By MAYAN PAZ
Tiger Media Network
After winning two home games in as many weeks, the Fort Hays State University Football team (5-2, 3-2), will be back to the road in Pittsburg to face No. 7 Pittsburg State (5-1, 4-1.)
The Gorillas provide tough opposition to the Tigers, as FHSU last defeated PSU in 2019. This season, the Tigers have yet to win an away game, and in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, they need to get their first road victory at Pitt State.
“We need to understand what was different in the away games for us and how to work on those things and fix them,” said FHSU Head Coach Chris Brown.
Brown, who was a three-time All-American safety at Pitt State, credited the Gorillas’ defensive abilities and laid down his expectations from his coaching staff to make the necessary adjustments during the game.
“They are very solid, physical, and versatile; they don’t give up big plays,” he said. “We will have to figure out their defensive plan early in the game and try to adjust on the sidelines as quickly as possible.”
Pitt State will host their homecoming weekend during the Tigers’ time in town, and the atmosphere in the game is expected to be electric. Quarterback Caleb Heavner refuses to let that affect his approach to this game.
“I’m from Texas, and in the first game my senior year, we had about 11,000 people in the crowd, so I’ve played in front of large crowds before,” he said. “We have our coaches, and they are preparing us for that atmosphere.”
On offense, Pitt State averages just over 127 rushing yards per game. According to Brown, this poses the biggest threat to FHSU.
“They are very dangerous on the ground, and we don’t want to give them too much time with the ball to establish their run game,” Brown said. “We won’t change too many things because we don’t want to confuse our kids, but we will make our adjustments.”
The Tiger defense has been improving throughout the season, and according to Brown, they are now starting to reach their potential, just in time for the tough game on the road.
“They (Pitt State) have a great offense, and it’s going to be a tough chore, but our guys have been playing their best football so far, and they are ready for it,” Brown said.
Defensive back Trevion Mitchell also spoke about the improvements of the defense lately.
“We improved, and our offense improved as well,” he said. “We feed off each other’s energy, and when they score a touchdown, we are excited to go on the field. It is great.”
With the conference standings still tight with four teams with either one or two losses (Central Oklahoma is in the lead with a record of 6-0, 5-0), every game counts, and a loss versus the Gorillas would actively end Fort Hays’s playoff dreams.
“Right now, there is a chance that even with only two losses, an MIAA team would miss the playoff,” Brown said. “That is the good and bad thing about this conference. We get to play good competitive football every week, but sometimes good teams miss the playoff.”
FHSU and Pitt State will kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Tigers will then play their final home game on Oct. 26 before two road games and a bye week to end the regular season.