MARYVILLE, Mo. - The No. 18-ranked Emporia State University Hornets ended a 29-game losing streak against No. 5-ranked Northwest Missouri State University with a 33-13 victory over the Bearcats Thursday night.

The ESU win also snapped Northwest's 18-game home winning streak.
 
The Hornets began the scoring in the game with a bolt of their own lightning. ESU's Jaaron Joseph stepped in front of a Mike Hohensee pass and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown to give the Hornets a 6-0 lead. Northwest had received the opening kickoff and had driven the ball 39 yards in six plays before the pick-six by Joseph. The Hornets botched the extra point on a bad snap to leave the score at 6-0 with 12:36 to play in the opening quarter.
 
Northwest bounced and marched the ball right back down the field with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 6:26 off the clock. Jay Harris punched it in the end zone on a four-yard touchdown run with 6:10 left in the first quarter. Cole Lammel knocked in the extra point to give Northwest a 7-6 lead.
 
The Hornets ran their first offensive play of the game with 6:10 remaining in the first quarter. Northwest forced a three-and-out as the Hornets gained one yard before punting.
 
However, Northwest threw its second intercept of the game two plays later. Backup quarterback Chris Ruhnke had a pass picked off by Montrell Wilson at the 15-yard line and returned it seven yards to put the ball back in the ESU's offense's hands.
 
The Hornets had a 12-play, 52-yard drive stopped on downs at the Bearcat 26-yard line to end the first quarter.
 
Northwest's ensuing drive featured a 30-minute lightning delay. Following the delay, Ruhnke tossed his second pick and Northwest's third of the opening half. Khalil Rasheed stepped in front of a Ruhnke toss at the ESU 29-yard line.
 
The Hornets hit on two straight explosive plays to retake the lead, 13-7. ESU quarterback Braden Gleason hit Jaylen Varner for a 40-yard pass and followed it up with a 28-yard touchdown strike to Kingsley Bennett in the corner of the end zone with 10:42 left in the second quarter.


Northwest was able to force its first turnover of the game when Charles Gadie popped the ball loose from ESU receiver Tyler Kahmann and Northwest's Isaac Vollstedt corralled the fumble with 2:57 left in the half. Vollstedt gave the Bearcats the ball at the 49-yard line.
 
Northwest drove to the five-yard line and looked to have a chance to retake the lead as the first half wound down. However, the Bearcats would have to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Lammel that was missed and kept the Hornets on top at the break, 13-7.
 
ESU bumped the lead to 19-7 on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Gleason to Tommy Zimmerman with 9:18 to play in the third quarter. Jake Fisher blocked the extra point to keep the margin at 12.
 
Ruhnke threw his third interception of the game two plays later as the Bearcats had moved the ball to midfield.
 
ESU took over on its own 14-yard line. The Hornets used a 16-play, 86-yard drive that was capped by another touchdown pass from Gleason. Gleason hit Tyler Kahmann for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:10 left in the third quarter to take a 25-7 lead.
 
Northwest's next drive got all the way to the one-yard line before the Hornets turned the 'Cats away. Northwest marched 68 yards in 13 plays, but could not score from the one and eventually had a fourth-down pass fall incomplete to turn the ball over on downs.
 
Northwest forced a three and out, only to see the Bearcats throw their fifth interception of the contest. ESU's Chance Rodriguez caught a Ruhnke throw and returned it five yards to the 30-yard line.
 
ESU wasted little time in cashing in with a 30-yard touchdown run by Billy Ross Jr. on its first play of the drive. A two-point conversion was successful and ESU held a 33-13 lead with 8:19 to play in the game.
 
Northwest was able to salvage a touchdown drive from quarterback Henry Martin in the fourth quarter. Martin guided an eight-play, 95-yard scoring drive. Martin punched in his first collegiate rushing touchdown from six yards out with 4:11 to play in the game. Northwest's two-point conversion attempt failed and ESU led 33-13.
 
ESU would add a final interception with 1:40 to go when the Hornets's Rodriguez tallied his second pick of the game to end Northwest's final scoring attempt.
 
Northwest will return to action next Saturday at 7 p.m. at Fort Hays State.
 
The Hornets moved to 2-0 and won for the first time over Northwest since the 1994 season. ESU had lost 29 straight matchups in the series. ESU tallied six interceptions in the win.
 
The contest featured a 30-minute lightning delay with 10:29 left in the second quarter.

NOTES: Northwest out-gained ESU, 424-369 ... Northwest rushed for 192 yards on 35 attempts ... Northwest had 23 first downs to 19 for ESU ... Jay Harris rushed for his second straight 100-yard rushing game with 120 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown ... John Giagiari had a team-best five receptions for 59 yards ... Trevon Alexander led the Bearcat receivers with 63 receiving yards ... Charles Gadie and Bryce Krone led the defense with 10 tackles apiece ... the Northwest defense failed to record a sack for the second straight game ... Northwest is 44-3 at home in its last 47 home games with losses to Fort Hays State (2017, 2018) and Emporia State (tonight).