By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
Hays - For the first 30 minutes, the Fort Hays State football team went toe-to-toe with No. 3 Pittsburg State but the defending MIAA champs dominated the second half and beat the Tigers 40-14 at Lewis Field.
The Tigers (1-1, 1-1 MIAA) held a 14-13 lead at halftime, but the Gorillas (2-0, 2-0 MIAA) outscored them 27-0 in the second half on their way to their 14th-straight MIAA win. FHSU was held to only one first down and 50 total yards in the second half.
After getting a fourth-down stop near mid-field on the Gorillas first possession, the Tigers scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jack Dawson to Bryson Smith to grab an early 7-0 lead. It was the Houston transfers first catch as a Tigers.
Pitt State scored the next 10 points with a 39-yard field goal at the 6:33 mark of the first quarter and a nine-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 4:46 to play in the second which capped a 17-play drive that ate up over nine minutes and saw the Gorillas convert on three fourth down plays.
The Tigers took the lead back on a seven=yard TD strike from Dawson to Jayden Horace with 1:15 to go in the second to go up 14-10. The Gorillas scored on a late field goal to pull within a point at halftime.
The Tigers punted five times and threw an interception in their six second-half possessions and went three-and-out four times.
Dawson completed 15-of-32 passes for 165 passing yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cale Cormaney led the Tigers in receiving yards with 52, while Trevor Watts had a team-high four catches. Travis Dixon led FHSU in rushing with 37 yards. FHSU generated only 47 rushing yards as a team. Makel Williams led the Tiger defense with 13 tackles, while Mason Perez added nine. Kobe Rome had an interception.
The Gorillas rushed for 193 yards spread among eight players, led by Ty Pennington with 43. Chad Dodson threw for 239 of the Gorillas' 283 yards through the air with two touchdowns and an interception. Devon Garrison led PSU in receiving yards with 90, while Kolbe Katsis had a team-high 14 receptions. Alex Gaskill led the PSU defense with six tackles.
UP NEXT
Fort Hays State will host Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, September 16 at 7 p.m. at Lewis Field. The fifth-ranked Bearcats lost 33-13 at home to No. 18 Emporia State Thursday in Maryville.