2011 EMPORIA STATE MEDIA.GAME.NOTES FOOTBALL ESU Ticket Prices at FHSU Game #1 Reserved...................................................... $10 Emporia State Hornets (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) Adult.General.Admission............................... $7 at Ft. Hays State Tigers (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) FHSU.Ticket.Office...................(785).628-4050 Thur. Sept. 1, 2011 • 7:00 p.m. • Lewis Field • Hays, Kan. For.ESU.ticket.info.call.341-NEST/ Series Record:.ESU.Leads.49-33-2 toll.free.1-877-341-6378 Last Meeting: at.ESU.19,.FHSU.6.(Sept..25,.2010) 2011 ESU SCHEDULE Sept..1. at.Fort.Hays.State. 7:00.p.m. Radio: KFFX-FM.(104.9),.6:00.p.m..Pregame TV:.None Sept..10. at.Pittsburg.State. 7:00.p.m. Internet (Audio):.www.kvoe.com.Internet (Video):.www.b2tv.com.($7.per.game) Sept. 17 Central Missouri 1:00 p.m. Officials:.Referee-Joe.Pester;.Umpire-Chad.Craig;.Linesman-Troy.Hofstetter;.Line.Judge- Sept. 24 Langston (Okla.) 1:00 p.m. Todd.Ragsdale;.Field.Judge-Terry.Rogers;.Side.Judge-Matt.Anderson;.Back.Judge-Doug.Simpson Oct. 1 Washburn 1:00 p.m. Up Next:.ESU.at.Pittsburg.State.•.Sept..10.•.7:00.p.m. Oct. 8 Missouri Southern 1:00 p.m. Carnie.Smith.Stadium.(8,312).•.Pittsburg,.Kan. Oct. 15 Missouri Western (HC) 2:00 p.m. Oct..22. at.Lincoln. 2:00.p.m. OUT IN THE OPEN SCOUTING THE TIGERS Oct. 29 Truman (TV) 2:08 p.m. Emporia.State.kicks.off.its.114th.season.of. Ft.. Hays. State. went. 3-8. last. season,. 1-8. Nov..5. at.Southwest.Baptist. 1:30.p.m.. intercollegiate. football. with. a. road. contest. in.the.MIAA. All.of.the.offensive.skill.posi- Nov..12. at.Northwest.Missouri. 1:00.p.m. at.Ft..Hays.State..The.Hornets.are.21-4.in. tion. starters. from. last. year. were. lost. to. season.openers.over.the.last.25.years.and. graduation,.including.FHSU.all-time.pass- AROUND THE MIAA have.opened.each.of.the.last.ten.seasons. ing.leader.Mike.Garrison.and.All-American. Thursday, September 1 wide.receiver.O.J..Murdock..The.defense. with.a.win..ESU.has.not.lost.a.season.open- Washburn.at.Sioux.Falls..................6:00.PM will.have.an.entirely.new.starting.front.on. Pittsburg.St..at.Mo..Western.St........6:00.PM er.on.the.road.since.falling.43-16.at.Ft..Hays. the. line.. The. most. experience. lies. at. the. Emporia St. at Fort Hays St. ........7:00 PM State.in.1995,.the.first.season.under.Manny. linebacker.and.defensive.back.positions. Mo..Southern.St..at.Central.Mo.......7:00.PM Matsakis..In.the.113.years.of.Emporia.State. Northwest.Mo..St..at.Truman...........7:30.PM Saturday, September 3 football,.the.Hornets.are.63-45-5.in.season. THE SERIES Avila.at.Lincoln.(Mo.)........................2:00.PM openers.. This.will.be.the.85th.meeting.between.the. Thursday, September 8 two. schools. with. ESU. holding. a. 49-33-2. Lincoln.(Mo.).at.Washburn.(TV).......6:00.PM EARLY CONFERENCE START edge..It.is.the.54th.consecutive.year.the.two. Saturday, September 10 This. is. the. first. time. the. Hornets. have. schools.have.met.on.the.football.field,.mak- Fort.Hays.St..at.Truman...................1:00.PM ing.it.ESU’s.longest.continuous.rivalry.and. Sioux.Falls.at.Northwest.Mo..St.......6:00.PM opened.a.season.with.an.MIAA.game.and. the.first.time.they.have.opened.with.a.game. the.third.most.played.series.for.ESU.behind. Central.Mo..at.Mo..Western.St..(TV).6:00.PM MIAA. foes. Washburn. and. Pittsburg. State.. Emporia St. at Pittsburg St. ........7:00 PM in.their.conference.since.the.1976.season. The.home.team.has.won.seven.of.the.last. against.then.fellow.CSIC.member.Missouri. nine.meetings.in.the.series.including.the.last. MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION Southern..ESU.and.Ft..Hays.State.met.in. ESU:............................................Don.Weast. five.games. [email protected] the.season.opener.12.times.between.1991. .................................(620).341-5526.(office) and.2005.while.the.Tigers.were.members.of. LAST TIME AGAINST FHSU ....................................(620).344-6190.(cell) the.RMAC. Emporia. State. moved. to. 4-1. for. the. first. FHSU:...................................... Ryan.Prickett . time. since. 2002. with. a. 19-6. win. in. Welch. ....................................... [email protected] THE COACHES Stadium.. The. Hornets. held. the. Tigers. out. .................................(785).628-5903.(office) of. the. end. zone. after. FHSU. entered. the. ....................................(785).635-0434.(cell) Garin Higgins.has.compiled.a.career.record. of.65-39.as.he.begins.his.tenth.year.as.a. game. averaging. 