MIAA football: Top-ranked Northwest Missouri beats Emporia State

Top-ranked Northwest Missouri State beat No. 24 Emporia State 41-14 on Thursday night in Emporia on the opening night of the college football season.

Emporia State scored on its first possession, with Braxton Marshall throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Justin Brown. Northwest Missouri scored the game’s next 41 points.

Northwest Missouri State is the defending NCAA Division II national champion.

In other MIAA games Thursday:

▪ Fort Hays State 22, Missouri Southern 10: Malik Thomas rushed for 124 yards and the Tigers’ only offensive touchdown, a 61-yard run in the first quarter. Raheeme Dumas had a 25-yard interception return for a TD, and Fort Hays’ Brandon Brown kicked three field goals.

▪ Central Missouri 34, Pittsburg State 27: The Gorillas allowed 27 points in the second half and lost their home-opener. Central Missouri broke a 27-27 tie with a 79-yard touchdown pass with 4:28 left in the fourth quarter.

▪ Washburn 38, Northeastern State 19: Derek McGinnis threw two touchdown passes and Per Schmiedeler kicked three field goals for Washburn.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 10:18 PM with the headline "MIAA football: Top-ranked Northwest Missouri beats Emporia State."