By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins scored the most points in a game by an NFL team since 1966, overwhelming the Denver Broncos 70-20 on Sunday behind rookie speedster De’Von Achane's 203 yards rushing and Tua Tagovailoa's&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1706002674574102813?s=20">no-look shovel-pass</a>&nbsp;TD.

The Dolphins set a franchise record for scoring and finished two points shy of the NFL’s regular-season record — set in 1966 when Washington scored 72 points against the Giants. They are the fourth team in NFL history to score at least 70 points in a regular-season or playoff game.

Many of their starters, including Tagovailoa and star receiver Tyreek Hill, were pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter.

Achane caught a 10-yard TD pass from Tagovailoa — the quarterback's fourth TD — in the fourth, and Jason Sanders converted the extra point that made it 56-13 and broke Miami's franchise scoring record of 55 set against St. Louis on Nov. 24, 1977.

Hill caught a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1705992180291215537?s=20">54-yard touchdown pass</a>&nbsp;on Miami’s opening drive en route to 157 yards receiving on nine catches.

Miami scored touchdowns on eight of nine drives before Mike White replaced Tagovailoa in the fourth. Raheem Mostert had his second straight multiple-touchdown game with three rushing TDs and a TD catch.

Tagovailoa found a wide-open Hill on the Dolphins’ third play of the game for the duo’s fourth touchdown connection of the season. Hill had 9.7 yards of separation from the nearest Broncos defender when the pass arrived, according to NFL NextGen stats.

Tagovailoa, the NFL’s leading passer, looked to his left then flipped a 4-yard pass to Achane, which gave Miami a 21-7 lead in the second. Tagovailoa completed each of his first 17 pass attempts.

His first incompletion came with 9:44 left in the third when he slightly underthrew Hill. He finished one completion shy of Miami’s franchise record, which was set by Ryan Tannehill in 2015 when he completed 18 consecutive passes over a two-game span.

Achane averaged 11.3 yards per carry and had an electric 67-yard touchdown run in the fourth that capped Miami’s scoring at 70. He also had a physical 8-yard rushing TD in the first that made it 14-0.

Denver’s defense, down starting safety Justin Simmons (hip) and linebacker Frank Clark (hip), got a rare stop with 4:52 left in the first half when the Dolphins could not convert on fourth-and-1 at their 34, but the Broncos punted on the ensuing drive.

Russell Wilson started a season 0-3 for the first time in his career as Denver simply could not keep pace with Miami’s scoring.

Wilson was 23 of 38 with 306 yards and an interception. He had a 12-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton on Denver’s second possession. It was the second TD catch of the season for Sutton, who led Denver with 91 yards on eight catches Sunday.

Sutton had two fumbles, both of which were knocked out by Dolphins safety Jevon Holland. The first led to a 3-yard run by Mostert that made it 35-10 just before halftime. The second resulted in Mostert’s 19-yard TD catch in the third.

Only one coach in Broncos history started out worse than first-year coach Sean Payton has at 0-3, and that’s Miami’s defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who lost his first four games as Denver’s head coach in 2019.

Will Lutz had kicks of 31 and 25 yards for Denver, and rookie Marvin Mims Jr. returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score in the fourth.

Robbie Chosen, who was activated from the practice squad, caught a 68-yard TD pass from White.

Receiver Jaylen Waddle missed the first game of his career while in the concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit last week. Waddle has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, but without him, Miami’s offense recorded 726 total yards of offense.

Broncos: LB Jesey Jewell, Denver’s leading tackler, left in the first half with a groin injury and did not return.

Dolphins: WR River Cracraft injured his shoulder in the second quarter and was ruled out. ... Jaelan Philips left just before halftime with an oblique injury. ... Williams left in the third quarter with a groin injury.

By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports WriterMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins scored the most points in a game by an NFL team since 1966, overwhelming the Denver Broncos 70-20 on Sunday behind rookie speedster De’Von Achane's 203 yards rushing and Tua Tagovailoa's&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1706002674574102813?s=20">no-look shovel-pass</a>&nbsp;TD.The Dolphins set a franchise record for scoring and finished two points shy of the NFL’s regular-season record — set in 1966 when Washington scored 72 points against the Giants. They are the fourth team in NFL history to score at least 70 points in a regular-season or playoff game.Many of their starters, including Tagovailoa and star receiver Tyreek Hill, were pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter.Achane caught a 10-yard TD pass from Tagovailoa — the quarterback's fourth TD — in the fourth, and Jason Sanders converted the extra point that made it 56-13 and broke Miami's franchise scoring record of 55 set against St. Louis on Nov. 24, 1977.Hill caught a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1705992180291215537?s=20">54-yard touchdown pass</a>&nbsp;on Miami’s opening drive en route to 157 yards receiving on nine catches.Miami scored touchdowns on eight of nine drives before Mike White replaced Tagovailoa in the fourth. Raheem Mostert had his second straight multiple-touchdown game with three rushing TDs and a TD catch.Tagovailoa found a wide-open Hill on the Dolphins’ third play of the game for the duo’s fourth touchdown connection of the season. Hill had 9.7 yards of separation from the nearest Broncos defender when the pass arrived, according to NFL NextGen stats.Tagovailoa, the NFL’s leading passer, looked to his left then flipped a 4-yard pass to Achane, which gave Miami a 21-7 lead in the second. Tagovailoa completed each of his first 17 pass attempts.His first incompletion came with 9:44 left in the third when he slightly underthrew Hill. He finished one completion shy of Miami’s franchise record, which was set by Ryan Tannehill in 2015 when he completed 18 consecutive passes over a two-game span.Achane averaged 11.3 yards per carry and had an electric 67-yard touchdown run in the fourth that capped Miami’s scoring at 70. He also had a physical 8-yard rushing TD in the first that made it 14-0.Denver’s defense, down starting safety Justin Simmons (hip) and linebacker Frank Clark (hip), got a rare stop with 4:52 left in the first half when the Dolphins could not convert on fourth-and-1 at their 34, but the Broncos punted on the ensuing drive.Russell Wilson started a season 0-3 for the first time in his career as Denver simply could not keep pace with Miami’s scoring.Wilson was 23 of 38 with 306 yards and an interception. He had a 12-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton on Denver’s second possession. It was the second TD catch of the season for Sutton, who led Denver with 91 yards on eight catches Sunday.Sutton had two fumbles, both of which were knocked out by Dolphins safety Jevon Holland. The first led to a 3-yard run by Mostert that made it 35-10 just before halftime. The second resulted in Mostert’s 19-yard TD catch in the third.Only one coach in Broncos history started out worse than first-year coach Sean Payton has at 0-3, and that’s Miami’s defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who lost his first four games as Denver’s head coach in 2019.Will Lutz had kicks of 31 and 25 yards for Denver, and rookie Marvin Mims Jr. returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score in the fourth.Robbie Chosen, who was activated from the practice squad, caught a 68-yard TD pass from White.NO WADDLE, NO PROBLEMReceiver Jaylen Waddle missed the first game of his career while in the concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit last week. Waddle has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, but without him, Miami’s offense recorded 726 total yards of offense.INJURIESBroncos: LB Jesey Jewell, Denver’s leading tackler, left in the first half with a groin injury and did not return.Dolphins: WR River Cracraft injured his shoulder in the second quarter and was ruled out. ... Jaelan Philips left just before halftime with an oblique injury. ... Williams left in the third quarter with a groin injury.UP NEXTBroncos: At Chicago on Oct. 1.

🏈 Dolphins rout Broncos, scoring the most points in NFL game since 1966

For the first time since 2008-09,
Kansas is ranked in the Associated Press College Football poll in consecutive
seasons. The 4-0 Jayhawks make their debut into this year’s poll at No. 24 following Saturday's home
win over BYU.

Kansas was ranked twice in the AP Poll during the 2022 season, both at No. 19.&nbsp;

Missouri makes their first appearance at No. 23.

Kansas State (3-1), who was ranked
as high as 15th before losing at Missouri two weeks ago, is just out of this week’s poll as the highest vote-getter not ranked

The Big 12 has three teams
ranked. Texas holds at No. 3 and Oklahoma moves up two to No. 14.

AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL 1. Georgia (4-0) 2. Michigan (4-0) 3. Texas (4-0) 4. Ohio State (4-0) 5. Florida State (4-0) 6. Penn State (4-0) 7.&nbsp; Washington (4-0) 8.&nbsp; USC (4-0) 9.&nbsp; Oregon (4-0) 10. Utah (4-0) 11.&nbsp; Notre Dame (4-1) 12. Alabama (3-1) 13. LSU (3-1) 14. Oklahoma (4-0) 15. North Carolina (4-0) 16. Washington State (4-0) 17. Duke (4-0) 18. Miami (Fla.) (4-0) 19. Oregon State (3-1) 20. Ole Miss (3-1) 21. Tennessee (3-1) 22. Florida (3-1) 23. Missouri (4-0) 24. Kansas (4-0) 25. Fresno State (4-0)

Other receiving votes:&nbsp;Kansas St. 57, Kentucky 41, Colorado 32, Louisville 32, UCLA 28, Maryland 20, TCU 17, Tulane 11, Syracuse 8, Wisconsin 6, Air Force 6, Clemson 5, Texas A&amp;M 5.

For the first time since 2008-09,
Kansas is ranked in the Associated Press College Football poll in consecutive
seasons. The 4-0 Jayhawks make their debut into this year’s poll at No. 24 following Saturday's home
win over BYU.Kansas was ranked twice in the AP Poll during the 2022 season, both at No. 19.&nbsp;Missouri makes their first appearance at No. 23.Kansas State (3-1), who was ranked
as high as 15th before losing at Missouri two weeks ago, is just out of this week’s poll as the highest vote-getter not rankedThe Big 12 has three teams
ranked. Texas holds at No. 3 and Oklahoma moves up two to No. 14.Kansas plays at Texas this Saturday.AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL 1. Georgia (4-0) 2. Michigan (4-0) 3. Texas (4-0) 4. Ohio State (4-0) 5. Florida State (4-0) 6. Penn State (4-0) 7.&nbsp; Washington (4-0) 8.&nbsp; USC (4-0) 9.&nbsp; Oregon (4-0) 10. Utah (4-0) 11.&nbsp; Notre Dame (4-1) 12. Alabama (3-1) 13. LSU (3-1) 14. Oklahoma (4-0) 15. North Carolina (4-0) 16. Washington State (4-0) 17. Duke (4-0) 18. Miami (Fla.) (4-0) 19. Oregon State (3-1) 20. Ole Miss (3-1) 21. Tennessee (3-1) 22. Florida (3-1) 23. Missouri (4-0) 24. Kansas (4-0) 25. Fresno State (4-0)Other receiving votes:&nbsp;Kansas St. 57, Kentucky 41, Colorado 32, Louisville 32, UCLA 28, Maryland 20, TCU 17, Tulane 11, Syracuse 8, Wisconsin 6, Air Force 6, Clemson 5, Texas A&amp;M 5.

