Inside Henderson State Coach Scott Maxfield, Reddies set to face Emporia State in NCAA DII quarters.
Another celebrated quarterback stands between Henderson State and a trip to the NCAA Division II playoff quarterfinals.
Henderson State hosts Emporia (Kan.) State and record-setting senior quarterback Brent Wilson in a second-round matchup at 1 p.m. today at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium, the first meeting between the schools.
HSU (11-1), a No. 3 playoff seed from Super Region 3, beat Sioux Falls (S.D.) 23-16 in an opening-round game last week at home. It was the Reddies’ first postseason victory since moving to NCAA Division II in 1993.
Sioux Falls finished with a 422-282 advantage in total yardage, with 346 yards generated by junior quarterback Luke Papilion, who is among 38 nominees for the 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy, NCAA Division II’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
HSU’s challenge in what figures to be soggy conditions today — Clark County is under a flash flood watch until 6 a.m. Sunday — is containing another Harlon Hill nominee in Wilson, who has thrown for a school-record 3,857 yards this fall to rank second in NCAA Division II.
“They’ve got a great quarterback,” HSU Coach Scott Maxfield said.
Wilson threw for 437 yards and five touchdowns in a 51-49 first-round victory at Minnesota State — the Hornets’ first in postseason as members of NCAA Division II — becoming the school’s career passing leader (8,234 yards).
Emporia State Coach Garin Higgins described the 6-0, 194-pound Wilson as a modern-day Fran Tarkenton, an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback who was noted for keeping plays alive with his ability to scramble during the 1960s and 1970s.
“Brent’s very elusive and makes plays with his legs,” Higgins said. “But at the same time, he’s very accurate. When he throws the football, he throws the ball on time. He’s a great rhythm thrower. He gets rid of the ball very quickly.”
The Hornets (10-2) run the Spread and rank 19th in NCAA Division II in total yards per game (476.5).
Against Minnesota State, the No. 2 seed in Super Region 3, Emporia State had a school-record three players with more than 100 yards receiving.
The Hornets, a No. 7 seed from Super Region 3, trailed 28-10 late in the first half.
Emporia State finished second in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, its only losses coming at Fort Hays State (27-24) on Oct.
17 and at Northwest Missouri (44-10) on Nov. 7.
Northwest Missouri (11-0) is the country’s No. 1 team in NCAA Division II and a four-time NCAA Division II national champion since 1998.
But Wilson was named 2015 MIAA Offensive Player of the Year.
“We’ll face another outstanding quarterback and passing team,” Maxfield said. “The good part is we’re still at home. Having the home-field advantage is huge for us.”
The Reddies rank 20th in NCAA Division II in total defense (312 yards per game) and No. 1 nationally in interceptions (27).
Junior tailback Jaquan Cole, the 2015 Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has rushed for 1,119 yards this fall. Junior quarterback Dallas Hardison has completed 199 of 324 passes for 2,213 yards and 13 touchdowns.
HSU is No. 5 in NCAA Division II in turnover ratio (plus-17).
“They’re very efficient in what they do, both offensively and defensively,” Higgins said.
The Hornets have won several shootouts this fall, while the Reddies have excelled in tight, lower-scoring games. HSU is 7-1 in games decided by eight points or less.
“This all goes back to the type of player we recruit,” Maxfield said. “We want the blue-collar guy that’s hardnosed.”
HSU, which has won 10 consecutive games, is ranked No. 8 in the American Football Coaches Association’s NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. Emporia State is No. 18.