By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After rallying from a 14-0 deficit to forge a 17-17 halftime tie with Emporia State Saturday at Yager Stadium, Washburn University football had a golden opportunity to take its first lead of the game early in the third quarter after driving to a 1st-and-goal situation.
Washburn sophomore Cam Robinson (middle) rushed for a team-high 70 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 45-17 MIAA loss to Emporia State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But after the Ichabods (2-8 overall, 1-8 in the MIAA) had an apparent 3-yard Keller Hurla touchdown run wiped out by a holding penalty and missed a 34-yard field goal, Emporia State took control with 28 unanswered points to take a 45-17 MIAA victory.
"Having the ball 1st and goal, you've got to punch it in,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "And whether it's penalties or execution, you've got to be able to punch it in and being up seven with a windy day it's a whole different game. But you're forced to kick a field goal and then you miss a field goal.''
Emporia State (5–5 overall, 4–4 MIAA) took an early lead with a 13-yard blocked punt return from Kingsley Bennett and a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jamison Sarver to Diego Cearns, but Aidan Battle got the Ichabods on the board with a 36-yard field goal late in the first quarter to cut the Hornets' lead to 14-3.
Lucas Oitker capped an 81-yard drive early in the second quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run and Cam Robinson powered in from 3 yards out just before halftime to tie the game.
But the Hornets regained control in the second half, scoring 28 unanswered points, including a pair of pick sixes, to pull away.
Emporia State broke the 17-17 tie with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Sarver to Bennett with 4:42 left in the third quarter and tacked on 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Sarver scored on a 2-yard run before Landon Boss returned an interception 43 yards for a score and Kaliel Boyd had a 29-yard pick six to close out the scoring with 4:27 remaining.
"I felt like we needed to stop being our own worst enemy,'' Emporia State coach Garin Higgins said of the Hornets' second-half rally. "I felt like we had kind of lost the momentum there at halftime and we needed to get it back.
"So that was kind of the message at half, we're got one more half, we've got 30 minutes and we need to quit shooting ourself in the foot and start executing better on both sides of the football.''
Washburn finished with 336 yards of total offense, including 137 rushing and 199 passing yards.
Robinson led the way with 101 all-purpose yards (70 rushing, 24 receiving, 7 punt return), while Oitker added 94 total yards (63 rushing, 31 receiving) and his third rushing touchdown of the season.
Washburn quarterback Logan Madden passed for 156 yards in Saturday's 45-17 loss to Emporia State in Yager Stadium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Quarterback Logan Madden completed 14 of 34 passes for 156 yards, with Nathan Lewis Jr. catching two passes for a team-best 51 yards, including a 37-yard grab. Aden Canty added two receptions for 39 yards.
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by JC Heim, who tallied 13 tackles, and Kamble Haverkamp, who added 10 stops. L.J. Minner Jr. also contributed 10 tackles and had an interception to set up Washburn's first touchdown drive.
Washburn punter Jake Zeller averaged 51.2 yards on five punts, including a 63-yarder.
Emporia State's defense shut out Washburn in the second half Saturday on the way to a 45-17 MIAA victory in Yager Stadium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Emporia State held a 447-336 edge in total yardage, with Sarver throwing for 219 yards and the two TDs while Cearns rushed for 136 yards on 26 attempts.
Boss led the Hornets with 12 tackles.
The Ichabods will wrap up the season next week at Missouri Southern while Emporia State will be at home to host Fort Hays State.
EMPORIA STATE 45, WASHBURN 17
Emporia State (5-5, 4-4) 14 3 7 21 -- 45
Washburn (2-8, 1-7) 3 14 0 0 -- 17
First quarter
Emporia State -- Bennett 13 blocked punt return (Davidson kick), 6:50
Emporia State -- Cearns 35 pass from Sarver (Davidson kick), 4:23
Washburn -- Battle 36 FG, 1:03
Second quarter
Washburn -- Oitker 16 run (Battle kick), 9:03
Emporia State -- Dodson 24 FG, 6:33
Washburn -- Robinson 3 run (Battle kick), 1:16
Third quarter
Emporia State -- Bennett 24 pass from Sarver (Davidson kick), 4:42
Fourth quarter
Emporia State -- Sarver 2 run (Dodson kick), 9:28
Emporia State -- Boss 43 interception return (Dodson kick), 8:35
Emporia State -- Boyd 29 interception return (Dodson kick), 4:27
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Emporia State: Cearns 26-136, Crooks 14-56, Bennett 1-23, Sarver 3-14, Middleton 3-(minus)-1. Washburn: Robinson 15-70, Oitker 10-63, George 5-15, Hurla 1-1, Madden 5-(minus)-2, Abongo Jr. 1-(minus)-2, Harmison 1-(minus)-4, Lewis 1-(minus)-4.
Passing -- Emporia State: Sarver 22-31-1, 219 yards. Washburn: Madden 14-34-1, 156; Lewis 1-2-1, 5; Zeller 1-1-0, 31; Hurla 1-1-0, 7.
Receiving -- Emporia State: Bennett 5-52, O'Atis 5-41, Schultze 4-43, Ford 2-24, Middleton 2-11, Beasley 2-6, Cearns 1-35, Crooks 1-7. Washburn: Robinson 4-24, Mohrmann 3-29, Lewis Jr. 2-51, Canty 2-39, Calhoun 2-7, Oitker 1-31, Harmison 1-11, Carter 1-5, Ropp 1-2.
Punting -- Emporia State: Davidson 4-44.5. Washburn: Zeller 5-51.2.
Tackles -- Emporia State: Boss 11 solo-1 assist-12 total, McCullough 6-0-6. Washburn: Heim 4-9-13, Haverkamp 9-1-10, Minner Jr. 5-5-10.
Attendance -- 2,525.