🏈 Jayhawks move into AP top-25, K-State just out

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to fix many of their Week 1 problems last week in Jacksonville, when All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones returned from his holdout, star tight end Travis Kelce was back on the field following a knee injury, and an offense that struggled against Detroit looked just a little bit better against the Jaguars.

Sure, they still had a bunch of penalties. Turnovers remained a problem. The offense was still trying to hit its stride.

Yet those issues seem like mere nuisances compared to what's going on in Chicago these days.

As the Bears prepare to visit the Chiefs on Sunday, they are without a defensive coordinator following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alan-williams-bears-defensive-coordinator-d3f16da381b8d1fe38f3935f5b86803a">Alan Williams' surprising and abrupt resignation</a>&nbsp;and their offense is embroiled in controversy after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justin-fields-chicago-bears-nfl-b28d8307fff74f48c81346719f322cba">quarterback Josh Fields blamed coaching</a>&nbsp;for “robotic” play and then tried rather unsuccessfully to walk back his comments.

So how does&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bears-fields-eberflus-analysis-nfl-e74589c8107dc950e95967de6e0ead8d">Bears coach Matt Eberflus</a>&nbsp;steer a rudderless team going forward?

“You focus on here and now,” he said. “What could we do right now during this time, with the meetings we had this morning, with the improvements we're going to make? That's all you can do. Be where your feet are, focusing on right now.”

Problem is their feet will be in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-contract-8e358f650e9176b44ed7d3c6d693bcde">the defending Super Bowl champions</a>. The Bears (0-2) are nearly two-TD underdogs,&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl">according to FanDuel Sportsbook</a>, as they try to snap a 12-game losing streak dating to last season.

“We're going through a storm right now,” Field said after last week's loss to Tampa Bay. “It's frustrating not winning. But I think at the same time, like I said, just take it day by day and not really worry about the past. The past is the past.”

It's not as if the Chiefs (1-1) are&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/18/23879243/chiefs-defense-rescuing-struggling-offense-bears-next-opponent">humming along perfectly</a>, especially on offense. They turned the ball over three times, committed 12 turnovers for 94 yards and a group of wide receivers that had eight drops in their opener against Detroit continued to put the ball on the ground during their 17-9 victory over the Jaguars last week.

“The frustration is probably more of me and about myself and how the offense has been doing,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Everybody has been having that mentality that we just have to keep working and getting better. The defense has been playing so well. We want to take the pressure off them.”

William said Wednesday he was resigning to take care of his health and his family. Eberflus plans to call defensive plays for the Bears for the second week in a row, but that could take some of his time away from helping their struggling offense.

“I spend time with the offense on the game plan days,” said Eberflus, who was previously the Colts’ defensive coordinator. “I spend breakfast club with the quarterbacks. I meet with the coaches in the evening on the offensive side. And then I’m in the interim game plan also on Monday. ... Like I said, it’s 50-50. You’re splitting it 50-50 there, that’s what you do.”

Fields, whose 70.7 passer rating is worst in the NFL, turned heads this week when he indicated coaches are feeding him too much information. Fields later said his statement was taken out of context and that he only points a finger at himself.

“I think there’s been times where I just try to be a perfectionist and nothing in this world is perfect,” said Fields, who was sacked six times last week and 10 times through two games. “So like I said, stop thinking more and just go out there and play.”

The Chiefs gave Jawaan Taylor a four-year, $80 million contract in the offseason to play right tackle, so it was jarring to see him benched briefly against Jacksonville. Taylor was penalized five times — two false starts, two holds and an illegal formation — one week after his questionable alignment and quick get-off against Detroit were called into question.

“Been working on it this week to clean it up. Needs to be fixed,” said Taylor, whose pass-block rates nevertheless graded out among the best in the league last week. “End of the day, I'm not here to hurt my team. I have to be better.”

The Bears put left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve with a neck injury, while safety Eddie Jackson has been dealing with a foot injury, wide receiver Darnell Mooney with a knee problem and defensive back Josh Blackwell with a sore hamstring.

The Chiefs are just as banged up: Nick Bolton has an ankle injury and fellow linebacker Willie Gay Jr. a sore quad, running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a sore hamstring, and wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Richie James missed time this week with a sore toe and balky knee. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said James' knee issue could keep him out a while.

The Chiefs offense is accustomed to bailing out their middle-of-the-road defense, but their roles have been reversed through the first two weeks of the season. Kansas City is 13th in total defense, despite playing two potent offenses in the Lions and Jaguars, and tied for third in the league in scoring defense.

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to fix many of their Week 1 problems last week in Jacksonville, when All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones returned from his holdout, star tight end Travis Kelce was back on the field following a knee injury, and an offense that struggled against Detroit looked just a little bit better against the Jaguars.Sure, they still had a bunch of penalties. Turnovers remained a problem. The offense was still trying to hit its stride.Yet those issues seem like mere nuisances compared to what's going on in Chicago these days.As the Bears prepare to visit the Chiefs on Sunday, they are without a defensive coordinator following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alan-williams-bears-defensive-coordinator-d3f16da381b8d1fe38f3935f5b86803a">Alan Williams' surprising and abrupt resignation</a>&nbsp;and their offense is embroiled in controversy after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justin-fields-chicago-bears-nfl-b28d8307fff74f48c81346719f322cba">quarterback Josh Fields blamed coaching</a>&nbsp;for “robotic” play and then tried rather unsuccessfully to walk back his comments.So how does&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bears-fields-eberflus-analysis-nfl-e74589c8107dc950e95967de6e0ead8d">Bears coach Matt Eberflus</a>&nbsp;steer a rudderless team going forward?“You focus on here and now,” he said. “What could we do right now during this time, with the meetings we had this morning, with the improvements we're going to make? That's all you can do. Be where your feet are, focusing on right now.”Problem is their feet will be in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-contract-8e358f650e9176b44ed7d3c6d693bcde">the defending Super Bowl champions</a>. The Bears (0-2) are nearly two-TD underdogs,&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl">according to FanDuel Sportsbook</a>, as they try to snap a 12-game losing streak dating to last season.“We're going through a storm right now,” Field said after last week's loss to Tampa Bay. “It's frustrating not winning. But I think at the same time, like I said, just take it day by day and not really worry about the past. The past is the past.”It's not as if the Chiefs (1-1) are&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/18/23879243/chiefs-defense-rescuing-struggling-offense-bears-next-opponent">humming along perfectly</a>, especially on offense. They turned the ball over three times, committed 12 turnovers for 94 yards and a group of wide receivers that had eight drops in their opener against Detroit continued to put the ball on the ground during their 17-9 victory over the Jaguars last week.“The frustration is probably more of me and about myself and how the offense has been doing,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Everybody has been having that mentality that we just have to keep working and getting better. The defense has been playing so well. We want to take the pressure off them.”COORDINATOR CONCERNSWilliam said Wednesday he was resigning to take care of his health and his family. Eberflus plans to call defensive plays for the Bears for the second week in a row, but that could take some of his time away from helping their struggling offense.“I spend time with the offense on the game plan days,” said Eberflus, who was previously the Colts’ defensive coordinator. “I spend breakfast club with the quarterbacks. I meet with the coaches in the evening on the offensive side. And then I’m in the interim game plan also on Monday. ... Like I said, it’s 50-50. You’re splitting it 50-50 there, that’s what you do.”PLAYING THE FIELDSFields, whose 70.7 passer rating is worst in the NFL, turned heads this week when he indicated coaches are feeding him too much information. Fields later said his statement was taken out of context and that he only points a finger at himself.“I think there’s been times where I just try to be a perfectionist and nothing in this world is perfect,” said Fields, who was sacked six times last week and 10 times through two games. “So like I said, stop thinking more and just go out there and play.”TAYLOR'S TROUBLEThe Chiefs gave Jawaan Taylor a four-year, $80 million contract in the offseason to play right tackle, so it was jarring to see him benched briefly against Jacksonville. Taylor was penalized five times — two false starts, two holds and an illegal formation — one week after his questionable alignment and quick get-off against Detroit were called into question.“Been working on it this week to clean it up. Needs to be fixed,” said Taylor, whose pass-block rates nevertheless graded out among the best in the league last week. “End of the day, I'm not here to hurt my team. I have to be better.”INJURY WOESThe Bears put left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve with a neck injury, while safety Eddie Jackson has been dealing with a foot injury, wide receiver Darnell Mooney with a knee problem and defensive back Josh Blackwell with a sore hamstring.The Chiefs are just as banged up: Nick Bolton has an ankle injury and fellow linebacker Willie Gay Jr. a sore quad, running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a sore hamstring, and wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Richie James missed time this week with a sore toe and balky knee. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said James' knee issue could keep him out a while.GETTING DEFENSIVEThe Chiefs offense is accustomed to bailing out their middle-of-the-road defense, but their roles have been reversed through the first two weeks of the season. Kansas City is 13th in total defense, despite playing two potent offenses in the Lions and Jaguars, and tied for third in the league in scoring defense.

🏈 Struggling Bears head to Arrowhead Stadium to face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs

By CODY FRIESEN Associated Press

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — DJ Giddens ran for a career-high 207 yards and four touchdowns and Kansas State beat UCF 44-31 on Saturday night in the Big 12 debut for the Knights.

Giddens ran for three scores in the first half that included a 1-yard run on the opening drive for K-State (3-1, 1-0), which has found the end zone in its opening drives in all four games this season.

