Lindenwood and No. 12 Emporia State played two different halves on Saturday afternoon in Emporia, Kan., with one half being a defensive battle and one a shootout. The high-scoring second half favored the Hornets, and they scored a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining for a 35-28 victory over the Lions football team.
 
The first 30 minutes saw the two teams combine to punt the ball 10 times, and they managed just 277 yards of total offense. The Hornets missed two field goals and they were sacked five times. Lindenwood had just 108 yards of total offense, with 80 of those coming on one drive. That drive saw the only points of the half, as the Lions went four-of-four on third-down plays. The final third-down conversion was an 11-yard touchdown pass from Allen Thigpen to Aaron Daniels that put Lindenwood up 7-0.
 
Both teams adjusted offensively at halftime, which led to an explosive final 30 minutes of play. There was only one full drive by the two teams that didn't lead to a touchdown, which was a turnover on downs by the Lions on their first drive of the second half. That stop helped the Hornets take the lead with 4:09 left in the third quarter, and Lindenwood and Emporia State traded touchdowns after that.
 
Lindenwood's final score came with 3:17 remaining, and a penalty on the kickoff backed the Hornets up to their 12-yard line. Emporia State marched down the field though, going 88 yards in 13 plays. The final play was a 15-yard run by quarterback Braxton Marstall with 15 seconds left. The Lions had time to run just one more play, and their Hail Mary pass was batted down to the ground.
 
Emporia State finished with 522 yards of total offense, compared to 380 for the Lions. The Lions averaged more yards per play, but the Hornets ran 99 offensive plays, compared to 63 for Lindenwood. Emporia State held the ball for nearly 12 more minutes, and it converted 15 third-down plays.
 
Thigpen finished the game with two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown. He threw for 214 yards and rushed for 52. Aaron Daniels had two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground. He just missed a second straight 100-yard rushing game with 95 yards. Deantrell Prince led the wide receivers with six catches for 85 yards and one touchdown.
 
Lindenwood's defense finished with seven sacks and nine tackles for loss. Jonathan Harris had 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss, and Tanner Sobotka and Derrick Nsubuga each had 1.5 sacks. Connor Harris had a team-high 14 tackles, and Wesley Thomas and Clint Koons were also in double-figures for tackles.
 
Game Notes: Lindenwood falls to 1-6 on the season and 1-6 in MIAA play … Emporia State improves to 6-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play … the Hornets now lead the all-time series by a 5-0 margin … the Lions fall to 1-12 all-time against nationally-ranked NCAA Division II teams … Lindenwood and Emporia State did not have a turnover in their meeting for the second straight year, which are the only two games since the Lions moved to the NCAA level in which neither team had a turnover … Connor Harris extended his double-figure tackle streak to 23 games, and his NCAA All-Division record for career tackles is now at 589 … Wesley Thomas had his fifth double-figure tackle game, and Clint Koons had his sixth career game with 10 or more tackles … Kendell Sparks had 106 kickoff return yards, the third time this season a Lion returner had over 100 yards on kickoff returns … the Lions return home next weekend for its Homecoming Contest at 1:30 p.m. against No. 1 Northwest Missouri.