JOPLIN, MO. — Coach Garin Higgins finally made it to the locker room about 20 minutes after Emporia State’s 34-13 loss to Missouri Southern, and the coach still had not cooled off.
Higgins called everyone out into a hallway and then unloaded 60 minutes worth of frustration onto his team.
One week before, in a three-point loss and near-upset against 13th-ranked Central Missouri, Higgins had never been so proud of his players.
One week later, he had never been so disappointed.
“I guess there was a hangover effect,” Higgins said, “because we definitely did not play the same way we played last week.”
The biggest different from one week to the next was the play of quarterback Andre Sloan El.
Sloan El’s numbers against Central Missouri: 18-for-28, 259 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Sloan El’s numbers against Missouri Southern: 16-for-42, 103 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions.
Backup Tyler Eckenrode came in for Emporia State’s final possession, and he also threw an interception. The six interceptions by ESU quarterbacks tied a school record.
The Missouri Southern defense had just five interceptions all of last season and only one so far in 2009.
“You’re not going to win a football game on the road with six turnovers,” Higgins said.
Higgins and his staff have yet to figure out how to win a road game in conference play. The Hornets are now 0-10 on the road in the MIAA under Higgins.
To be fair, the first two seasons were thought of as rebuilding years.
But after the way ESU played against Central Missouri, the coaches and players all thought they had taken a big step forward as a program and were ready to get their first conference road win — especially considering the opponent, winless Missouri Southern.
With their third straight loss and an 0-2 record in the MIAA, it seems like not much has changed.
“We’ve got to figure out how to be a good road team, because our last two road games, we look like a totally different team,” Higgins said. “So whatever we’re doing, whatever we need to change, I’m going to find an answer and get a change to make sure we’re playing better on the road, because it’s like two entirely different teams.”
The Lions also looked like a different team against the Hornets. In their MIAA opener against Washburn, the Lions gave up 54 points and trailed 35-3 at halftime. But against ESU, the Lions got off to a quick start and 14-0 lead, capitalizing on Sloan El’s two early interceptions.
The ESU defense had gotten off to slow starts in the first three games and had talked all week about getting off to a fast start against Missouri Southern, but that obviously didn’t happen.
In the first three games, the Hornet defense had at least finished strong, giving up only 22 points after halftime. The Lions nearly equaled that output, scoring 20 points in the second half.
“We underestimated this team on both sides of the ball,” ESU linebacker Katrel Larkins said. “They came and put 34 points on us, and that should never happen. They shouldn’t even score seven on us.”
The Lions scored three of their touchdowns on big passing plays: a 40-yard pass to Landon Zerkel in the first quarter, a 22-yard pass to Zerkel early in the third quarter and a 46-yard pass to Daniel Thompson that put the game away late in the third quarter.
“We don’t give up those three big plays and we’re still in the game, probably win the game,” Larkins said. “It doesn’t matter what the offense does, we still have to step up and get the offense back the ball.”
The killer was the 46-yard TD to Thompson. The Hornets had Thompson wrapped up and nearly sacked on the play, but he somehow escaped and found Howard wide open at the 5-yard line, 15 yards behind any of the ESU defensive backs.
“We missed so many tackles on the quarterback,” Larkins said. “He wasn’t even good. He couldn’t run the ball, and I don’t know why we missed so many tackles.
“That play they scored on, that’s a scramble drill. Just got to lock up, and we just didn’t lock up.”
As bad as Sloan El’s numbers were, Higgins said he didn’t think his senior quarterback played poorly in the first half. Sloan El was 6-of-17 with two interceptions, but the ESU receivers had five dropped balls, including the two interceptions. Both passes were on target, bobbled by the ESU receivers — Dominic Mirocke and Andre Jones — and ricocheted right to Missouri Southern’s Justin Cooper and Terrance Scott.
Sloan El’s final three interceptions, however, were only on target to a Missouri Southern defender.
“We were down, so I was just trying to make a play, trying to get a ball in there,” Sloan El said. “Obviously, they knew we were trying to move the ball and play catch-up. I was trying to make a play.”
Higgins left his team on Saturday with one final message. Next week they travel to Fort Hays State, picked to finish last in the conference, and Higgins said that game is a must-win.
“If you’ve got any ounce of competitiveness in you, whether you’re a senior or you’re a freshman and you’re playing, you need to understand that we need to bounce back,” Higgins said. “If you’re a competitor, you’ll do that.”