Will Howard went 27-for-42 passing for 255 yards and threw an interception. He added 64 yards on the ground and scored on a 31-yard run to give K-State a 44-24 lead with 2:01 remaining.

Giddens added a score in the second half to put the Wildcats up 37-24 with 4:01 left. K-State amassed 536 total yards with 281 rushing.

Timmy McClain threw three touchdowns passes and went 14 for 24 with 264 yards passing with an interception for UCF (3-1, 0-1). The Knights totaled 407 yards and rushed for 143 yards. UCF added a 1-yard touchdown by RJ Harvey with three seconds left in the game.

Kobe Hudson had two receiving touchdowns for his first scores of the season and finished with 138 yards despite being the Knights' leading receiver. He recorded his third-straight 100-yard receiving game.

Hudson scored on a 69-yard touchdown pass from McClain on a flea flicker late in the second quarter and again in the first UCF drive of the second half with a 46-yard reception on third-and-10 to give the Knights a 24-21 lead.

Harvey scored a 27-yard touchdown on third-and-15 in the first quarter. The first points in a Big 12 game for the Knights came on Colton Boomer's 29-yard field goal.

Knights: The passing attack was extremely successful for the Knights, with all three touchdowns coming in the air. UCF had success on third down with two scores coming on third-and-long. The defense seldom had an answer to slow the K-State rushing attack, allowing a season-high in yards rushing.

Wildcats: Giddens was clearly the primary source of the K-State offense, leading the team in carries, receptions and total yards. The secondary got beat deep on a pair of touchdown catches by Hudson; both were over 45 yards. The Wildcats have allowed a receiver to net over 100 yards receiving in two straight games.

UCF played its first Big 12 Conference game against the reigning Big 12 champions. It was the first time K-State hosted a new conference member to open Big 12 play since welcoming Texas Tech to the newly-minted Big 12 in 1996.

UCF continues its list of Big 12 firsts, hosting Baylor in its first Big 12 home game next Saturday. The two faced off in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The Knights hold a 1-0 series with a 52-42 win led by then UCF quarterback Blake Bortles.

K-State will get a week off before a road clash against Oklahoma State on Oct. 6. The Wildcats blanked the Cowboys 48-0 last season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695531100401.jpeg" alt="Kansas State running back D.J. Giddens runs toward the endzone against UCF on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Manhattan, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics photo/Lathe Cobb Photography photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State running back D.J. Giddens runs toward the endzone against UCF on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Manhattan, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics photo/Lathe Cobb Photography photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CODY FRIESEN Associated PressMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — DJ Giddens ran for a career-high 207 yards and four touchdowns and Kansas State beat UCF 44-31 on Saturday night in the Big 12 debut for the Knights.Giddens ran for three scores in the first half that included a 1-yard run on the opening drive for K-State (3-1, 1-0), which has found the end zone in its opening drives in all four games this season.Will Howard went 27-for-42 passing for 255 yards and threw an interception. He added 64 yards on the ground and scored on a 31-yard run to give K-State a 44-24 lead with 2:01 remaining.Giddens added a score in the second half to put the Wildcats up 37-24 with 4:01 left. K-State amassed 536 total yards with 281 rushing.Timmy McClain threw three touchdowns passes and went 14 for 24 with 264 yards passing with an interception for UCF (3-1, 0-1). The Knights totaled 407 yards and rushed for 143 yards. UCF added a 1-yard touchdown by RJ Harvey with three seconds left in the game.Kobe Hudson had two receiving touchdowns for his first scores of the season and finished with 138 yards despite being the Knights' leading receiver. He recorded his third-straight 100-yard receiving game.Hudson scored on a 69-yard touchdown pass from McClain on a flea flicker late in the second quarter and again in the first UCF drive of the second half with a 46-yard reception on third-and-10 to give the Knights a 24-21 lead.Harvey scored a 27-yard touchdown on third-and-15 in the first quarter. The first points in a Big 12 game for the Knights came on Colton Boomer's 29-yard field goal.THE TAKEAWAYKnights: The passing attack was extremely successful for the Knights, with all three touchdowns coming in the air. UCF had success on third down with two scores coming on third-and-long. The defense seldom had an answer to slow the K-State rushing attack, allowing a season-high in yards rushing.Wildcats: Giddens was clearly the primary source of the K-State offense, leading the team in carries, receptions and total yards. The secondary got beat deep on a pair of touchdown catches by Hudson; both were over 45 yards. The Wildcats have allowed a receiver to net over 100 yards receiving in two straight games.BIG 12 STATE OF MINDUCF played its first Big 12 Conference game against the reigning Big 12 champions. It was the first time K-State hosted a new conference member to open Big 12 play since welcoming Texas Tech to the newly-minted Big 12 in 1996.UP NEXTUCF continues its list of Big 12 firsts, hosting Baylor in its first Big 12 home game next Saturday. The two faced off in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The Knights hold a 1-0 series with a 52-42 win led by then UCF quarterback Blake Bortles.K-State will get a week off before a road clash against Oklahoma State on Oct. 6. The Wildcats blanked the Cowboys 48-0 last season.

🏈 Giddens runs for 207 yards, leads Kansas State to win over UCF

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

<a href="http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://dxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net/sidearm.nextgen.sites/fhsu.sidearmsports.com/stats/football/2023/pdf/20230923042449-33740.pdf">BOX SCORE</a>

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Fort Hays State football team couldn't overcome five turnovers&nbsp; and a blocked punt and lost 28-7 at Missouri Western Saturday afternoon at Spratt Memorial Stadium.

The game, which was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday night but was moved up to noon due to a threat of severe weather, was delayed at hour at the start due to thunderstorms.&nbsp;

The Griffons (3-1, 2-1 MIAA) intercepted a Jack Dawson pass on the second play of the game at the FHSU 30 which set up the first of two Seth Cromwell touchdown runs.

The Griffons blocked a Kamren&nbsp;Xaysongkham punt on the Tigers second possession which they recovered inside the five. Cromwell scored his second touchdown two plays later to push the MWSU lead to 14-0 with 8:32 to play in the first quarter.

A Tiger fumble on their own 8-yardline late in the third quarter created another short field for the Griffons. They scored two plays later on an eight-yard touchdown pass to go up 21-0 with 4:12 to play in the third.

The Tigers (2-2, 2-2 MIAA) used a couple of big plays to set up their only score with a little over 10 minutes to play in the fourth. A 14-yard pass, 15-yard pass interference penalty, and a 36-yard run by Shane Watts&nbsp;set up and eight-yard touchdown pass from Jack Dawson to Jayden Horace.

A Makel Williams&nbsp;interception on the Griffons next position helped FHSU move back into the redzone, but a Dawson pass was intercepted in the endzone by Brayden Wright and taken back 100 yards for Missouri Western's final score.

The Tigers outgained the Griffons by nearly 100 yards in total offense, 331 to 237, but the five turnovers proved to be too much to overcome.

It marked only the third time under head coach Chris Brown that the Tigers have held an opponent under 300 yards of total offense and lost.

Dawson finished the game with 257 passing yards, one touchdown and three interceptions and was sacked seven times. Shane Watts&nbsp;led the Tigers in rushing attack with 57 yards. Cale Cormaney hauled in eight passes for 82 yards.&nbsp;

Sam Brandt and John Johnson&nbsp;led the FHSU defense with nine tackles each. Brandt recorded the Tigers lone sack.

Armani Edden led MWSU with 112 passing yards, one touchdown and two intercepions. Brandon Hall led the Griffons in rushing with 52 yards and Traveon James led in receiving yards with 36. 

The Tigers return to Hays to play their only non-conference game of the season Saturday against Lincoln for their homecoming game. Kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Lewis Field.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695528894326.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State tight end Cale Cormaney (0) catches a pass in the Tigers season opener at Northeastern State on Thursday, August 31, 2023, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. (FHSU Athletics photo/Seth Kincaid)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State tight end Cale Cormaney (0) catches a pass in the Tigers season opener at Northeastern State on Thursday, August 31, 2023, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. (FHSU Athletics photo/Seth Kincaid)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post<a href="http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://dxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net/sidearm.nextgen.sites/fhsu.sidearmsports.com/stats/football/2023/pdf/20230923042449-33740.pdf">BOX SCORE</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Fort Hays State football team couldn't overcome five turnovers&nbsp; and a blocked punt and lost 28-7 at Missouri Western Saturday afternoon at Spratt Memorial Stadium.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1623909966&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/chris-brown-postgame-v-mwsu-09-23-23" title="Chris Brown Postgame at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Chris Brown Postgame at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)</a></div></div>The game, which was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday night but was moved up to noon due to a threat of severe weather, was delayed at hour at the start due to thunderstorms.&nbsp;The Griffons (3-1, 2-1 MIAA) intercepted a Jack Dawson pass on the second play of the game at the FHSU 30 which set up the first of two Seth Cromwell touchdown runs.The Griffons blocked a Kamren&nbsp;Xaysongkham punt on the Tigers second possession which they recovered inside the five. Cromwell scored his second touchdown two plays later to push the MWSU lead to 14-0 with 8:32 to play in the first quarter.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1623910155&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/cale-cormaney-postgame-vs-mwsu-09-23-23" title="Cale Cormaney Postgame at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Cale Cormaney Postgame at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)</a></div></div>A Tiger fumble on their own 8-yardline late in the third quarter created another short field for the Griffons. They scored two plays later on an eight-yard touchdown pass to go up 21-0 with 4:12 to play in the third.The Tigers (2-2, 2-2 MIAA) used a couple of big plays to set up their only score with a little over 10 minutes to play in the fourth. A 14-yard pass, 15-yard pass interference penalty, and a 36-yard run by Shane Watts&nbsp;set up and eight-yard touchdown pass from Jack Dawson to Jayden Horace.A Makel Williams&nbsp;interception on the Griffons next position helped FHSU move back into the redzone, but a Dawson pass was intercepted in the endzone by Brayden Wright and taken back 100 yards for Missouri Western's final score.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1623910446&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/sam-brandt-postgame-vs-mwsu-09-23-23" title="Sam Brandt Postgame at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Sam Brandt Postgame at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)</a></div></div>The Tigers outgained the Griffons by nearly 100 yards in total offense, 331 to 237, but the five turnovers proved to be too much to overcome.It marked only the third time under head coach Chris Brown that the Tigers have held an opponent under 300 yards of total offense and lost.Dawson finished the game with 257 passing yards, one touchdown and three interceptions and was sacked seven times. Shane Watts&nbsp;led the Tigers in rushing attack with 57 yards. Cale Cormaney hauled in eight passes for 82 yards.&nbsp;Sam Brandt and John Johnson&nbsp;led the FHSU defense with nine tackles each. Brandt recorded the Tigers lone sack.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1623910635&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fort-hays-state-fb-highlights-vs-mwsu-09-23-23" title="Fort Hays State FB Highlights at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State FB Highlights at Missouri Western State (Sept. 23, 2023)</a></div></div>Armani Edden led MWSU with 112 passing yards, one touchdown and two intercepions. Brandon Hall led the Griffons in rushing with 52 yards and Traveon James led in receiving yards with 36. UP NEXTThe Tigers return to Hays to play their only non-conference game of the season Saturday against Lincoln for their homecoming game. Kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Lewis Field.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Miscues doom Tigers at Missouri Western State

By DAVE SKRETTA&nbsp; AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lance Leipold did plenty of background work on Kansas before accepting its head-coaching job a couple of years ago. But in the pantheon of the obscure, he never looked up the last time the Jayhawks started 4-0 in back-to-back seasons.

