By RYAN PRICKETT
FHSU Sports Info
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State improved to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the MIAA with a 31-17 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday (Oct. 14) at Lewis Field Stadium. The Tigers scored the first 17 points of the game and never trailed, sending the Lopers to 2-5 both overall and in the MIAA. The Tigers did a lot of damage on the ground, rushing for 235 yards as a team, while holding the Lopers to just 165 yards of total offense.
Churning out a career-high 162 rushing yards on 21 carries was Shane Watts, averaging 7.7 yards per carry in the game. He also caught a pair of passes for 19 yards to finish with 181 all-purpose yards in the game. Travis Dixon also produced a season high in rushing yards with 57 on seven carries. The pair combined for 219 yards of the 235 by the team.
Field position was key in the opening quarter as Nebraska-Kearney opened the game into a brisk north breeze. The Tiger defense forced a 3-and-out and a short punt gave the Tigers the ball at the UNK 33. Carson Arndt converted a field goal on FHSU's first drive of the game from 22 yards out. The Tiger defense produced another 3-and-out and set up a 56-yard field for the Tiger offense. Nine plays later, Jack Dawson found Jayden Horace for a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-0 Tigers, which was the score at the end of the opening quarter.
The Tigers scored on the first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, a 16-yard shovel pass from Dawson to Cale Cormaney, putting the Tigers up 17-0. But they went scoreless the remainder of the quarter before halftime and the Lopers managed to pick up 10 points on a 26-yard field goal and a 5-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Davis to Reggie Anderson. The Tigers led by seven at the break.
The Tigers took control of the game going into the wind in the third quarter. Shane Watts broke off a 28-yard run for his only touchdown of the game and then later in the quarter Dawson found Horace again for a 26-yard touchdown pass. The Tigers led 31-10 going into the final quarter.
The Tigers played the clock management game in the fourth quarter and the Lopers were able to score only once on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Bailey Torres with 7:37 to go.
Dawson finished with 21 completions on 32 attempts for 177 passing yards. Cormaney had a team-high seven catches for 60 yards.
The Tiger defense contained dual threat quarterback T.J. Davis to just 91 passing yards and 13 rushing yards. The defensive line wreaked havoc all day as Myles Menges finished with 2.5 sacks and six tackles. Parrish Terry added a team-best eight tackles with a sack. Makel Williams came up with an interception right at the end of the third quarter to keep the Tigers well in control going into the fourth quarter.
For UNK, Zane Schawang led in rushing with 45 yards and AJ McPhee led in receiving yards with 63. Tre O'Guinn led the Lopers in tackles with eight.