On the backs of two career offensive performances, Emporia State defeated a pesky Central Oklahoma team 35-21 last Saturday at Welch Stadium, improving their record to 4-1.
After the Hornet defense held Central scoreless on their opening possession, the offense promptly marched down the field on a 6 play, 56-yard, 1:29 scoring drive. Redshirt sophomore quarterback, Braxton Marstall, threw his first touchdown pass of the day on a 20-yard strike to fellow redshirt-sophomore receiver, Justin Brown. Brown’s acrobatic one-handed catch gave the Hornets a 7-0 lead with 9:51 remaining in the first quarter.
The start of the second quarter offered the first look of what soon became a familiar sight for Bronchos defenders. With 14:55 remaining before half, Marstall hit senior receiver Mitchell Foote for his first touchdown grab of what turned out to be a busy day. The 30-yard touchdown pass increased the Hornet lead to 14-0.
Just before halftime, the Hornets increased the margin to three scores on another Marstall-to-Foote touchdown connection. The extra point gave ESU a 21-0 cushion at the break.
“We’re definitely starting to get it together offensively,” Foote said. “Coach is starting to bring the ball my way a little bit more, and I’m definitely enjoying it. We didn’t want to let them breathe. We wanted to put up as many points as we could.”
The half proved beneficial for Central Oklahoma as the Bronchos made things interesting in the final thirty minutes.
A 17-yard catch with 4:19 remaining in the third quarter gave Foote his third touchdown of the day and the Hornets a 28-3 advantage, but from that point forward, Central would outscore ESU 18-7.
Leading by only a 28-21 margin with six minutes remaining in the game, Marstall orchestrated a long 9-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, draining 3:53 from the clock in the process. A wide-open Foote scored his final touchdown of the day on a 17-yard catch-and-run over the middle, putting the Hornets up by two scores.
With 1:01 remaining an interception by senior defensive back Trey Dickerson sealed the Hornet victory.
“The team didn’t panic, but I did a little,” Emporia State head football coach, Garin Higgins said. “But I think our guys are resilient and tough-minded individuals. They believe they can win, and nobody panicked over there on the sidelines.”
Marstall was 29 of 41 for a career-high 354 yards and five touchdowns through the air, adding 56 rushing yards on ten carries. Foote, his favorite target, caught 11 passes for a career-high 167 yards and four scores.
“Anyone could throw to Mitch and he would make them look good,” Marstall said. “That’s the nice thing I have in him. He’s something else.”
Saturday marked the first time an ESU receiver has caught four touchdowns in a game since 2013.
“I still don’t think you’ve seen the best of this team, especially offensively,” Higgins said. “We’re beginning to click now, though, and I think it’s coming. Our defense is just playing with a lot of confidence right now and they’re playing really well. We’re seeing Braxton (Marstall) getting more comfortable with the things he’s doing and he’s getting a lot better too. I still think the best is yet to come though.”
Emporia State will look for their fifth straight win this Saturday in Tahlequah, Oklahoma against Northeastern State. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