When told it had been 108 years, Leipold replied Saturday: “I'm glad I didn't do all my research.”

“Sometimes you don't know what you're really stepping into until you there,” Leipold added with a smile, after leading the once-suffering Jayhawks to a 38-27 victory over BYU in the Cougars' Big 12 debut. “Like I told our team, I'm really proud of them when you look at the short time what we've been able to do.”

Jalon Daniels threw three touchdown passes, including two in the second half to Luke Grimm, and the Jayhawks got a pair of scores from their opportunistic defense in rallying from a 17-14 halftime deficit. Cobee Bryant returned a fumble for the game's first touchdown, and Kenny Logan Jr. brought back an interception early in the third quarter for another score.

The offense got going down the stretch, helping the Jayhawks win their eighth straight September game.

“When you walked in here in the past you would hear frustration,” explained Leipold, whose team will try to match last year's 5-0 start when it heads to No. 3 Texas next weekend. “You walk in there now and it's different, and that's where it should be."

Kedon Slovis was 30 of 51 for 357 yards with two TDs and two interceptions for BYU. But the Cougars (3-1) were imbalanced on offense, running 22 times for nine yards, and settling for two field goals in the red zone proved costly.

“We just battled through,” Logan said. “We showed we can take some jabs.”

The Jayhawks, who struggled to put away Nevada last week, rolled into their conference opener averaging more than 500 yards per game. But the Cougars consistently put pressure on Daniels, who at times needed every bit of his athleticism just to get the ball away, and their defense held Kansas to one offensive touchdown in the first half.

The other score? That came on Bryant's bone-jarring hit on BYU's second play from scrimmage. The ball popped out, Bryant was there to scoop it, and the cornerback — who had a pick later in the game- returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.

The Cougars refused to let the turnover set the tone for the game. They answered with back-to-back 75-yard touchdown drives, then used another long drive in the final minutes of the first half to add a field goal for a 17-14 lead at the break.

That's when the Kansas defense got into the act again.

On the third play of the third quarter, Slovis had his pass batted into the air by tight end Isaac Rex, off the hands of linebacker Jayson Gilliom and into the arms of Logan, who returned the interception 33 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

“The defense played lights-out,” Daniels said. “Stuff you can’t make up. That doesn’t happen every day.”

“We gave them 14 points,” Rex said later. “If we didn't do that, we would have had enough points to win the game.”

The Cougars could only muster an answering field goal, and the Kansas offense finally started humming.

Daniels swiftly led his team down field, converting an early third down with his legs before finding Grimm in the back of the end zone on another third-down play for a touchdown. And after Bryant picked off Slovis on fourth down to end BYU's ensuing drive, the Jayhawks marched other way with Daniels finding Grimm again to extend the lead to 35-20.

BYU's Keelan Marion scored midway through the fourth quarter, but the Jayhawks added a field goal to put the game away.

"There were some moments we want back,” Cougars defensive lineman Tyler Batty said. “There’s a lot to learn form here.”

BYU survived at Arkansas last week by scoring the last 17 points in a 38-31 win. But the Cougars looked downright tired in the second half Saturday, perhaps worn down by the physical nature of back-to-back road games against Power Five opponents.

Kansas defensive coordinator Brian Borland made it clear before the season that his group, which struggled mightily at times last year, would not hold back the Jayhawks this season. On Saturday, his defense was the difference in the outcome.

BYU plays its Big 12 home opener against fellow newcomer Cincinnati on Friday night.

Kansas visits Texas next Saturday for the first time since a 57-56 double-overtime win in 2021.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695520340266.jpeg" alt="Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels passes the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against BYU Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels passes the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against BYU Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA&nbsp; AP Sports WriterLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lance Leipold did plenty of background work on Kansas before accepting its head-coaching job a couple of years ago. But in the pantheon of the obscure, he never looked up the last time the Jayhawks started 4-0 in back-to-back seasons.When told it had been 108 years, Leipold replied Saturday: “I'm glad I didn't do all my research.”“Sometimes you don't know what you're really stepping into until you there,” Leipold added with a smile, after leading the once-suffering Jayhawks to a 38-27 victory over BYU in the Cougars' Big 12 debut. “Like I told our team, I'm really proud of them when you look at the short time what we've been able to do.”Jalon Daniels threw three touchdown passes, including two in the second half to Luke Grimm, and the Jayhawks got a pair of scores from their opportunistic defense in rallying from a 17-14 halftime deficit. Cobee Bryant returned a fumble for the game's first touchdown, and Kenny Logan Jr. brought back an interception early in the third quarter for another score.The offense got going down the stretch, helping the Jayhawks win their eighth straight September game.“When you walked in here in the past you would hear frustration,” explained Leipold, whose team will try to match last year's 5-0 start when it heads to No. 3 Texas next weekend. “You walk in there now and it's different, and that's where it should be."Kedon Slovis was 30 of 51 for 357 yards with two TDs and two interceptions for BYU. But the Cougars (3-1) were imbalanced on offense, running 22 times for nine yards, and settling for two field goals in the red zone proved costly.“We just battled through,” Logan said. “We showed we can take some jabs.”The Jayhawks, who struggled to put away Nevada last week, rolled into their conference opener averaging more than 500 yards per game. But the Cougars consistently put pressure on Daniels, who at times needed every bit of his athleticism just to get the ball away, and their defense held Kansas to one offensive touchdown in the first half.The other score? That came on Bryant's bone-jarring hit on BYU's second play from scrimmage. The ball popped out, Bryant was there to scoop it, and the cornerback — who had a pick later in the game- returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.The Cougars refused to let the turnover set the tone for the game. They answered with back-to-back 75-yard touchdown drives, then used another long drive in the final minutes of the first half to add a field goal for a 17-14 lead at the break.That's when the Kansas defense got into the act again.On the third play of the third quarter, Slovis had his pass batted into the air by tight end Isaac Rex, off the hands of linebacker Jayson Gilliom and into the arms of Logan, who returned the interception 33 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.“The defense played lights-out,” Daniels said. “Stuff you can’t make up. That doesn’t happen every day.”“We gave them 14 points,” Rex said later. “If we didn't do that, we would have had enough points to win the game.”The Cougars could only muster an answering field goal, and the Kansas offense finally started humming.Daniels swiftly led his team down field, converting an early third down with his legs before finding Grimm in the back of the end zone on another third-down play for a touchdown. And after Bryant picked off Slovis on fourth down to end BYU's ensuing drive, the Jayhawks marched other way with Daniels finding Grimm again to extend the lead to 35-20.BYU's Keelan Marion scored midway through the fourth quarter, but the Jayhawks added a field goal to put the game away."There were some moments we want back,” Cougars defensive lineman Tyler Batty said. “There’s a lot to learn form here.”THE TAKEAWAYBYU survived at Arkansas last week by scoring the last 17 points in a 38-31 win. But the Cougars looked downright tired in the second half Saturday, perhaps worn down by the physical nature of back-to-back road games against Power Five opponents.Kansas defensive coordinator Brian Borland made it clear before the season that his group, which struggled mightily at times last year, would not hold back the Jayhawks this season. On Saturday, his defense was the difference in the outcome.UP NEXTBYU plays its Big 12 home opener against fellow newcomer Cincinnati on Friday night.Kansas visits Texas next Saturday for the first time since a 57-56 double-overtime win in 2021.

🏈 Daniels throws 3 TD passes, KU beats BYU

By JOSHUA KOCH Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Jordan Lyles gave up just two hits in five innings, Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 93rd run of the season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday night.

“It’s like groundhog day,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re playing hard, they’re playing good ball but we’re having trouble pushing runs across. You know hitting with runners in scoring position. When we do good we’re going to get a bunch of them for a period of time. I just feel that. We’re so close to breaking games open. Just didn’t get it done.”

Houston has lost four of its last five games and fell to 39-41 at home this year. Still, the Astros maintained their half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over Seattle with seven games remaining. The Mariners lost 2-0 to Texas earlier.

“It feels like we're playing terrible,” said Alex Bregman, who finished 0 for 3. “That's it. We're not playing good.”

The Royals have won nine of their last 10 games for the first time since July 20-30, 2017. The win also clinched a fourth straight series win for the first time since 2019.

“We know where we are as far as our youth and our inexperience," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There's nobody that knows exactly what the timetable is but these kinds of wins are definitely going to go a long way for our guy's confidence.”

Lyles (5-17) held the Astros to just one hit through the first four innings, while striking out three and walking two. This was his best start since July 17 when he held Detroit to no runs and three hits in a no-decision.

“Every at-bat was a strong battle," Lyles said. "Those guys are one of the better lineups in baseball. It's going to make it difficult on you and they did a really good job. I wasn't able to go deep but five scoreless, team win, sign me up every day of the week for it.”

Taylor Clarke got the last five outs for his third save of the season.

