FHSU Sports Information Department
Fort Hays State hits the road for the third time this season on Saturday (Oct. 10) to take on Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo. The Tigers enter the game tied for third in the MIAA standings with Pittsburg State at 4-1, while Missouri Western sits a game back at 3-2. The Tigers look to end a 10-game losing streak to the Griffons, which dates back to 2001.
The Tigers are coming off a 35-30 win over Washburn last Saturday, which snapped a six-game losing streak to the Ichabods. The Tigers are looking to defeat Missouri Western for the first time since joining the MIAA in 2006 (MWSU is 9-0 against FHSU in MIAA play). FHSU last defeated Missouri Western in 2000 by a score of 23-15 in Hays. The Griffons have won the last five meetings between the teams in St. Joseph. FHSU is 2-0 in road games so far this season and 7-1 on the road since the beginning of the 2014 season.
Fort Hays State is out to its first 4-1 start under head coach Chris Brown. The Tigers received votes in the AFCA Division II Poll for the fifth consecutive week. Fort Hays State’s rushing attack has been strong this year, leading the MIAA at 283.4 yards per game. The Tigers have the top two rushers in the conference, running back Shaquille Cooper at 135.8 yards per game and quarterback Treveon Albert at 122 yards per game. Missouri Western has the third-best rusher in the MIAA, Raphael Spencer, who averages 97.2 yards per game. The Griffons have the third-best passing offense in the conference, averaging 270.2 yards per game through the air.
Brock Long continues to lead the Tiger defense with 71 tackles, averaging 14.2 per game at linebacker. He ranks third in the MIAA in tackles per game. Fort Hays State and Missouri Western have two of the better scoring defenses in the conference, FHSU allowing 22 points per game to rank fourth and MWSU allowing 19.2 points per game to rank second.