JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern football fell to No. 9-ranked Emporia State 35-21 on Homecoming Saturday at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
David Bethune returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown for MSSU.
Missouri Southern is now 1-5 overall in 2026 and 0-4 in MIAA conference play. Emporia State is 6-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Tillman Martin completed 25 of 42 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
Isaiah Padello led the Lions with eight catches for 77 yards.
Isaiah Green added seven receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Riley Hammons led the defense with 11 tackles.
Allen Mitchell carried the rock 16 times for 58 yards.
Bethune gave Missouri Southern its scoring response at 8:03, returning a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown before
Asher Huffman's extra point tied the first quarter at 7-7. It was the first Lions kickoff return for a touchdown since 2019 (Josh Mercer – 86 yards, vs. Northeastern State – 10/26/19).
Earlier, Missouri Southern stopped the Hornets' opening possession on downs at the MSSU 33, with
Kason Messenger making the fourth-down tackle for loss after ESU had crossed midfield.
ESU later finished a 68-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass and extra point, while the Lions' first offensive series ended after three plays.
After the tie, the defense forced a punt with
Daimond Casseus breaking up a second-down pass and
Cole Porter making a third-down tackle for loss, and the Lions' offense closed the first quarter across midfield after Martin completions to Padello and an 11-yard Mitchell run helped move the ball to the ESU 48 with the score 7-7.
Missouri Southern was held scoreless in the second quarter as Emporia State turned an early touchdown drive and a defensive score into a 21-7 lead.
After
Mitchell Cory pinned the Hornets at their 17, ESU drove for a touchdown at 13:33, then recovered an onside kick before
Tugase Williams' sack helped the Lions stop the ensuing possession on downs.
Southern's next snap became costly when Martin was sacked and lost a fumble that was returned 31 yards for a touchdown, but the Lions answered with a 32-yard drive that included first-down completions to Padello and
Dexter Merrell before turning it over on downs at the Emporia State 36.
Missouri Southern's defense forced punts on the next two Hornets possessions, with
Jayce Hitt recording a quarterback hurry and
Peyton McKee breaking up a third-down pass, while Cory placed all three of his punts inside the 20. Emporia State ran out the final seconds from its own 10, leaving the Lions down 21-7 at halftime.
Missouri Southern's biggest answer came after ESU moved ahead 28-14, as the Lions put together a 12-play, 79-yard drive that ended with Martin's 3-yard touchdown pass to Green on fourth down and Huffman's PAT with 52 seconds left.
Earlier, Southern opened the third quarter with a 65-yard drive, helped by two pass-interference penalties and Martin's 15-yard run, before Martin found
Jackson Marrs for a 26-yard touchdown that cut the score to 21-14 after Huffman's kick.
Emporia State answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive, but Missouri Southern responded immediately after Bethune's 17-yard kickoff return, getting a 36-yard completion from Martin to
Harold Trainer and later converting fourth-and-4 with a 12-yard pass to Padello. The Lions finished the third quarter 2-for-2 on fourth down, scored touchdowns on both red-zone trips and entered the fourth quarter down 28-21.
Missouri Southern opened the fourth quarter with a goal-line stand, as Hitt stopped Camden Crooks for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the MSSU 1 to keep the score at 28-21.
Starting from its own 3, the Lions moved behind Mitchell runs of 12 and 13 yards and an 11-yard Martin completion to
Julian Jordan before punting from their 38.
Emporia State later finished a 79-yard drive with Jamison Sarver's 3-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Schultze, and the extra point made it 35-21 with 4:40 left.
Missouri Southern converted a fourth-and-2 on its next series and reached the Emporia State 44 on Martin's 20-yard completion to Green, but the drive ended on downs after a sack and two incompletions.
The final possession still produced first-down throws to Green, Padello and Trainer, moving the Lions to the Emporia State 35 before the game ended with the Hornets winning 35-21.
MSSU was held scoreless in both the second and fourth quarters.
During Saturday's Homecoming halftime festivities, MSSU student-athletes
Miguel Solano Jr. (track & field, cross country) and
Clarissa Davis (soccer) were named the 2026 King and Queen.
MSSU Athletics Hall of Famer
Patty Vavra was awarded the Spirit of Service Alumni Award. Vavra, is a 1980 graduate, former student-athlete, professor, Hall of Fame coach, and longtime volunteer. Her nearly five decades of service have left a lasting impact on generations of Lions.
The Lions next head to Nebraska Kearney on Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT in Kearney, Nebraska.
Fall MSSU Athletic tickets are currently on sale
online. Fans can also purchase an
MIAA Network subscription to support Missouri Southern Athletics and catch all the Lions action this 2026-27 season.
