Emporia State coach Dave Wiemers doesn’t pull any punches when talking about the significance of this Saturday’s Homecoming matchup with Truman.
“We’re putting kind of a must-win on this,” Wiemers said. “I’m hoping our guys are thinking that enough’s enough. It’s time to get back on the right track.”
After losing two games in a row, the Hornets hope the road to recovery begins with the Bulldogs, who are 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
Saturday’s kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Welch Stadium.
“We’ve prepared well, and we’re ready to get a win,” ESU linebacker Cade Armstrong said. “We’re hungry for one, and we know we have to have one.”
Truman comes in as a surprise team in the MIAA after finishing winless in the conference last season.
The Bulldogs have defeated both Central Missouri and Missouri Southern — two teams that were picked to finish above them in the preseason poll.
“It’s kind of nice to see some of the other (teams) come up and win some games,” Wiemers said. “They’ve done a great job of making themselves better through recruiting and talent and schemes. They’re significantly better.”
Truman won last week against Southern despite losing a significant player on offense.
Jake Cunningham — the fifth-highest rusher in the conference — left in the second quarter after sustaining an injury.
Quarterback Matt Ticich played so well it didn’t matter. The junior passed for 273 yards and ran for 68 more, contributing four touchdowns overall. He is currently the MIAA’s leader in total offense, ranking 14th in all of Division II with an average of 246.8 yards per game.
Freshman running back Marvin Bembry also stepped up to the challenge, contributing 103 all-purpose yards after Cunningham’s injury.
“A lot of the time when you get to this time of year, it’s all about your backups,” Wiemers said. “We’re certainly seeing that.”
Indeed, ESU will once again be short-handed, with the most notable absences coming at the skill positions on offense.
Running back El Ray Henry’s status remains uncertain for Saturday, though Wiemers said the situation “doesn’t look good.”
Jermaine Barnett, who leads the MIAA in touchdown receptions, will not play while still nursing a high-ankle injury.
“Without those two on offense, it’s not as good, but we’re not going to sit here and cry about it,” Wiemers said. “It’s not about who we’re not playing with... it’s about who’s going to be out there.”
One key player that should return is defensive lineman A.J. Brinkman.
The Hornets have been thin at D-line as of late, as only five players at the position were even available for last Saturday’s 49-17 loss at Northwest Missouri State.
ESU (3-3, 2-2) has won the last six meetings against Truman. That includes a 41-12 blowout victory in Kirksville, Mo., last season.
Truman comes in having lost all three of its road games this season by an average of 18 points.
In addition, the Hornets have won eight of their last 10 Homecoming games.
Armstrong said the ESU’s two consecutive losses had put more emphasis on this weekend’s game.
“We know that we have to win this one, and we know that we don’t want to lose any more. We can’t,” Armstrong said. “Enough’s enough. We’re ready to go.”