By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State posted its first shutout of an opponent since the 2008 season when it defeated Central Oklahoma on Saturday night (Sept. 29) by a score of 15-0. Dante Brown set a new FHSU single-game record for field goals, accounting for all 15 points on five converted attempts. The No. 18/13 ranked Tigers sent home a packed Lewis Field Homecoming crowd of 7,140 fans happy, especially with a fireworks show after the game.
Brown, who provided the only fireworks in the game as far as scoring was concerned, opened his record-setting effort with a 21-yard field goal in the first quarter at the 10:55 mark. He knocked through three more in the second quarter to tie the single-game mark, converting from 39, 30, and 25 yards. The Tigers led 12-0 at halftime.
While Brown was busy climbing toward a new record for field goals in a game, the Tiger defense flat out shut down the Broncho offense in the first half. FHSU held UCO without a first down until the 1:38 mark of the second quarter. FHSU held UCO to just 18 yards in the first quarter, and just 88 yards by halftime. A 40-yard pass is what produced UCO’s only first down of the half.
The game’s first turnover, a Doyin Jibowu interception at the 5:32 mark of the third quarter, led to Brown’s fifth field goal of the game. Brown set the new single-game mark with a 44-yard conversion at the 2:56 mark of the third quarter, culminating the scoring for the game. It passed the mark of four set by Ryan Achilles in 1993 and Brandon Brown in 2016.
The Bronchos pushed the ball into Tiger territory three times in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers kept them off the scoreboard. UCO reached the FHSU 13 early in the fourth quarter, but an Ian Nordell sack on 4th-and-5 ended its hopes of any points. Another UCO drive stalled out at the FHSU 42 in the middle of the fourth quarter, ending on an incompletion on 4th-and-7. Finally, Connor Shedeed put a cap on the Homecoming shutout with an interception at the FHSU 12 returned 24 yards to allow FHSU to run out the clock.
The Tigers claimed their first shutout since August 28, 2008, when they defeated New Mexico Highlands 44-0 in Hays in a non-conference game. It was Fort Hays State’s first shutout in an MIAA game since 2006 (its first year in the conference) when it defeated Missouri Southern 10-0 in Hays.
The Tigers held Central Oklahoma to 234 yards of total offense. Chandler Garrett was just 16-of-38 passing in the game, throwing for 175 yards. He also rushed for a team-high 37 yards. Jose Delgado led the tackling effort for FHSU with 10 tackles. Jibowu had six tackles, an interception, and a team-best two pass breakups.
On the offensive side of the ball for FHSU, Jacob Mezera is now the all-time completions leader in school history. He passed Mike Garrison on his third completion of the evening and now has 556 in his career with an 18-of-31 effort on the night, going for 201 yards. Matt Wendelberger caught five passes for a team-high 91 yards, while Harley Hazlett had a team-best seven receptions. Charles Tigner posted his second-straight 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 101.
The Tigers remain in a tie for second place in the MIAA with Northwest Missouri State at 4-1 overall. Central Oklahoma dropped to 2-3 on the season. Pittsburg State continues to lead the MIAA, now at 5-0 overall. The Tigers go to Emporia State next Saturday (Oct. 6), looking to keep pace in the standings with the frontrunners, before returning home on October 13 to face Pittsburg State.