“He just kept pumping strikes,” Quatraro said. “That last inning he was trying to not make a mistake and he just kept making quality after quality pitch. Those guys are dangerous and obviously without what he did we're not going to win that game.”

The Royals got to the Astros early again. Maikel Garcia led off the game against J.P. France (11-6) with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Yanier Diaz. Garcia scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by M.J. Melendez to make it 1-0.

Kansas City leads the American League in sacrifice flies this season with 56 — second in the majors behind only the Dodgers (66).

In the fifth inning with the bases loaded, Witt reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in Nick Pratto. A wild pitch by France later in the inning allowed Kyle Isbel to score, making it 3-0.

France gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.

“Stuff was great, I'm pleased with that outing,” France said. “I went five innings, two earned. Was actually able to get some whiffs, get some strikeouts against these guys opposed to last time. ... Overall felt my stuff was really good today. Arm felt really good.”

Astros reliever Bryan Abreu struck out the side in the eighth inning to extend his scoreless innings streak to a major league-best 24 innings. Abreu has struck out 28 batters in this span.

Trailing 3-0, Chas McCormick led off the seventh inning blasting a ball 418 feet to the train tracks in left field to cut into the lead. It was the second straight game that McCormick homered.

“It's been frustrating, I've never been in this position before," McCormick said of the Astros' last eleven games. “Every team that's come to play us, they want to beat us badly and we just don't want it enough right now ... I don't think we're firing on all cylinders and putting a little pressure on ourselves."

The Astros inched closer in the eighth as back-to-back doubles by Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker made it 3-2. Alvarez finished 1 for 4 with the double, which extended his streak of games reaching base safely in to 29.

With 41,692 fans in attendance on Saturday night, the Astros surpassed 3 million fans for the fifth time in franchise history and for the first time since 2007.

Royals: C Salvador Perez (concussion) is likely to return to the lineup on Sunday, according to Quatraro. ... RHP Brad Keller has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. He will decide whether to undergo surgery in the coming days, according to Quatraro.

Astros: OF Michael Brantley was out of the lineup for a fifth straight game Saturday with right shoulder soreness.

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (11-12, 4.87 ERA) will start Houston’s final home game of the regular season on Sunday. The Royals have not announced a starter.

By JOSHUA KOCH Associated PressHOUSTON (AP) — Jordan Lyles gave up just two hits in five innings, Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 93rd run of the season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday night.“It’s like groundhog day,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re playing hard, they’re playing good ball but we’re having trouble pushing runs across. You know hitting with runners in scoring position. When we do good we’re going to get a bunch of them for a period of time. I just feel that. We’re so close to breaking games open. Just didn’t get it done.”Houston has lost four of its last five games and fell to 39-41 at home this year. Still, the Astros maintained their half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over Seattle with seven games remaining. The Mariners lost 2-0 to Texas earlier.“It feels like we're playing terrible,” said Alex Bregman, who finished 0 for 3. “That's it. We're not playing good.”The Royals have won nine of their last 10 games for the first time since July 20-30, 2017. The win also clinched a fourth straight series win for the first time since 2019.“We know where we are as far as our youth and our inexperience," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There's nobody that knows exactly what the timetable is but these kinds of wins are definitely going to go a long way for our guy's confidence.”Lyles (5-17) held the Astros to just one hit through the first four innings, while striking out three and walking two. This was his best start since July 17 when he held Detroit to no runs and three hits in a no-decision.“Every at-bat was a strong battle," Lyles said. "Those guys are one of the better lineups in baseball. It's going to make it difficult on you and they did a really good job. I wasn't able to go deep but five scoreless, team win, sign me up every day of the week for it.”Taylor Clarke got the last five outs for his third save of the season.“He just kept pumping strikes,” Quatraro said. “That last inning he was trying to not make a mistake and he just kept making quality after quality pitch. Those guys are dangerous and obviously without what he did we're not going to win that game.”The Royals got to the Astros early again. Maikel Garcia led off the game against J.P. France (11-6) with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Yanier Diaz. Garcia scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by M.J. Melendez to make it 1-0.Kansas City leads the American League in sacrifice flies this season with 56 — second in the majors behind only the Dodgers (66).In the fifth inning with the bases loaded, Witt reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in Nick Pratto. A wild pitch by France later in the inning allowed Kyle Isbel to score, making it 3-0.France gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.“Stuff was great, I'm pleased with that outing,” France said. “I went five innings, two earned. Was actually able to get some whiffs, get some strikeouts against these guys opposed to last time. ... Overall felt my stuff was really good today. Arm felt really good.”Astros reliever Bryan Abreu struck out the side in the eighth inning to extend his scoreless innings streak to a major league-best 24 innings. Abreu has struck out 28 batters in this span.Trailing 3-0, Chas McCormick led off the seventh inning blasting a ball 418 feet to the train tracks in left field to cut into the lead. It was the second straight game that McCormick homered.“It's been frustrating, I've never been in this position before," McCormick said of the Astros' last eleven games. “Every team that's come to play us, they want to beat us badly and we just don't want it enough right now ... I don't think we're firing on all cylinders and putting a little pressure on ourselves."The Astros inched closer in the eighth as back-to-back doubles by Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker made it 3-2. Alvarez finished 1 for 4 with the double, which extended his streak of games reaching base safely in to 29.3 MILLION FANSWith 41,692 fans in attendance on Saturday night, the Astros surpassed 3 million fans for the fifth time in franchise history and for the first time since 2007.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: C Salvador Perez (concussion) is likely to return to the lineup on Sunday, according to Quatraro. ... RHP Brad Keller has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. He will decide whether to undergo surgery in the coming days, according to Quatraro.Astros: OF Michael Brantley was out of the lineup for a fifth straight game Saturday with right shoulder soreness.UP NEXTAstros RHP Hunter Brown (11-12, 4.87 ERA) will start Houston’s final home game of the regular season on Sunday. The Royals have not announced a starter.

⚾ Lyles pitches five scoreless, Royals beat Astros

BETHANY, Okla. - The Fort Hays State Tigers faced off against the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm on Saturday night (Sept. 23). The contest ended with a 2-0 loss for the Tigers, making them 1-1 in conference play and 2-5 overall. On the other side, Southern Nazarene improved to 4-2-2 overall and 2-0 in the GAC.

The Crimson Storm took the lead in the match when Bruno Fereira found the net in the 33rd minute. SNU led 1-0 at the half. In the 59th minute, the Crimson Storm solidified their lead with another goal. Alvaro Sanchez capitalized on an assist from Unaiz Shajani, sealing the victory.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/tadhg-walsh/7323">Tadhg Walsh</a>&nbsp;led the Tigers with three shots, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/luca-garcia/7672">Luca Garcia</a>&nbsp;had two.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/ben-dixon/7307">Ben Dixon</a>&nbsp;made four saves in goal for the Tigers.

The Tigers hit the road for a pair of matches next week in Arkansas, facing off against Ouachita Baptist (Thur.) and Harding (Sat.).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695528386674.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Luca Garcia (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Luca Garcia (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsBETHANY, Okla. - The Fort Hays State Tigers faced off against the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm on Saturday night (Sept. 23). The contest ended with a 2-0 loss for the Tigers, making them 1-1 in conference play and 2-5 overall. On the other side, Southern Nazarene improved to 4-2-2 overall and 2-0 in the GAC.The Crimson Storm took the lead in the match when Bruno Fereira found the net in the 33rd minute. SNU led 1-0 at the half. In the 59th minute, the Crimson Storm solidified their lead with another goal. Alvaro Sanchez capitalized on an assist from Unaiz Shajani, sealing the victory.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/tadhg-walsh/7323">Tadhg Walsh</a>&nbsp;led the Tigers with three shots, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/luca-garcia/7672">Luca Garcia</a>&nbsp;had two.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/ben-dixon/7307">Ben Dixon</a>&nbsp;made four saves in goal for the Tigers.The Tigers hit the road for a pair of matches next week in Arkansas, facing off against Ouachita Baptist (Thur.) and Harding (Sat.).

⚽ Tiger men fall short at Southern Nazarene

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Tennis had five individuals compete in the ITA Fall Central Regional over the weekend.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/irina-alfonso/7541">Irina Alfonso</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/ines-latorre/7609">Ines Latorre</a>&nbsp;each picked up a win in singles play, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/yone-pereiro/7611">Yone Pereiro</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/shreethika-vangala/7612">Shreethika Vangala</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/fiorella-mendez/7544">Fiorella Mendez</a>&nbsp;also competed for the Tigers.

Alfonso won her opening round singles match in the A draw against Anika Ouwejan of Central Oklahoma by scores of 6-3, 6-4. She then fell in her Round of 32 match against Carolina Lima de Oliveira of Northwest Missouri State by scores of 6-3, 6-2.Latorre fell in her opening round singles match of the B draw, coming up just short in the decisive tiebreak set to Tirzah Bailey of Henderson State. After falling in a close first set 7-5, she bounced back for a 6-1 win in the second set to force the tiebreaker. Unfortunately, she fell 10-8 in the tiebreak. With the structure of the bracket, Latorre got a couple of byes in the consolation bracket before knocking out Reka Pecsi of Harding 5-4 (7-5), 4-1 in shortened sets that went to four. She then fell 4-1, 4-1 to Greta Langiu of Missouri Western in the consolation quarterfinals.

Pereiro (A Draw) and Vangala (B Draw) went 0-2 in singles, while Mendez (C Draw) went 0-1 in singles. Pereiro teamed with Alfonso in the A doubles draw and they went 0-2, while Vangala teamed with Latorre in the B doubles draw and went 0-1.