41.3. points. per. game.. ESU Interview Policy Tyler.Eckenrode.went.15.of.24.for.184.yards. Coach. Higgins. will. be. available. to. the. media. head.coach..He.led.the.Hornets.to.a.three. and.a.touchdown..Schjuan.Richardson.had. after.his.post-game.radio.show.with.KFFX-FM.. game.improvement.from.2009.to.2010..He. three. catches. for. 95. yards,. including. a. Requested.players.will.be.available.following.the. has.never.lost.a.season.opener.as.a.head. game.outside.the.ESU lockerroom..Please.give. 67. yard. touchdown.. Benji Love. had. five. a.list.of.requested.players.to.Don.Weast,.ESU. coach. in. nine. seasons. as. a. head. coach.. receptions. for. 33. yards. as. seven. Hornets. Asst..AD/Media.Relations. He.is.14-30.in.his.fourth.season.at.his.alma. caught.a.pass.on.the.day..Kevin.Smart.had. This. week. Coach. Higgins. will. be. available. to. mater..He.had.a.51-9.career.record.as.the. 66.yards.on.19.carries.while.Adrian.Abner. the. media. on. Monday. beginning. at. 1:00. p.m.. head. coach. at. Northwestern. Oklahoma,. added. 48. yards. on. 13. carries.. Nathan. following.his.weekly.radio.show.and.on.Tuesday. including.two.trips.to.the.national.champion- Linsey. had. eight. tackles. including. two. for. beginning.at.1:45.p.m..prior.to.practice..Please. loss.and.a.pass.break.up..Daniel.Webb.had. contact.ESU.Athletic.Media.Relations.to.arrange. ship.game..Higgins.was.a.quarterback.for. an. interview. at. any. other. time. Twenty-four. ESU. from. 1987-90. and. was. on. the. 1989. five.tackles,.with.three.TFL.and.a.sack. hour. notice. is. requested. for. extensive. player. national.runners-up.team.. UP NEXT interviews. Chris Brown. is. in. his. first. year. as. head. The. Hornets. travel. to. Pittsburg. State. on. coach.at.Ft..Hays.State.after.spending.nine. Lewis.Field.Press.Box Saturday,.Sept..10..Kick-off.at.Carnie.Smith. (785).628-5316 seasons.as.an.assistant.at.Washburn. Stadium.is.set.for.7.p.m. Emporia State at Ft. Hays State Season Opener Page 2 THE HORNETS IN 2010 WHEN: OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW Gaining.more.rushing.net.yards.................3-2 The.Hornets.were.ranked.fourth.in.the.MIAA.in.rushing.last.season..With.no.one.domi- Opponents.gain.more.rushing.net.yards....2-4 nant.running.back,.six.Hornets.averaged.between.13.5.and.40.2.yards.per.game.on. the.season,.with.four.of.those.players.returning..Five.of.seven.players.that.averaged. Gaining.more.passing.yards......................3-0 at.least.3.3.yards.per.rush.return.as.well..ESU.had.four.scoring.plays.go.for.over.65. Opponents.gain.more.passing.yards.........2-6 yards.involving.four.different.players..They.had.a.season.high.252.yards.on.the.ground. against.Truman..Twenty.of.their.33.scoring.drives.last.season.took.less.than.five.plays. Gaining.more.total.offensive.yards.............3-0 with.five.of.those.going.at.least.70.yards..The.Hornets.had.11.plays.that.went.over.40. Opp..gain.more.total.offensive.yards.........2-6 yards.and.four.of.over.65.yards. All.but.one.of.the.skill.players.involved.in.those.11. Gaining.more.first.downs...........................3-0 plays.returns.this.year... Opponents.gain.more.first.downs..............2-6 . First.downs.are.equal.................................0-0 THE WOODLANDS ISN'T JUST A RACE TRACK Quarterback.Tyler Eckenrode.(Jr./Houston,.Texas).has.the.second.highest.touchdown. Throwing.more.completions.......................0-0 to.interception.ratio.among.the.returning.starters.in.the.league. The.Hornets.were.5-3.in. Opponents.throw.more.completions..........5-6 games.that.he.started.and.finished.last.season..He.had.touchdown.passes.in.the.first.eight. Completions.are.equal...............................0-0 games.with.four.multiple.touchdown.games..He.had.a.season.best.207.yards.passing.at. Northwest.Missouri.with.two.touchdowns..He.led.ESU.to.it's.second.second.half.come- Turning.the.ball.over.more.........................1-2 back.win.of.the.year.with.two.touchdown.passes.in.the.third.quarter.against.PSU..He. Opponents.turn.the.ball.over.more............4-2 was.nine.of.20.for.161.yards.with.a.touchdown.through.the.air.and.added.56.yards.on. Turnovers.are.equal...................................0-2 nine.carries.on.the.ground.at.Nebraska-Omaha.and.became.the.first.ESU.quarterback. Accumulating.more.penalty.yards..............2-2 of.the.21st.century.to.have.two.rushes.of.over.25.yards.and.two.pass.completions.of. Penalty.yards.are.equal.............................0-1 over.50.yards.in.the.same.game..He went 15 of 24 for 184 yards and a touchdown Opp..accumulate.more.penalty.yards........3-3 with no interceptions against Ft. Hays State..He.connected.on.a.69.yard.touchdown. at.Southwestern.Oklahoma.State.and.also.had.a.28.yard.rush.against.the.Bulldogs.to. When.leading.after.1st.quarter...................3-1 become.the.first.Hornet.with.a.pass.completion.of.over.60.yards.and.a.rush.of.over. When.tied.after.1st.quarter........................1-2 25.yards.in.the.same.game.since.Kelton.Copeland.against.Ft..Hays.State.on.August. When.trailing.after.1st.quarter....................1-3 30,.2001..He.went.16.for.30.for.225.yards.against.Neb.-Omaha.in.his.first.career.start.