By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
BOX SCORE
JOPLIN, Mo. - The Fort Hays State football team scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions and rushed for almost 200 yards and beat Missouri Southern State 35-22 Saturday afternoon at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
The Tigers improved to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the MIAA as they won they won two-straight games for the first time in two years and pick up their sixth-straight win in Joplin. MSSU fell to 3-3 overall and 3-3 in the MIAA.
After holding the Lions to a 40-yard field goal on their first possession. the Tigers overcame a couple of penalties to take a 7-3 lead following a 33-yard touchdown pass from Jack Dawson to Shane Watts which capped a 14-play, 92 yard drive which ate up 6:45 off the first quarter clock.
Dawson threw an interception in the endzone on FHSU's second possession which led to a Lions touchdown but the Tigers answered with a 13-play, 75 yard and took back the lead on a 2-yard touchdown run from Travis Dixon with 12-seconds to play in the second quarter.
FHSU pushed their lead to 21-9 when Jack Dawson scored on a 2-yard run on the first possession of the third quarter.
The Tiger defense forced a 3-and-out on the Lions next possession but the punt went off the back leg of a Tiger and was recovered by MSSU at the Tigers 29 yard line. They would score on a 15-yard touchdown run from Nathan Glades but miss the extra point to pull within 21-15.
Fort Hays State would answer with a 9-play, 67-yard drive which ended with a 1-yard Dixon run to push the lead to 28-15.
Southern came back with a 10-play scoring drive with 10:11 to play to pull within 28-22 but the Tigers answered again with 10-play scoring drive of their own, pushing the lead back to 13 on a 5-yard Shane Watts touchdown run.
John Johnson intercepted a Luke Sampson pass with just under two minutes to play and the Tigers would run out the clock to end the game.
The Tigers dominated time of possession, controlling the ball nearly 11 more than the Lions and ran 15 more plays and outgained them 441 to 301 yards.
The Tigers rushed for 199 yards and were led by Shane Watts who had a season-high 96 yards with one touchdown. Quarterback Jack Dawson added 57 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Travis Dixon scored two touchdowns.
Dawson finished with 242 passing yards, completing 25-of-33 attempts. Trevor Watts hauled in a team-high eight passes for 57 yards. Shane Watts finished the game with 143 all-purpose yards between rushing and receiving.
Sam Brandt and Makel Williams led the FHSU defense with 10 tackles each, Johnson added eight to go with his interception.
Luke Sampson completed 20-of-34 passes for 185 yards for the Lions. Nathan Glades rushed for 60 yards, while Deontay Campbell had a team high six receptions for 52 yards.
Zach Bergmann led the Lions on defense with 12 tackles and an interception.
UP NEXT
Fort Hays State returns to Hays to host Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday (Oct. 14). Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. at Lewis Field.