FHSU returns to team competition on Tuesday at Sterling College in Sterling, Kan. The match is set for 3 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695528136454.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Tennis had five individuals compete in the ITA Fall Central Regional over the weekend.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/irina-alfonso/7541">Irina Alfonso</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/ines-latorre/7609">Ines Latorre</a>&nbsp;each picked up a win in singles play, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/yone-pereiro/7611">Yone Pereiro</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/shreethika-vangala/7612">Shreethika Vangala</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/fiorella-mendez/7544">Fiorella Mendez</a>&nbsp;also competed for the Tigers.Alfonso won her opening round singles match in the A draw against Anika Ouwejan of Central Oklahoma by scores of 6-3, 6-4. She then fell in her Round of 32 match against Carolina Lima de Oliveira of Northwest Missouri State by scores of 6-3, 6-2.Latorre fell in her opening round singles match of the B draw, coming up just short in the decisive tiebreak set to Tirzah Bailey of Henderson State. After falling in a close first set 7-5, she bounced back for a 6-1 win in the second set to force the tiebreaker. Unfortunately, she fell 10-8 in the tiebreak. With the structure of the bracket, Latorre got a couple of byes in the consolation bracket before knocking out Reka Pecsi of Harding 5-4 (7-5), 4-1 in shortened sets that went to four. She then fell 4-1, 4-1 to Greta Langiu of Missouri Western in the consolation quarterfinals.Pereiro (A Draw) and Vangala (B Draw) went 0-2 in singles, while Mendez (C Draw) went 0-1 in singles. Pereiro teamed with Alfonso in the A doubles draw and they went 0-2, while Vangala teamed with Latorre in the B doubles draw and went 0-1.FHSU returns to team competition on Tuesday at Sterling College in Sterling, Kan. The match is set for 3 p.m.

🎾 FHSU's Alfonso, Latorre pick up wins at ITA Fall Regional

WAMEGO – The Hays High volleyball team had their four-match
win streak snapped at the Wamego Invitational Saturday. The Indians went 0-4 and
finished in sixth place.

The Indians lost their first match to Holton in three sets
(24-26, 25-22, 22-5) then were swept by Riley County (22-25, 20-25). They later
lost in two sets to Nemaha Valley and host Wamego.

Hays PostWAMEGO – The Hays High volleyball team had their four-match
win streak snapped at the Wamego Invitational Saturday. The Indians went 0-4 and
finished in sixth place.The Indians lost their first match to Holton in three sets
(24-26, 25-22, 22-5) then were swept by Riley County (22-25, 20-25). They later
lost in two sets to Nemaha Valley and host Wamego.

🏐 HHS goes 0-4 at Wamego Invitational

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team came up short Saturday&nbsp; afternoon against Pittsburg State, falling in three sets, 25-22, 26-24, 25-17. The Tigers (6-7, 0-4 MIAA) held leads midway through each set, but the Gorillas were able to rally each time to complete the sweep.

Fort Hays State fell behind by three early in the first set but fought back to lead as late as 13-11. The visitors responded with the next four points, taking the lead for good. FHSU fought off the first two set points, closing within 24-22, before PSU called a timeout and ended the set on the next serve.

The Tigers had a chance to take set two, leading 24-23, before Pittsburg State rallied to win the next three points and go up 2-0 in the match. The Tigers led by as many as six in the frame, 20-14, before the Gorillas fought back.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/mya-vandrovec/7505">Mya Vandrovec</a>&nbsp;came in to spark the Tigers, recording five kills on 10 attempts in the frame.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7536">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7500">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;tallied four kills each in the frame.

Fort Hays State again led midway through the third set, leading 14-12 after a Vandrovec kill and a Gorilla error. Pittsburg State then rattled off the next six points, taking the lead for good.

Rains led the Tigers with nine kills, while Vandrovec had seven kills on 15 attempts. Reeves accumulated six kills and five block assists, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/brooke-hyland/7498">Brooke Hyland</a>&nbsp;leading the way on the back row with 16 digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7503">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;dished out 27 assists in the contest.

The Tigers will be on the road for a pair of contests next week before returning home for five-consecutive home matches starting October 5. The road trip starts Tuesday at No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney beginning at 6 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695527799088.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Mya Vandrovec attempts a shot in an NCAA volleyball match vs. Pittsburg State on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Mya Vandrovec attempts a shot in an NCAA volleyball match vs. Pittsburg State on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team came up short Saturday&nbsp; afternoon against Pittsburg State, falling in three sets, 25-22, 26-24, 25-17. The Tigers (6-7, 0-4 MIAA) held leads midway through each set, but the Gorillas were able to rally each time to complete the sweep.Fort Hays State fell behind by three early in the first set but fought back to lead as late as 13-11. The visitors responded with the next four points, taking the lead for good. FHSU fought off the first two set points, closing within 24-22, before PSU called a timeout and ended the set on the next serve.The Tigers had a chance to take set two, leading 24-23, before Pittsburg State rallied to win the next three points and go up 2-0 in the match. The Tigers led by as many as six in the frame, 20-14, before the Gorillas fought back.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/mya-vandrovec/7505">Mya Vandrovec</a>&nbsp;came in to spark the Tigers, recording five kills on 10 attempts in the frame.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7536">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7500">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;tallied four kills each in the frame.Fort Hays State again led midway through the third set, leading 14-12 after a Vandrovec kill and a Gorilla error. Pittsburg State then rattled off the next six points, taking the lead for good.Rains led the Tigers with nine kills, while Vandrovec had seven kills on 15 attempts. Reeves accumulated six kills and five block assists, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/brooke-hyland/7498">Brooke Hyland</a>&nbsp;leading the way on the back row with 16 digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7503">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;dished out 27 assists in the contest.The Tigers will be on the road for a pair of contests next week before returning home for five-consecutive home matches starting October 5. The road trip starts Tuesday at No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney beginning at 6 p.m.

🏐 FHSU swept at home by Pitt State

STILLWATER, Okla. - The Fort Hays State women's cross country team placed fourth and the men finished seventh at the 2023 Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State at the Greiner Family Cross Country Course Saturday morning (Sept. 23). The Tiger women were the top Division II team in the standings, while the men were third out of the 10 male DII programs in attendance.

The Tiger women accumulated 161 points, fewest amongst the 13 female DII teams in the competition. The men racked up 202 points across their top five finishers.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/jaycee-vath/7646">Jaycee Vath</a>&nbsp;was the top Tiger finisher for the second week in a row, placing 19th out of 199 finishers and first amongst NCAA DII competition after crossing the line in the six-kilometer race in 22:34.4.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/darian-hudgeons/7643">Darian Hudgeons</a>&nbsp;placed 53rd with a time of 23:53.8, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/abbye-hudson/7671">Abbye Hudson</a>&nbsp;crossed the line in 24:11.2 to finish 65th. The Tiger top five was rounded out by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/madison-sutterfield/7681">Madison Sutterfield</a>&nbsp;(24:19.3) in 70th and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/brenna-murphy/7680">Brenna Murphy</a>&nbsp;(24:29.9) in 76th.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/grant-bradley/7649">Grant Bradley</a>&nbsp;paced the men's squad, finishing in 26th place with a time of 25:48.4.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jaret-pfizenmaier/7659">Jaret Pfizenmaier</a>&nbsp;traversed the eight-kilometer track in 25:55.4, good for 32nd place.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/corbin-ricke/7661">Corbin Ricke</a>&nbsp;was 65th with a time of 26:44.2, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/trever-medina/7657">Trever Medina</a>&nbsp;finishing 73rd after crossing the line in 27:01.4.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/noah-morenz/7658">Noah Morenz</a>&nbsp;was just five seconds behind Medina, rounding out the Tiger top five in 80th with a time of 27:06.6.

Oklahoma State swept both team titles, winning with 16 points on the women's side and 26 points in the men's race.

The Tigers are scheduled to conclude the regular season in two weeks when they travel to Emporia, Kan. for the Hornet Harrier Invitational on Friday, October 6.Full 

FHSU Women's Results Team - 4th - 161 points 19th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/jaycee-vath/7646">Jaycee Vath</a>&nbsp;- 22:34.4 503rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/darian-hudgeons/7643">Darian Hudgeons</a>&nbsp;- 23:53.8 65th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/abbye-hudson/7671">Abbye Hudson</a>&nbsp;- 24:11.2 70th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/madison-sutterfield/7681">Madison Sutterfield</a>&nbsp;- 24:19.3 76th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/brenna-murphy/7680">Brenna Murphy</a>&nbsp;- 24:29.9 85th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/faith-little/7644">Faith Little</a>&nbsp;- 24:43.5 92nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/ashlyn-harbaugh/7641">Ashlyn Harbaugh</a>&nbsp;- 25:02.5 102nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/hattie-lukert/7645">Hattie Lukert</a>&nbsp;- 25:20.6 132nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/amelia-foster/7670">Amelia Foster</a>&nbsp;- 26:36.5