Saturday at Missouri Southern
Missouri Southern 34, Emporia State 13
Emporia State 0 6 0 7 — 13
Missouri Southern 7 7 6 14 — 34
First quarter
MSSU — Zerkel 40 pass from Howard (Gassen kick)
Second quarter
MSSU — Hunt 4 run (Gassen kick)
ESU — Smart 46 run (kick failed)
Third quarter
MSSU — Zerkel 22 pass from Howard (kick failed)
Fourth quarter
MSSU — Thompson 46 pass from Howard (Gassen kick)
ESU — McEvoy 4 pass from Sloan El (Maxwell kick)
MSSU — Thompson 5 pass from Howard (Gassen kick)
GAME STATISTICS
ESU MSSU
First downs 18 17
Rushes-yards 171 170
Passing yards 144 204
Comp.-Att.-Int. 19-47-6 14-26-2
Total plays-yards 79-315 75-374
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 6-55 7-65
Punts-average 5-37.0 6-41.2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — ESU: Sloan El 12-56, Smart 4-56, Abner 11-35, Woods 1-13, Eckenrode 1-6, Page 3-5; MSSU: Hunt 18-108, Johnson 13-41, Snell 4-14, Howard 10-12, Thompson 2-5.
Passing — ESU: Sloan El 16-42-5 103, Eckenrode 3-5-1 41; MSSU: Howard 14-26-2 204.
Receiving — ESU: McEvoy 7-74, Coursen 2-17, Richardson 2-10, Abner 2-(minus-10), Hageman 1-27, Mirocke 1-9, Smart 1-6, Schiltz 1-5, Jones 1-4, Page 1-2; Zerkel 6-135, Thompson 2-51, Poston 2-6, Threat 1-5, Norman 1-5, Clipp 1-3, Hunt 1-(minus-1).
footballeyes (anonymous) says...
I said this two years ago:
Some coaches "have it" and some don't. Higgins doesn't have it and never will. A good coach will light up a player or the whole team on occasion, and it is effective- but first you much lead by example, remember that attitude reflects leadership. Each year with him at the helm is another wasted season and more harm to the team and animosity amongst the fans. Much more of this and ESU will have neither.
September 21, 2009 at 12:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bobhornet (anonymous) says...
How much longer do we have to put up with this crap? I agree with "footballeyes"--Higgins needs to go. This football program is a laughingstock. And if Weiser can't get and keep a good football coach, I say get rid of him, too.
And somebody, anybody--teach Sloan El to throw at the guys in black and gold!
September 21, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
007 (anonymous) says...
Some people know what there talking about, others do not, just like the two clowns above!
September 21, 2009 at 8:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abcdefg (anonymous) says...
You want a man to lose his job because you dont like the way he facilitates a game? Its a game... Judge Not, before you judge yourself..... I dont actually know coach higgins, so I shouldn't judge him, and neither should you.
September 21, 2009 at 9:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hawks422 (anonymous) says...
The game of college football has become a business...so if the coach can't win games he must go...regardless of the players.. good, bad, or indifferent. The man will lose his job because he doesn't win football games.. this is his evaluation each week & he isn't cutting the mustard. It's unfortunate but thats how it is!!! All coaches know this when they sign on!!!
September 21, 2009 at 9:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bronco63 (anonymous) says...
My opinion is that Higgins was hired because he was Alumni and not necessarily because he was the best coach for the job. Allowing him to stay on and lead the Hornets further into the cellar is Weiser's responsibility. Make the move ESU and hire a coach that can elevate the Hornets and not swat them!
September 22, 2009 at 10:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
footballeyes (anonymous) says...
Well, 007- I see you like your's shaken, not stirred. You must have had a few too many when you said this:
"Don't start this again, the program is on the move up. Coaches are doing a great job....several older players are playing super. I didn't see in the article where Coach Higgins said anything. You took it out of content by what the sportswriter wrote. It's foolish for someone to say the coaches don't want to win now."
Were you watching ESU at the time, or the bottom of a martini glass?
September 26, 2009 at 9:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
007 (anonymous) says...
I dont drink alcohol....so you continue to prove that you are clueless about individuals!
September 27, 2009 at 9:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
footballeyes (anonymous) says...
Wow, that is very intuitive, 007- I must have missed that show. I really don't have anything to prove, the results speak for themselves- and you are doing a great job of showing your insight to the sport (and coach) the we are supposedly discussing. Maybe you should relax and have a beer!
October 1, 2009 at 9:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )