FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State had a chance to take the lead on a two-point conversion attempt with under two minutes remaining, but the pass was broken up and No. 12/10 Northwest Missouri State survived 24-23 Saturday night in front of 4,506 at Lewis Field Stadium. The Bearcats moved to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the MIAA, while the Tigers moved to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the MIAA.
For the second-straight week, the Tigers outgained their opponent in total yards only to be on the short side of the score. FHSU finished with 385 yards of total offense, while holding NWMSU to 324. Kody Guy threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns in his first start at quarterback and Ayden Robinson-Wayne was the beneficiary of the two touchdown passes, finishing with 112 receiving yards to lead FHSU. AG Floyd pounded out 87 yards on the ground.
The game was close throughout as FHSU led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Bearcats started the scoring with a 21-yards field goal about six and half minutes into the contest, but FHSU responded with a LaAngelo Bell 42-yard touchdown run at the 5:29 mark.
The back-and-forth trend on the scoreboard continued in the second quarter as NWMSU picked up its first touchdown with 4:53 remaining before halftime on a Quincy Torry 1-yard touchdown run. But, the Tigers responded with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Guy to Robinson-Wayne at the 2:38 mark as the Tigers moved back on top 14-10. The Tigers threw a key interception, the only turnover of the game, with 1:43 on the clock and NWMSU made them pay by scoring a 2-yard touchdown run by Torry with 30 seconds remaining. NWMSU led 17-14 at the half.
The Tigers pulled even with the Bearcats at the 7:08 mark of the third quarter on a Zane Colson 42-yard field goal, but the Bearcats took the lead back on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Zechariah Owens to Xavier Horn.
The Tigers unfortunately had their ensuing drive, which bled into the fourth quarter, stopped at the NWMSU 11-yard line after controlling the ball for 7:17. But, the Tiger defense got the stop they needed to get the offense back on the field. FHSU drove the ball 73 yards over 10 plays and scored a touchdown on a 7-yard strike from Guy to Robinson-Wayne. The Tiger coaches opted to go for two points and the lead with 1:53 to play, and a Guy pass to Noah Bruce in the endzone was punched out of his clutches by Antwon Jenkins Jr.
After another stop by the FHSU defense, the Tigers got the ball back at their own 25 with 12 seconds to play, but they completed only one pass before time ran out.
Michael Polley led the Tiger defense with 12 tackles. Baruch Hasabu and Holden Zigmant each had eight tackles for the Bearcats.
Owens threw for 131 yards for NWMSU on just nine completions and the Bearcats had 193 rushing yards as a team, led by Torry with 85. Horn was the top receiver with 65 yards.
The Tigers will be at home again next week when they host Washburn for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Lewis Field Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 24).