Ryan Hulings stood teary-eyed by the end zone, looking down while shaking his head slowly.
Emporia State coach Dave Wiemers had told all the seniors in the locker room before kickoff to savor this game and make it one they would always remember.
Hulings never wanted to remember it this way — a 34-33 loss to Missouri Southern that seemed to encapsulate a season’s worth of frustrations for the Hornet football team.
“One point. I just wanted to go out with a win, and we didn’t do it,” Hulings said. “It’s just too much right now.”
Like so many other contests, the effort seemed to be there for ESU.
But, for the seventh consecutive game, the Hornets lost to a conference opponent, unable make the necessary plays in crunch time.
“Certain times we could have coached better, certain times we could have played better, certain times we could have had the break go our way,” Wiemers said. “None of the above really happened when we needed it the most.”
That was the case again Saturday at Welch Stadium, as ESU put itself in position to win late in the game.
After trailing 28-17 with four minutes to go in the second quarter, the Hornets stormed back.
Following a Jeff Edwards’ 24-yard field goal, Seville Ko blasted through the middle for a 35-yard touchdown run behind a Shae Grosdidier block, narrowing the deficit to 28-26 with 7:21 remaining in the third.
Quarterback Ben Purkeypile’s two-point conversion attempt to Lucas Sullivan fell incomplete.
The Hornets used some trickery to take the lead on their next possession. On a fourth-and-5 from the Southern 46, the Hornets lined up for a punt but instead snapped it directly to H-back Zach Teske.
The senior — who played quarterback in high school and originally came to ESU as a QB — lofted a left-handed pass to a wide-open Jarad Biggs. The receiver easily stepped out of a Colin Bado attempted tackle and ran into the end zone to help give the Hornets a 33-28 advantage with a minute left in the third quarter.
“We were right there. We played our butts off,” ESU senior linebacker Cade Armstrong said. “We just couldn’t come through in the end.”
The momentum would be short-lived. Southern responded with an 85-yard drive, with the key play coming on a third-and-9 from its own 16.
Lion quarterback Adam Hinspeter was flushed from the pocket, scrambling to his right to try to make a play. As the defense collapsed on him, Hinspeter heaved it downfield, hitting Noah Harding in stride for a 52-yard gain.
Freddie Colbert finished the possession five plays later, rushing for a seven-yard touchdown run that gave Southern a 34-33 lead with 11:29 remaining.
ESU had chances late but never converted.
The best opportunity came after driving 64 yards to the Southern 17 for a potential field goal with 7:11 remaining.
A successful attempt would have given ESU a 36-34 lead, but the 34-yard try was blocked by Moses Manga.
A turnover on downs and an interception ended the final two Hornet drives, which never made it into Lion territory.
“We played better offensively, but it was the story of our season,” Ko said. “We made mistakes at the wrong time.”
Running back El Ray Henry gave all he had in his final collegiate game after missing the previous four contests with a back injury. The senior rushed 15 times for 67 yards.
“I’ll have a long time to rest now — the rest of my life,” Henry said.
Ko added 75 rushing and 62 receiving yards in the loss.
It was the final game for 15 ESU seniors.
“I’m still happy I got to play one last game,” ESU senior Brandon Stribling said. “Most guys won’t even get the chance to know when their last game is.”
ESU ended the season with a 3-8 record, with the toughest loss coming at the end of the season for Hulings and the rest of the seniors.
“It’s going to be the last game I always remember,” Hulings said, pausing. “It’s finally here.”