FHSU Athletics
Missouri Southern (1-7, 0-6 MIAA) at
RV/- Fort Hays State (5-3, 3-3 MIAA)
Saturday, October 26 – 1 p.m.
Hays, Kan. – Lewis Field
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: MIAA Network: CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Promotions
Senior Day – Tiger Seniors will be recognized 30 minutes before kickoff
Hall of Fame Game – Newest members of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame recognized at halftime
Fort Hays State Football will play its final home game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. as the Tigers take on Missouri Southern. It's Senior Day as 23 student-athletes on the football team will be recognized 30 minutes before the game. It is also the Hall of Fame Game this year as the newest members of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame will be honored at halftime.
The Tigers are coming off a tough one-point loss to a Top-10 ranked Pittsburg State team last week in Pittsburg. The Tigers never trailed in the game until the final minute when the Gorillas scored a touchdown to go ahead by one. It was the first game this year in which FHSU scored less than 20 points, falling 18-17.The Tigers are seeking their first unbeaten season at home since 2018 when they finished 6-0 at Lewis Field Stadium. The Tigers are 5-0 at home so far this season with a pair of wins over AFCA Top 25 ranked teams.
Fort Hays State has won nine of the last 10 meetings with Missouri Southern and now holds a 19-14-1 advantage in the all-time series. A 25-24 win by the Lions in Hays in 2022 stopped an eight-game win streak by the Tigers. FHSU has averaged 39.0 points per game in its last 10 contests against Missouri Southern.
Missouri Southern is coming off a 42-21 loss at Washburn. The Lions have lost their last three games after claiming a 27-20 win at Northeastern State back on September 28. The Lions are allowing an average of 40.5 points per game this season. Five opponents this year have scored at least 40 against the Lions. Even though the Lions are 1-7 overall, two of their losses were one-score games.
Fort Hays State won last year's meeting with Missouri Southern by a score of 35-22 in Joplin. The Lions were within six points of the Tigers early in the fourth quarter, but sealed the win on a touchdown with 3:39 remaining in the game.
The Tigers own an 11-4 advantage in the series history between the teams in MIAA play. That includes a 5-3 mark in Hays and 6-1 mark in Joplin. FHSU won the last six games contested between the schools in Joplin.
Fort Hays State owns the third-best redzone defense in NCAA Division II, allowing opponents to score only 55 percent of the time. The Tigers rank fourth nationally in fumbles recovered with eight this year.
Shane Watts leads the Tigers in rushing with 677 yards. His 11 total touchdowns for the season (9 rushing, 2 receiving) puts him second in the MIAA in scoring with 66 points. Jayden Horace leads in receiving with 39 catches for 490 yards and five touchdowns. He now has 2,337 receiving yards in his career with 24 touchdowns, which includes two years at Allen University and two at Fort Hays State.
Defensively, Makel Williams continues to lead the Tiger and the MIAA in tackles with 70. He has reached double figures in tackles in four games this season. Myles Menges leads the Tigers and is tied for the MIAA lead in sacks with 5.0. FHSU has the third-best scoring defense in the MIAA, allowing just 18.8 points per game.
Fort Hays State has 23 players being recognized for Senior Day. The group includes Carson Arndt, Diego Barroso, Garrett Bishop, Sam Brandt, Ty Cooper, Jack Dawson, Sloan Hayden, Logan Heigele, Jayden Horace, Parker Janky, Myles Menges, Trevion Mitcherll, Mason Perez, Dawson Reynolds, Kobe Rome, Demetri Scott, Hunter Trail, Shane Watts, Ryley Wheat, Benyon Williams, Makel Williams and Kamren Xaysongkham.
The seven individuals being inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday morning include Gary Grubb (Track and Field, 1974-75), Randy Hill (Wrestling, 1975-79), Don Carter (Track and Field, 1985-87), Chris Capettini (Football, 1988-91), Darcie Schmitz (Track and Field, 2009-11), Dominique Jones (Men's Basketball (2009-11), and Kate Lehman (Women's Basketball, 2011-15).