Emporia, Kan. – Anthony Brown led the Truman offense with 145 yards receiving but the Emporia State Hornets scored on eight of their 15 drives in a 52-18 victory over the Bulldogs. Truman returns home for the first time in nearly a month for Senior Day against the Lincoln Blue Tigers next Saturday.

Brown caught nine passes for 145 yards including a 58-yard strike in the second quarter. However six turnovers plagued the Bulldogs in their seventh loss of the season. The Bulldogs put up 334 yards of total offense as J.B. Clark finished 16-of-29 for 206 yards.

ESU quarterback Tyler Eckenrode was 19-of-28 for 194 yards and two touchdowns as the Hornets also rushed for 225 yards in their third MIAA win this season. ESU trio of backs, Dasor Horton, Adrian Abner and La'Darrian Page each gained over 60 yards on the ground.

Emporia took the opening drive and went 80 yards in 12 plays as  Abner scampered in from nine yards out to give the Hornets the 7-0 lead.
The Bulldogs moved the ball crisply down the field in their first drive as J.B. Clark was 4-for-4 and Donald Harvey scored from 19-yards away to knot the game at seven.

A 53-yard return on the kickoff by Kevin Gaddis put the Hornets in prime field position and they took advantage as Abner scored his second TD of the game on a nine-yard run to cap off a 47-yard drive to give ESU a 14-7 lead.

The Bulldogs failed to answer as Harnish Ayora dropped the lateral screen from Clark and Kennedy Ezimako jumped on the loose ball to set ESU up at the 'Dog 13. Two plays later Horton rushed in up the middle for a 21-7 lead.

Truman forced a fumble deep in ESU territory but only managed a 27-yard field goal after the drive stalled out after gaining just 10 yards.   On the ensuing drive, Eckenrode found Adam Schlitz for 13 yards and a score to extend the lead to 28-10.

The Bulldogs closed the gap when Clark led Brown on a fly pattern for a 58-yard pass reception. Clark then hit Andy Mundwiller on the two-point conversion to cut the lead to ten.

The backbreaker occurred as ESU took over with under two minutes left in the half and went 60-yards in eight plays to extend their lead to 35-18 just before half. Shjuan Richardson broke free and caught the 21-yard pass from Eckenrode for the score.

Truman had two chances in the third quarter to make a game of it but Ayora was stopped short of the goal line on fourth down with 7:30 remaining in the third quarter. And later, Conrad Shottel was picked off by Gaddis as his arm was hit by Vince Harris at the ESU 26.

The interception allowed the Hornets to chew up over four minutes of the clock and get a 23-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 38-18.

The Hornets added late scores by Horton, a six-yard run and La'Darrian Page, a nine-yard run to close out the game.

The Bulldogs will host Lincoln University for the first time since 1989 at Stokes Stadium for Senior Day next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Kirksville.