Full FHSU Men's Results Team - 7th - 202 points 26th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/grant-bradley/7649">Grant Bradley</a>&nbsp;- 25:48.4 32nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jaret-pfizenmaier/7659">Jaret Pfizenmaier</a>&nbsp;- 25:55.4 65th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/corbin-ricke/7661">Corbin Ricke</a>&nbsp;- 26:44.2 73rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/trever-medina/7657">Trever Medina</a>&nbsp;- 27:01.4 80th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/noah-morenz/7658">Noah Morenz</a>&nbsp;- 27:06.6 87th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/javyn-contreras/7651">Javyn Contreras</a>&nbsp;- 27:15.1 95th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/carsyn-turpin/7667">Carsyn Turpin</a>&nbsp;- 27:23.0 120th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/andrew-waller/7662">Andrew Waller</a>&nbsp;- 28:01.4 123rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/kaiden-esfeld/7664">Kaiden Esfeld</a>&nbsp;- 28:04.7 139th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/ethan-fisher/7654">Ethan Fisher</a>&nbsp;- 28:24.9 146th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/brady-stegman/7666">Brady Stegman</a>&nbsp;- 28:34.5 151st -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/aaron-mangan/7656">Aaron Mangan</a>&nbsp;- 28:41.5 178th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/daniel-bechle/7647">Daniel Bechle</a>&nbsp;- 29:34.0&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695527188554.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Darian Hudgeons runs at the FHSU Tiger Open on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Jaxson Webb)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Darian Hudgeons runs at the FHSU Tiger Open on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Jaxson Webb)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsSTILLWATER, Okla. - The Fort Hays State women's cross country team placed fourth and the men finished seventh at the 2023 Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State at the Greiner Family Cross Country Course Saturday morning (Sept. 23). The Tiger women were the top Division II team in the standings, while the men were third out of the 10 male DII programs in attendance.The Tiger women accumulated 161 points, fewest amongst the 13 female DII teams in the competition. The men racked up 202 points across their top five finishers.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/jaycee-vath/7646">Jaycee Vath</a>&nbsp;was the top Tiger finisher for the second week in a row, placing 19th out of 199 finishers and first amongst NCAA DII competition after crossing the line in the six-kilometer race in 22:34.4.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/darian-hudgeons/7643">Darian Hudgeons</a>&nbsp;placed 53rd with a time of 23:53.8, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/abbye-hudson/7671">Abbye Hudson</a>&nbsp;crossed the line in 24:11.2 to finish 65th. The Tiger top five was rounded out by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/madison-sutterfield/7681">Madison Sutterfield</a>&nbsp;(24:19.3) in 70th and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/brenna-murphy/7680">Brenna Murphy</a>&nbsp;(24:29.9) in 76th.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/grant-bradley/7649">Grant Bradley</a>&nbsp;paced the men's squad, finishing in 26th place with a time of 25:48.4.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jaret-pfizenmaier/7659">Jaret Pfizenmaier</a>&nbsp;traversed the eight-kilometer track in 25:55.4, good for 32nd place.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/corbin-ricke/7661">Corbin Ricke</a>&nbsp;was 65th with a time of 26:44.2, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/trever-medina/7657">Trever Medina</a>&nbsp;finishing 73rd after crossing the line in 27:01.4.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/noah-morenz/7658">Noah Morenz</a>&nbsp;was just five seconds behind Medina, rounding out the Tiger top five in 80th with a time of 27:06.6.Oklahoma State swept both team titles, winning with 16 points on the women's side and 26 points in the men's race.The Tigers are scheduled to conclude the regular season in two weeks when they travel to Emporia, Kan. for the Hornet Harrier Invitational on Friday, October 6.Full FHSU Women's Results Team - 4th - 161 points 19th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/jaycee-vath/7646">Jaycee Vath</a>&nbsp;- 22:34.4 503rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/darian-hudgeons/7643">Darian Hudgeons</a>&nbsp;- 23:53.8 65th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/abbye-hudson/7671">Abbye Hudson</a>&nbsp;- 24:11.2 70th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/madison-sutterfield/7681">Madison Sutterfield</a>&nbsp;- 24:19.3 76th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/brenna-murphy/7680">Brenna Murphy</a>&nbsp;- 24:29.9 85th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/faith-little/7644">Faith Little</a>&nbsp;- 24:43.5 92nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/ashlyn-harbaugh/7641">Ashlyn Harbaugh</a>&nbsp;- 25:02.5 102nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/hattie-lukert/7645">Hattie Lukert</a>&nbsp;- 25:20.6 132nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/amelia-foster/7670">Amelia Foster</a>&nbsp;- 26:36.5Full FHSU Men's Results Team - 7th - 202 points 26th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/grant-bradley/7649">Grant Bradley</a>&nbsp;- 25:48.4 32nd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jaret-pfizenmaier/7659">Jaret Pfizenmaier</a>&nbsp;- 25:55.4 65th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/corbin-ricke/7661">Corbin Ricke</a>&nbsp;- 26:44.2 73rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/trever-medina/7657">Trever Medina</a>&nbsp;- 27:01.4 80th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/noah-morenz/7658">Noah Morenz</a>&nbsp;- 27:06.6 87th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/javyn-contreras/7651">Javyn Contreras</a>&nbsp;- 27:15.1 95th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/carsyn-turpin/7667">Carsyn Turpin</a>&nbsp;- 27:23.0 120th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/andrew-waller/7662">Andrew Waller</a>&nbsp;- 28:01.4 123rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/kaiden-esfeld/7664">Kaiden Esfeld</a>&nbsp;- 28:04.7 139th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/ethan-fisher/7654">Ethan Fisher</a>&nbsp;- 28:24.9 146th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/brady-stegman/7666">Brady Stegman</a>&nbsp;- 28:34.5 151st -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/aaron-mangan/7656">Aaron Mangan</a>&nbsp;- 28:41.5 178th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/daniel-bechle/7647">Daniel Bechle</a>&nbsp;- 29:34.0&nbsp;&nbsp;

👟 FHSU women fourth, men seventh at OSU Cowboy Jamboree

LAWRENCE – The Hays High boys and girls cross team competed
at the Rim Rock Farm High School Classic at Rim Rock Farm outside of Lawrence
Saturday. 

The Indian girls finished ninth out of 34 teams in the Crimson
Varsity race with 296 points. Chris Preparatory won the race with 50 points.

Senior Arely Maldonado finished in 10th place out of 241
runners with a time of 20:01.5. Fellow HHS senior Brynn Kinderknecht placed 54th
(21:45.4), senior Brenlynn Albers finished 69th (22:11.0), senior Mike
Zimmerman placed 97th (22:54.4), Julia Zadina 124th (23:25.5), sophomore Cara
Cunningham 152nd (24:10.0).

Topeka-Seaman’s Ryin Miller won the girls race with a time
of 18:55.0.

The HHS boys finished 23rd out of 41 teams. Buhler won the
Crimson boys race, Dodge City finished fourth and Liberal sixth.

Elijah McCullough led the Indians with a 26th place finish out
of 292 runners. The senior had a time of 17:19.02, junior Taevian Maupin placed
64th (17:56.8), freshman Logan Leiker was 160th (19:07.0), freshman Brayden
Stahley finished 185th (19:40.6), sophomore Malachi Chance 209th (20:02.3),
senior Ty Dempsey 259th (21:07.2).

Hays PostLAWRENCE – The Hays High boys and girls cross team competed
at the Rim Rock Farm High School Classic at Rim Rock Farm outside of Lawrence
Saturday. The Indian girls finished ninth out of 34 teams in the Crimson
Varsity race with 296 points. Chris Preparatory won the race with 50 points.Senior Arely Maldonado finished in 10th place out of 241
runners with a time of 20:01.5. Fellow HHS senior Brynn Kinderknecht placed 54th
(21:45.4), senior Brenlynn Albers finished 69th (22:11.0), senior Mike
Zimmerman placed 97th (22:54.4), Julia Zadina 124th (23:25.5), sophomore Cara
Cunningham 152nd (24:10.0).Topeka-Seaman’s Ryin Miller won the girls race with a time
of 18:55.0.The HHS boys finished 23rd out of 41 teams. Buhler won the
Crimson boys race, Dodge City finished fourth and Liberal sixth.Elijah McCullough led the Indians with a 26th place finish out
of 292 runners. The senior had a time of 17:19.02, junior Taevian Maupin placed
64th (17:56.8), freshman Logan Leiker was 160th (19:07.0), freshman Brayden
Stahley finished 185th (19:40.6), sophomore Malachi Chance 209th (20:02.3),
senior Ty Dempsey 259th (21:07.2).

👟 HHS' Maldonado finishes in top-10 at Rim Rock Farm

The Coyotes are back on the road Saturday for a Kansas Conference game against Bethel. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at Thresher Stadium in North Newton.

The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>. Bethel will be handling video production.. Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary.">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary.</a> Radio coverage can be heard locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Eagle Communication's Post Sites (salinapost.com&nbsp;in Salina). The online stream is also available at&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at 5:00 p.m.

Bethel's 30-24 victory last season in JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex ended KWU's 13-game winning streak. It was the Coyotes first loss to the Threshers since the 2008 season. KWU has an 18-4 edge since the 2001 season.

The Coyotes evened their record with a 35-28 victory over previously unbeaten Friends last Saturday at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex. The offense produced a season-high 353 yards that included a season-best 245 rushing yards.

Nick Allsman&nbsp;led the ground attack with 125 yards on 17 carries and&nbsp;Tyler Boston&nbsp;had 96 yards on 19 attempts. Both scored a touchdown as well. Quarterback&nbsp;Richard Lara&nbsp;was 9 of 13 passing for 108 yards, no interceptions and one touchdown - a 74-yard catch and run by&nbsp;Rhadarious Lomax-Spivey&nbsp;in the third quarter that broke a 7-7 tie. Lara also ran for KWU's final score in the fourth quarter and was not sacked during the game.

Luke Armstrong&nbsp;returned a punt 88 yards for touchdown early in the third quarter that gave the Coyotes a 21-7 lead. He also returned a kickoff 28 yards and was chosen the KCAC's Special Teams Player of the Week.. Friends entered the game averaging just under 56 points and 533 total yards - 494 rushing - but had 388 total yard and 320 rushing Saturday. Linebacker&nbsp;Shaylan Lewis&nbsp;had a team-best 13 tackles, linebacker&nbsp;Ricco Moore&nbsp;11 and safety&nbsp;Julian Urioste&nbsp;10 for the Coyotes.

KWU closes out play against the Kessinger Division a week from Saturday when McPherson comes to town. Following a bye week October 7 the Coyotes begin play against fellow Bissell Division opponents starting with Avila on October 14 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Threshers defeated Avila 42-26 last Saturday in Kansas City. They led 35-6 at halftime but surrendered 20 points in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;They opened the season with victories over Sterling and Saint Mary but lost to Ottawa 28-24 September 9 in North Newton. Bethel doesn't run the flexbone but does employ a triple option offense that has been highly effective. The Threshers average 324 yards rushing, 420 total yards and are scoring 41 points per game. They had 405 total yards against Avila that included 264 on the ground. Bethel, like Friends, has a dynamic quarterback in DJ Ciers. He had 107 yards and two touchdowns running the ball and threw for 141 yards and two more scores against Avila. Ciers has 610 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season and averages 152.5 yards rushing and 95.5 yards passing per game.

 Bethel's defense has been stellar as well. Opponents are averaging 19.8 points and 72 yards rushing per game.

Linebacker Kade Miller has a team-best 31 tackles and linebacker Tate Seaboldt 29. Miller was the KCAC Defensive Player of the Week after making seven tackles and returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown against Avila - his second pick six of the season.

"I was just super impressed by the overall effort by our guys. The energy on the sideline was incredible and the fans were awesome. The difference between 1-3 and 2-2 is massive - it was really a great night.&nbsp;Lara made great decisions with the ball and the zero sack thing is just huge. The final piece of this is making sure that we can stretch the defense vertically (with the passing game). Bethel is not the same offense (as Friends) but has a similar philosophy, they run the ball about 90 percent of the time. Their quarterback is extremely athletic and very, very fast. We need to find a way to make sure that he's on the ground at the end of the play and not making moves and cutting up the field. Their defense is very similar to Evangel who we didn't have a ton of success against."

