The Missouri Southern football team scored first tonight, but the 22nd ranked Emporia State Hornets racked up 517 yards of offense and the Lions fell 53-28 in the 2014 season opener.
Southern (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) was led offensively by Michael Nelson as he carried the ball 14 times for 88 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Barnwell had seven carries for 52 yards, while Will Gregory picked up a score on ten carries. Jay McDowell went 2-10 for 118 yards and a long of 64 yards.
Emporia (1-0, 1-0 MIAA) was led by a pair 100-plus yard performances on the night. Kai Collins rushed for 107 yards on 11 carries with one score, while Austin Willis caught five passes for 126 yards and a score. Quarterback Brent Wilson was 21-31 for 244 yards and two touchdowns.
The Lions scored first as Nelson capped off a six-play, 40-yard drive with a three-yard dive into the endzone to give Southern a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.
The Hornets answered right back and Wilson hit Willis for a 54-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 13:01 left in the second. The Hornets added another score on a 17-yard run from Brown to go up 14-7 at the seven-minute mark.
Turnovers on the Lions' next possession led to two defensive touchdowns from the Hornets and ESU went up 27-7 with 5:46 left in the half.
The Lions added a one-yard touchdown run from Gregory with 2:12 left in the half to cut the lead to 27-13, but the point after was blocked and the Hornets ran the ball back for a PAT return to go into the locker room up 29-13.
Wilson hit Mitchell Foote for an 11-yard score with 8:39 in the third quarter to put Emporia State up 36-13.
Nelson scored on a five-yard run to cap a three-play, 70-yard drive for the Lions that took just 56 seconds and the Lions cut the lead to 36-21 after the two-point conversion by Ricky Nichols was good.
A 33-yard field goal from Austin Morton gave the Hornets a 39-21 lead and a 12-yard rush from Jordan Tice put the Hornets up 46-21.
Nelson picked up his third touchdown of the evening on a five-yard scamper to cap off a five-play, 50-yard drive to make the score 46-28, Emporia.
The Hornets added a score on a 57-yard touchdown run by Callins to go up 53-28 with 4:49 left in the game.
The Lions won the time of possession battle with 30:40, but Emporia State racked up 273 yards on the ground and 294 through the air to put the game away.
Defensively, Dalvin Taylor led the Lions with nine tackles, six solo, while Deon Price had seven of his own.Johnquavious McBride had a sack and two stops behind the line of scrimmage, while Darryl Smith picked up an interception and five tackles.
The Lions will be back in action a week from tonight, playing host to No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri at 6:30 pm inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
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