FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
PITTSBURG, Kan. – After playing spoiler two years ago in Pittsburg, Fort Hays State played the role again on Saturday (Oct. 8) in an impressive 54-41 win at Pittsburg State. The 54 points were the most scored by the Tigers against the Gorillas in the all-time series. The Tigers improved to 5-1 overall and remained in a tie for second place in the MIAA, while the Gorillas dropped to 4-2.
The Tigers went into a hostile Carnie Smith Stadium in 2014 and defeated a then No. 8 ranked Gorilla team 7-6 in a defensive battle in front of 11,489 fans. Saturday was the opposite as plenty of offense was on display with FHSU and PSU combining for 95 points and 1,102 total yards. The Tigers claimed their second straight victory in Pittsburg, a feat it had not accomplished since 1970 and 1972, and spoiled 10,238 PSU fans’ Homecoming.
Jacob Mezera had a huge afternoon for the Tigers, throwing for 446 yards on 31-of-38 passing. He racked up a new school record 508 yards of total offense by adding a team-high 62 rushing yards. He broke the old mark of 477. Mezera had a hand in six touchdowns, tying the school record for passing touchdowns with five, while adding one score on the ground.
The teams traded blows throughout the first half. FHSU scored first with a Brandon Brown 19-yard field goal, but PSU responded with the game’s first touchdown at the 7:32 mark of the first quarter.
The Tigers took the lead back, 10-7, after a Sie Doe, Jr., sack (his ninth of the season) and forced fumble set up a 43-yard touchdown strike from Jacob Mezera to Charles Tigner with just over four minutes to go in the opening quarter. That would be first of touchdown onslaught from Mezera.
Pittsburg State took the lead back on another touchdown with 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter, but the Tigers continued to have an answer. FHSU marched 78 yards on 10 plays with Mezera finding Kenneth Iheme on a 14-yard touchdown pass to take the lead again, 17-14, early in the second quarter. The Gorillas knotted the score at 17-17 with a 27-yard field goal at the 7:22 mark.
Fort Hays State pushed back into the lead, 24-17, with another Mezera to Tigner 43-yard touchdown pass at the 5:43 mark of the second quarter. The Gorillas tacked on another field goal from 39 yards out to make a halftime score of 24-20 in favor of FHSU. At the half, Mezera already had 304 yards passing.
The Tigers kept their foot on the gas pedal in the third quarter, while holding the Gorillas scoreless for the first 13 minutes of the first half. An 8-yard touchdown pass to Iheme and a 24-yard touchdown strike to Shaquille Cooper pushed the Tiger lead to 38-20 and gave Mezera a share of the single-game passing touchdown record at FHSU.
A Gorilla touchdown at the 2:01 mark of the third quarter sliced the lead back to 11, but Mezera ran for a 9-yard touchdown just five seconds into the fourth quarter to push the lead back to 18 at 45-27. A Brown 38-yard field goal at 13:40 pushed the lead out to 21, the largest of the game for FHSU and PSU would try to rally late, but the lead was too much to overcome.
The Gorillas had touchdowns to cut the lead to 14 and 10, but the Tigers countered each push with Brown field goals from 37 and a season-long 49 yards to create the eventual 13-point final spread of 54-41. Brown was a perfect 4-of-4 on field goals and 6-of-6 on extra points. The 49-yard field goal tied the seventh longest in school history.
The Tigers racked up 595 yards of total offense, their most in a game since the 2013 season finale against Nebraska-Kearney when they had 711. Pittsburg State also broke the 500 mark, producing 507. Even though they surrendered 507 yards, the Tiger defense still made several key defensive plays to remain in winning position. Raheeme Dumas had two interceptions and Sheldon Schmidt had two sacks, while Jose Delgado led the team in tackles with nine.
Tigner had a huge game for the second straight week, producing 179 all-purpose yards. He had 160 receiving yards on eight receptions, averaging 20 yards per catch with two touchdowns, while adding 19 return yards. Cooper added 138 all-purpose yards with 98 receiving and 40 rushing yards. Iheme had 112 all-purpose yards with 47 rushing, 22 receiving, and 43 return yards. Mezera spread the ball around to nine different Tiger receivers that combined for the 31 receptions in the game.
Mezera came up just 21 yards shy of the single-game passing yards record at FHSU. Robert Long still holds the record of 467, set in 1985. The 446 yards was third most on the all-time list at FHSU as Long also holds the second-highest performance with 464 yards, also in 1985.
FHSU is now tied with just Emporia State for second in the MIAA. However, four teams sit one game back at 4-2, which includes Fort Hays State’s next two opponents (Washburn and Missouri Western).
The Tigers turn their focus to a road game at Washburn next Saturday (Oct. 15). FHSU has not won in Topeka since 1987, looking to snap an 8-game losing skid at Yager Stadium. All six wins over Washburn since 1988 have been in Hays, including last year’s 35-30 win. Game time is set for 1 pm in Topeka.