Fort Hays State (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) vs.
Lincoln (0-1, 0-1 MIAA)
Saturday, September 18 – 7 pm
Hays, Kan. – Lewis Field
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
Fort Hays State Football will play host to Lincoln University on Saturday night at 7 pm inside Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. The Tigers are still in search of their first win of the season after being on the short end of a pair of close battles to open 2021. Lincoln also enters the game winless at 0-1 and was unable to play in Week 2 vs. Northwest Missouri State due to COVID-19 related issues.
FHSU leads the all-time series with Lincoln 8-2 and have won the last seven meetings. FHSU defeated Lincoln 66-6 in the 2019 meeting in Jefferson City. The teams are meeting in Hays for the first time since the 2012 season, when FHSU won by a narrow margin of 28-26. Lincoln rejoined the MIAA in football prior to the 2019 season after playing as members of the GLVC from 2014-2018.
The Tigers were just a touchdown short of potentially forcing overtime in their first two games of the season. They lost by eight at home to Northwest Missouri State in Week 1, 15-7, and then by seven on the road to Missouri Western in Week 2, 38-31. The Tigers have one of the best passing attacks in NCAA Division II going into the third week of the season, averaging 368 passing yards per game. FHSU is outgaining opponents in total yards by an average of 19 yards per game through the first couple of contests, but have unfortunately been on the wrong end of the final score.
After fully reviewed stats from the contest at Missouri Western were submitted to the NCAA, it was learned that quarterback Chance Fuller broke the FHSU single-game record for passing yards with 471 and completions with 39. He eclipsed the old records of 467 yards and 38 completions set by Robert Long in 1985, also against Missouri Western.
Now through two weeks of play, Fuller leads NCAA Division II in total passing yards with 736 and his 368 passing yards per game average is best among players with at least two games played this season. He has four targets that have over 100 receiving yards so far this season, which includes Monterio Burchfield (182), Hunter Budke (143), Manny Ramsey (140) and Adrian Soto (140).
On the defensive side of the ball, Layke Heimerman leads the Tigers in tackles with 26. He ranks sixth in NCAA Division II for total tackles. He led the team in each of the first two games, producing 16 against Northwest Missouri State and 10 against Missouri Western.
Quick Hits
-Adrian Soto leads the Tigers in all-purpose yards this season with 283. He had 222 in the game at Missouri Western, finishing with 104 receiving, 86 kick return and 32 rushing yards. He also had two special teams tackles in the game.
-Tristan Tucker is the team leader in rushing with 96 yards on 22 carries.
-All of Fort Hays State's four takeaways this season have been on fumbles. Landon Teel has recovered two of the four opponent fumbles the Tigers have recovered.
-FHSU has outscored Lincoln 339-138 over the 10 previous meetings.
-An electronic box score of the FHSU vs. Missouri Western game from last week is still unavailable due to technical difficulties within the NCAA stat system.
FHSU Athletics