Fort Hays State University scored its most points of the season and allowed its most points of the season in a wild 49-41 win over Missouri Southern on Senior Day in Hays on Saturday. The Tigers moved to 6-4 overall, 6-4 in the MIAA, and secured their second-consecutive winning season for the first time since 2003 and 2004. Missouri Southern dropped to 4-6 overall and 4-6 in the MIAA.
The game saw 953 yards of total offense between the teams, 534 for Missouri Southern and 419 for FHSU, but turnovers and special teams play helped the Tigers prevail in a game with 90 total points. Nathan Lindsey was a huge difference maker for the Tigers on defense and special teams.
Lindsey had two touchdowns in the game, one on a 49-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter to push Fort Hays State’s lead to 21-7 at the time, and then a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 5:48 to play in the game which gave the Tigers breathing room for a 42-28 lead. He finished the game with five tackles, a sack, two fumble recoveries, and one interception, doing it all in his final game at Lewis Field Stadium.
Senior Day was a fitting title for the game as several seniors had huge games. Running back Edward Smith posted the second 100-yard rushing game of his career, going for exactly 100 with one touchdown. Ed Williams caught four passes for 147 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown with 11:34 to play in the game to push Fort Hays State’s lead to 35-21. Defensively, senior Micheal Jordan recorded 14 tackles and had a key forced fumble on Missouri Southern’s first fourth quarter drive at the Tiger 14-yardline that could have eventually tied the game. Right after that play, quarterback Treveon Albert found Williams on the 86-yard touchdown strike, pushing the FHSU margin back to 14. Michael Terry had five tackles and forced the fumble in the first half that popped into the hands of Lindsey, who went untouched up the sideline to the endzone.
Fort Hays State never trailed in the wild scoring affair. FHSU took the lead 7-0 on a Quinten Darby 1-yard touchdown run on its opening drive of the game. The Lions tied the game as time expired in the first quarter, but FHSU regained the lead on Smith’s six-yard touchdown run at 10:18 in the second quarter. The Lindsey fumble recovery for a touchdown later in the second at the 5:52 mark produced the halftime score of 21-7 in favor of FHSU.
The FHSU lead grew to 28-7 on an Albert three-yard touchdown run at the 10:00 mark of the third quarter, but the Lions pulled back within seven with a short touchdown run at the 6:34 mark and then an 83-yard touchdown pass from Scott Lathrop to Anthony Cannon at the 0:55 mark, making it 28-21.
The Tiger lead grew back to 14 on the Williams 86-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter, but the Lions countered once again with a short field touchdown drive after a Tiger fumble to pull back within seven with 6:00 to play. The Lindsey kick return for a touchdown immediately pushed the Tigers back in front by 14 with 5:48 to play, but the Lions marched quickly down the field once more, going 75 yards in 1:48 to make it 42-35 in favor of FHSU with 4:00 to play.
The Tigers needed a first down on their ensuing drive and picked it up when Albert found Williams on 3rd-and-3 from the MSSU 42-yardline for a 22-yard pass connection. Kenneth Iheme then broke off a 17-yard run and then had three-straight 1-yard rushing attempts to eventually find the endzone, making it 49-35 with 1:21 to play. The Lions had a 14-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the game, so an extra-point attempt was not necessary to the outcome of the game, making the final of 49-41.
At quarterback, Albert finished the day with 185 passing yards, completing 8-of-11 attempts, and 82 rushing yards, giving him 267 yards of total offense. Justin McPhail led the Tiger defense with 16 tackles, a new career high, while DeAndre James and Daniel Lindsey each added 10 tackles. Alex Schmidtberger had an interception to push his season total to three.
Missouri Southern entered the game averaging 221 yards rushing per game and finished with 265, led by quarterback Scott Lathrop with 92. The Lions scored four touchdowns on the ground. Lathrop also threw for 215 yards, completing 10-of-15 attempts. Anthony Cannon finished with 142 receiving yards on eight catches. Jonhquavious McBride led the Lion defense with 14 tackles and one interception, while Dalvin Taylor added 10.
The Tigers will look for their first seven-win season since 1996 next week in Warrensburg, Mo., when they take on Central Missouri at 1:30 pm.