The Coyotes return to Bissell Field in JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex on Saturday for a game against McPherson. Kickoff is 1 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695478804369.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Coyotes are back on the road Saturday for a Kansas Conference game against Bethel. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at Thresher Stadium in North Newton.<h2>LIVE COVERAGE</h2>The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>. Bethel will be handling video production.. Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary.">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary.</a> Radio coverage can be heard locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Eagle Communication's Post Sites (salinapost.com&nbsp;in Salina). The online stream is also available at&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at 5:00 p.m.<h2>RECORDS</h2>Kansas Wesleyan 2-2. Bethel 3-1<h2>THE SERIES</h2>Bethel's 30-24 victory last season in JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex ended KWU's 13-game winning streak. It was the Coyotes first loss to the Threshers since the 2008 season. KWU has an 18-4 edge since the 2001 season.<h2>KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE</h2>The Coyotes evened their record with a 35-28 victory over previously unbeaten Friends last Saturday at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex. The offense produced a season-high 353 yards that included a season-best 245 rushing yards.Nick Allsman&nbsp;led the ground attack with 125 yards on 17 carries and&nbsp;Tyler Boston&nbsp;had 96 yards on 19 attempts. Both scored a touchdown as well. Quarterback&nbsp;Richard Lara&nbsp;was 9 of 13 passing for 108 yards, no interceptions and one touchdown - a 74-yard catch and run by&nbsp;Rhadarious Lomax-Spivey&nbsp;in the third quarter that broke a 7-7 tie. Lara also ran for KWU's final score in the fourth quarter and was not sacked during the game.Luke Armstrong&nbsp;returned a punt 88 yards for touchdown early in the third quarter that gave the Coyotes a 21-7 lead. He also returned a kickoff 28 yards and was chosen the KCAC's Special Teams Player of the Week.. Friends entered the game averaging just under 56 points and 533 total yards - 494 rushing - but had 388 total yard and 320 rushing Saturday. Linebacker&nbsp;Shaylan Lewis&nbsp;had a team-best 13 tackles, linebacker&nbsp;Ricco Moore&nbsp;11 and safety&nbsp;Julian Urioste&nbsp;10 for the Coyotes.KWU closes out play against the Kessinger Division a week from Saturday when McPherson comes to town. Following a bye week October 7 the Coyotes begin play against fellow Bissell Division opponents starting with Avila on October 14 in Kansas City, Missouri.<h2>BETHEL AT A GLANCE</h2> The Threshers defeated Avila 42-26 last Saturday in Kansas City. They led 35-6 at halftime but surrendered 20 points in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;They opened the season with victories over Sterling and Saint Mary but lost to Ottawa 28-24 September 9 in North Newton. Bethel doesn't run the flexbone but does employ a triple option offense that has been highly effective. The Threshers average 324 yards rushing, 420 total yards and are scoring 41 points per game. They had 405 total yards against Avila that included 264 on the ground. Bethel, like Friends, has a dynamic quarterback in DJ Ciers. He had 107 yards and two touchdowns running the ball and threw for 141 yards and two more scores against Avila. Ciers has 610 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season and averages 152.5 yards rushing and 95.5 yards passing per game. Bethel's defense has been stellar as well. Opponents are averaging 19.8 points and 72 yards rushing per game.Linebacker Kade Miller has a team-best 31 tackles and linebacker Tate Seaboldt 29. Miller was the KCAC Defensive Player of the Week after making seven tackles and returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown against Avila - his second pick six of the season.<h2>KWU COACH MATT MYERS-</h2>"I was just super impressed by the overall effort by our guys. The energy on the sideline was incredible and the fans were awesome. The difference between 1-3 and 2-2 is massive - it was really a great night.&nbsp;Lara made great decisions with the ball and the zero sack thing is just huge. The final piece of this is making sure that we can stretch the defense vertically (with the passing game). Bethel is not the same offense (as Friends) but has a similar philosophy, they run the ball about 90 percent of the time. Their quarterback is extremely athletic and very, very fast. We need to find a way to make sure that he's on the ground at the end of the play and not making moves and cutting up the field. Their defense is very similar to Evangel who we didn't have a ton of success against."<h2>Next Week</h2>The Coyotes return to Bissell Field in JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex on Saturday for a game against McPherson. Kickoff is 1 p.m.

K-Dub Football travels to North Newton on Saturday to face Bethel

Fort Hays State (2-1, 1-1 MIAA) at RV/- Missouri Western State (2-1, 1-1&nbsp;MIAA) Saturday, September 23 - 12 p.m. St. Joseph, Mo. – Spratt Memorial Stadium Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

Fort Hays State Football heads to St. Joseph, Missouri this weekend to face Missouri Western. Both teams enter Week 4 of the season at 2-1 overall. All of FHSU's games have been conference contests, while MWSU is 1-1 in MIAA play. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Spratt Stadium on Saturday night.&nbsp;

The Tigers are coming off a 17-6 win over then No. 15/13 ranked Northwest Missouri State last Saturday in Hays. The Tigers ended an eight-game losing string to the Bearcats in Hays that dated back to the 1970s and the result knocked the Bearcats out of the AFCA Top 25 rankings for the first time since 2003 (20 years). The Bearcats had a streak of being ranked in the Top 25 for 242 consecutive polls.

The Griffons are coming off a 34-31 win at Central Oklahoma last week. Both of their wins have been on the road, which also included a blowout of Lincoln in Week 2 in their only non-conference game of the year. MWSU fell to Central Missouri in the season opener at home by a score of 45-38. The Griffons have scored the most points of any MIAA team this year, averaging 46.7 per game. However, they have struggled on defense yielding a conference-worst 476.3 yards per game.

The Tigers are looking to snap a four-game losing string to the Griffons, which goes back to the 2018 season. FHSU's last win over MWSU was in 2017 by a score of 38-10 in St. Joseph. The Tigers lost last year's meeting in Hays 35-19. MWSU leads the all-time series 18-12-1, but have been a thorn in FHSU's side in MIAA play with a 14-2 mark since FHSU joined the conference. The two Tiger wins were in back-to-back years (2016 &amp; 2017). The win in 2017 was the only time in MIAA play the Tigers limited the Griffons to less than 20 points.

Fort Hays State ranks fourth in the MIAA in total defense, allowing 322 yards per game. The Tigers have held two of their three opponents so far this year to less than 300 yards of total offense. In both of those games, FHSU held the opposition to less than 10 points. FHSU ranks second among MIAA teams in points allowed at just 15.3 per game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695326696664.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsFort Hays State (2-1, 1-1 MIAA) at RV/- Missouri Western State (2-1, 1-1&nbsp;MIAA) Saturday, September 23 - 12 p.m. St. Joseph, Mo. – Spratt Memorial Stadium Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>Fort Hays State Football heads to St. Joseph, Missouri this weekend to face Missouri Western. Both teams enter Week 4 of the season at 2-1 overall. All of FHSU's games have been conference contests, while MWSU is 1-1 in MIAA play. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Spratt Stadium on Saturday night.&nbsp;The Tigers are coming off a 17-6 win over then No. 15/13 ranked Northwest Missouri State last Saturday in Hays. The Tigers ended an eight-game losing string to the Bearcats in Hays that dated back to the 1970s and the result knocked the Bearcats out of the AFCA Top 25 rankings for the first time since 2003 (20 years). The Bearcats had a streak of being ranked in the Top 25 for 242 consecutive polls.The Griffons are coming off a 34-31 win at Central Oklahoma last week. Both of their wins have been on the road, which also included a blowout of Lincoln in Week 2 in their only non-conference game of the year. MWSU fell to Central Missouri in the season opener at home by a score of 45-38. The Griffons have scored the most points of any MIAA team this year, averaging 46.7 per game. However, they have struggled on defense yielding a conference-worst 476.3 yards per game.The Tigers are looking to snap a four-game losing string to the Griffons, which goes back to the 2018 season. FHSU's last win over MWSU was in 2017 by a score of 38-10 in St. Joseph. The Tigers lost last year's meeting in Hays 35-19. MWSU leads the all-time series 18-12-1, but have been a thorn in FHSU's side in MIAA play with a 14-2 mark since FHSU joined the conference. The two Tiger wins were in back-to-back years (2016 &amp; 2017). The win in 2017 was the only time in MIAA play the Tigers limited the Griffons to less than 20 points.Fort Hays State ranks fourth in the MIAA in total defense, allowing 322 yards per game. The Tigers have held two of their three opponents so far this year to less than 300 yards of total offense. In both of those games, FHSU held the opposition to less than 10 points. FHSU ranks second among MIAA teams in points allowed at just 15.3 per game.Jack Dawson&nbsp;has completed 59 percent of his passes this season for 771 yards and 9 touchdowns. He has thrown for at least 250 yards in two of three games. He ranks 12th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II for passing touchdowns. He has four receiving targets with at least 100 yards this season, led by Trevor Watts&nbsp;with 16 catches for 210 yards. Jayden Horace&nbsp;(174), Hosia Stokes&nbsp;(142) and Bryson Smith&nbsp;(123) join Watts for players north of 100 yards receiving. Cale Cormaney, the top tight end target for FHSU, has 95 yards. Travis Dixon&nbsp;leads the ground game with 102 yards on 38 carries this season.John Johnson&nbsp;leads the Tiger defense in tackles with 22, followed closely by Makel Williams&nbsp;(21) and Mason Perez&nbsp;(20). Johnson produced his season high in tackles against Northwest Missouri State with 11. The Tiger defensive line has six players with at least six tackles this season, led by Myles Menges and Parrish Terry&nbsp;each with 12. Terry is the reigning MIAA Defensive Player of the Week after a 7 tackle, 1 forced fumble, and 1.5 sacks performance in the win over Northwest Missouri State last week. Jason Wallace leads the team in sacks with 2.0 after having a solo and two assists last week. The Tiger defense has spread around five interceptions among five different players.