# 2015 Emporia State Hornets football team

The 2015 Emporia State Hornets football team represented Emporia State University in the 2015 NCAA Division II football season. The Hornets played their home games on Jones Field at Francis G. Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas, as they have done since 1937. 2015 was the 122nd season in school history. The Hornets were led by head coach Garin Higgins, who finished his fifteenth overall season, and ninth at Emporia State. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

## Previous season

The 2014 Emporia State Hornets football team finished the regular season 4–7, with losses to Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Pittsburg State, Fort Hays State, Washburn, Northwest Missouri State and Nebraska–Kearney. Due to the multiple injuries, including the starting quarterback, the Hornets were not ranked and did not make a post-season game, like the previous two years.

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Along with Higgins, there are 9 assistants.
| Name | Position | Seasons at Emporia State | Alma Mater |
| Garin Higgins | Head coach | 9 | Emporia State (1992) |
| Mike LoPorto | Co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach | 8 | Emporia State (2007) |
| Bryan Nardo | Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers Coach | 4 | Ohio (2008) |
| Matt Nardo | Off. coordinator/recruiting Coord./Inside & H-backs/Receivers coach | 1 | Ohio (2005) |
| Nathan Linsey | Def. Secondary/special teams coordinator | 4 | Emporia State (2010) |
| Justin Weiser | Strength and conditioning/running backs | 3 | Emporia State (2010) |
| Tony Koehling | Offensive line coach | 1 | Ohio (2013) |
| Terence Coleman | Outside Receivers | 3 | NW Oklahoma State (2000) |
| Chuck Detwiler | Asst. secondary coach | 3 | Utah State (1974) |
| Aaron Matthews | Graduate Assistant – Defensive line coach | 2 | Emporia State (2014) |
| Justin Drudik | Graduate Assistant – Defensive backs coach | 1 | Nebraska–Kearney (2014) |
| Daniel Goodman | Graduate Assistant – Tight ends coach | 1 | Emporia State (2014) |
| Damon Leiss | Assistant coach – Defensive lines and Academics | 8 | Capella (1984) |
| Patrick Crayton | Receivers (AFCA internship) | 2015 season | NWOSU (2004) |
| Cale Cochran | Football Operations | 2 | Emporia State (current student) |
| Reference: ||||

### Roster
## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 7:00 p.m. | at Missouri Southern | | Fred G. Hughes StadiumJoplin, MO | | W 38–20 | 5,987 |
| September 10/12 | 7:07 p.m./2:00 p.m. | Central Missouri | | Francis G. Welch StadiumEmporia, KS | MIAA-TV | W 45–34 | 5,785 |
| September 19 | 2:00 p.m. | at Central Oklahoma | | Wantland StadiumEdmond, OK | | W 38–28 | 4,502 |
| September 26 | 2:00 p.m. | Northeastern State | | Francis G. Welch StadiumEmporia, KS | | W 55–14 | 5,093 |
| October 3 | 2:37 p.m. | at Lindenwood | No. 23 | Harlen C. Hunter StadiumSt. Charles, MO | MIAA-TV | W 20–13 | 2,093 |
| October 10 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 13 Pittsburg State | No. 18 | Francis G. Welch StadiumEmporia, KS | | W 46–42 | 6,306 |
| October 17 | 2:00 p.m. | at Fort Hays State | No. 13 | Lewis Field StadiumHays, KS | | L 24–27 | 3,094 |
| October 24 | 2:00 p.m. | Missouri Western | No. 19 | Francis G. Welch StadiumEmporia, KS | | W 17–3 | 6,056 |
| October 31 | 2:00 p.m. | Washburn | No. 17 | Francis G. Welch StadiumEmporia, KS (Turnpike Tussle) | | W 47–21 | 4,821 |
| November 7 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 2 NW Missouri State | No. 14 | Bearcat StadiumMaryville, MO | ASN | L 10–44 | 6,542 |
| November 14 | 2:00 p.m. | Nebraska–Kearney | No. 19 | Francis G. Welch StadiumEmporia, KS | | W 52–34 | 3,897 |
| November 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 6 MSU–Mankato | No. 18 | Blakeslee StadiumMankato, MN. (NCAA Division II First Round) | | W 51–49 | 1,104 |
| November 28 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 8 Henderson State | No. 18 | Carpenter-Haygood StadiumArkadelphia, AR (NCAA Division II Second Round) | | W 29–3 | 1,129 |
| December 5 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 1 NW Missouri State | No. 18 | Bearcat StadiumMaryville, MO (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal) | | L 17–38 | 5,155 |
| HomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
Source:

### Game notes, regular season
#### Missouri Southern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Emporia State | 7 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 38 |
| Missouri Southern | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |

#### Central Missouri

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Central Missouri | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| • Emporia State | 3 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 45 |

#### Central Oklahoma

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Emporia State | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Central Oklahoma | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |

#### Northeastern State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northeastern State | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • Emporia State | 21 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 55 |

#### Lindenwood

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #23 Emporia State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
| Lindenwood | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |

#### Pittsburg State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Pittsburg State | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
| • #18 Emporia State | 7 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 46 |

#### Fort Hays State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Emporia State | 10 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| • Fort Hays State | 0 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 27 |

#### Missouri Western

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Missouri Western | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| • #19 Emporia State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |

#### Washburn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Washburn | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| • #17 Emporia State | 13 | 24 | 3 | 7 | 47 |

#### Northwest Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #14 Emporia State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • #2 NW Missouri State | 14 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 44 |

#### Nebraska–Kearney

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 14 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
| • #19 Emporia State | 14 | 7 | 24 | 7 | 52 |

### Game notes, post-season
#### Minnesota State–Mankato

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #18 Emporia State | 10 | 14 | 21 | 6 | 51 |
| #6 MSU–Mankato | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |

#### Henderson State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #18 Emporia State | 0 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 29 |
| #8 Henderson State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |

#### Northwest Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #18 Emporia State | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • #1 NW Missouri State | 10 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 38 |