From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
EMPORIA, Kan. — Pittsburg State had little difficulty in finishing its regular season football schedule with a victory on Saturday.
The Gorillas, keyed by Mark Smith’s three scoring passes, beat Emporia State 52-7 at Welch Stadium.
PSU, which scored the last 45 points in the game, boosted its record to 10-1 and 8-1 in the MIAA. The Hornets wound up 4-7 overall and 2-7 in the MIAA.
PSU, ranked 10th nationally in NCAA Division II, is expected to find out its opponent today in the 24-team playoff field.
The bracket will be released at 2 p.m. on ESPNews. PSU will host a watch party at Carnie Smith Stadium with the West Stadium gates opening at 1:30. The announcement will be aired on the “Jungletron.”
Smith, a senior out of Pittsburg St. Mary’s-Colgan, started the PSU scoring with an 8-yard run in the first period. His scoring passes covered 10 yards to Baxter Springs graduate Martin Burke in the second period and 26 and 6 to Harrison Kush in the third.
Smith threw for 138 yards on 13-for-19 accuracy and rushed 10 times for 60 yards. Prep teammate Caleb Farabi, who tallied on a 3-yard run in the second quarter to give PSU the lead for good, was the Gorillas’ leading rusher with 101 yards on 18 carries.
Carthage’s Caleb Sanders’ 23-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Gorillas a 21-7 lead.
PSU also got a 45-yard field goal from Jared Witter in the second period to help it lead 31-7 at halftime. The last PSU score came on John McCoy’s 1-yard run early in the fourth.
The Gorillas piled up 407 yards with 254 on the ground. Their defense limited the Hornets to 112 yards of total offense and just 45 rushing. Emporia State mustered just 52 yards after its initial offensive series.
Lucas Sullivan grabbed a 7-yard scoring pass from Andre SloanEl to cap a 70-yard drive for ESU
PSU’s Rusty Morgan logged a team-leading five tackles (four solo) with three stops for losses. Sanders had three tackles to go with the interception and Carl Junction’s Chadd Snyder had three stops, a pass breakup and an interception.
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