FHSU Athletics
Nebraska-Kearney 2-4 (2-4 MIAA) at
Fort Hays State 4-2 (3-2 MIAA)
Saturday, October 14 – 1:00 p.m.
Hays, Kan. – Lewis Field
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: The MIAA Network CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Fort Hays State hosts Nebraska-Kearney in the seventh week of the 2023 football season on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Lewis Field in Hays. The Tigers enter at 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the MIAA, while the Lopers are 2-4 both overall and in MIAA play.
This will be the 69th meeting all-time between the Tigers and Lopers, which dates back to 1926. UNK holds a slight advantage 35-32-1, but FHSU is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings. FHSU had a nine-game win streak over UNK from 2012-2021, but it was snapped last year in Kearney when a No. 23 ranked Loper squad turned away the Tigers 38-20. It was the first win for UNK in MIAA play against the Tigers. Fort Hays State has won five straight over UNK in Hays, including a thrilling come-from-behind 42-35 win in the last meeting in Hays back on Homecoming in 2021.
Fort Hays State has won two in a row entering Saturday. They have averaged 53 points in those two wins after a 71-3 win over Lincoln on Homecoming and then a 35-22 win last week at Missouri Southern. The Tigers have elevated their rushing attack over the last two weeks, averaging 217.5 yards on the ground in the two wins. FHSU moved the ball well in both contests, averaging 8.18 yards per play in the pair of wins.
Nebraska-Kearney is coming off a 38-14 loss at nationally ranked Central Missouri last week. The Lopers have wins over Northeastern State and Washburn, both at home this year, but sit at 0-3 in road games. Two of their three road games were against nationally ranked opponents and the other was a close three-point loss at Central Oklahoma in the season opener. The Lopers are in their first season under head coach Ryan Held after going 8-3 overall last year and tying for third in the MIAA. Quarterback TJ Davis is the top offensive threat for UNK with 1,126 passing yards and a team-best 369 rushing yards.
Fort Hays State owns the 13th-best passing offense in NCAA Division II, averaging 284.2 yards per game. Quarterback Jack Dawson ranks 20th in NCAA Division II for passing yards with 1,522 and he is 16th in passing touchdowns with 14. Three of his receiving targets are among the top 15 in the MIAA in receiving yards per game, which includes Trevor Watts (60.7), Hayden Horace (58.8), and Bryson Smith (56.5). In the ground game, Shane Watts leads the Tigers with 234 yards, coming off a career-best 96 yards last week at Missouri Southern.
Defensively, the Tigers lead the MIAA in total defense at 275 yards per game and scoring defense at 16.5 points allowed per game. The Tigers have 10 interceptions this season, which ranks 11th in NCAA Division II, distributed among eight players led by Makel Williams with two. John Johnson leads the Tigers in tackles with 45, Jason Wallace leads in sacks with 2.0, and Parrish Terry leads in tackles for loss with 6.0.