passing and MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION J.J. Eckert is in his first season as the head added 46 yards on nine carries with a ESU: .............................................Don Weast coach at Northeastern State. He was 85-61 in 14 touchdown on the ground. Tyler Harris was [email protected] years as a junior college coach with the last 12 the leading receiver with six catches for 56 ..................................... (620) 344-6190 (cell) seasons at Kilgore College. This is his first meet- yards and two scores. NSU ...............................................Don Vieth ing with Emporia State. Parker Bass led the Hornet defense with [email protected] five tackles, all of them behind the line .................................(918) 444-3930 (office) SCOUTING THE HORNETS of scrimmage, including a career high 3.5 ESU Interview Policy Emporia State is set to return 15 starters and 39 sacks for a loss of 15 yards. He also forced Coach Higgins will be available to the media on letterwinners from last season including All-MIAA and recovered a fumble. As a team Emporia game day after his post-game radio show with players Jace McDown, Parker Bass, Tre'Vaun State had six sacks and nine tackles for KFFX-FM. Requested players will be available Ammons, Marek Thompson and Gary Woods II loss in the game. Gary Woods and Jace following the game outside the Emporia State on defense along with Austin Unterreiner and Es- McDown each had a team high six tackles. lockerroom. Please give a list of requested play- tevan Arana on offense. ers to Don Weast. Coach Higgins and selected Of those 15 starters returning, only four of them UP NEXT players will be available from 2:00-2:25 p.m. on are on offense. All four of them are on the offen- The Hornets will have eight days between Tuesday for their regular weekly media session. sive line. Four of the six skill positions will have games before they head to Southeast Kansas Please contact Emporia State Athletic Media sophomores or freshmen starting. to take on Pittsburg State on Saturday, Relations to arrange additional interviews with While the offense will be one of the most inexpe- September 14. Kick-off from Brandenburg players and coach Higgins. rienced groups in Coach Garin Higgins 13 years Field at Carnie Smith Stadium for the seventh Twitter: @ESUSports at Emporia State, the defense might be the most most played rivalry in NCAA Division II is set Instagram: emporiastatesports experienced group the Hornets have had in his for 7:00 p.m. It will be the first night game Facebook: EmporiaStateAthletics tenure. The Hornets return a player that has start- between the two since the second game of the YouTube: ESUAthletics ed at least five games at all 11 positions including 2011 season. 13 of their top 15 tacklers from a year ago. Emporia State Hornets vs. Northeastern State RiverHawks Season Opener Page 2 THE HORNETS IN 2018 WHEN: KNOW THE FOE Gaining more rushing net yards ................6-0 This will be just the 14th meeting between Emporia State and Northeastern State. The Opponents gain more rushing net yards ...2-4 RiverHawks have allowed at least 31 points in 10 of 11 games last year and 32 of their last Rushing yards are equal ...........................0-0 37 games dating back to 2015. Emporia State is averaging 42.43 points against Northeastern Gaining more passing yards .....................4-2 State in the last seven games between the two. Opponents gain more passing yards ........4-2 This is one of four games this year for Emporia State where the head coaches are alums of Gaining more total offensive yards ............5-0 their program. Opp. gain more total offensive yards ........3-4 Garin Higgins spent the 2006 season as the Offensive Coordinator at Northeastern State Gaining more first downs or equal ............5-1 before taking over as Head Coach at Emporia State. He was also a graduate assistant in Opponents gain more first downs .............3-3 Tahlequah after his playing days for the Hornets. Throwing more completions ......................5-3 Opponents throw more completions .........2-1 FLIP A SWITCH Completions are equal ..............................1-0 Emporia State was 15-34 under head coach Garin Higgins and trailing Missouri Southern 17-0 Turning the ball over more ........................3-2 at the midway point of the 2011 season. Emporia State came back to win 31-25 and have gone Opponents turn the ball over more ...........5-2 63-27 since then. Of the 27 losses, 13 have been to teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 at the Turnovers are equal ..................................0-0 time. In Emporia State's first 50 games under Coach Higgins, the Hornets averaged 19.46 Accumulating more penalty yards .............6-0 points per game while giving up 29.46 points per game.