A flurry of points early and then nothing, as Fort Hays State (5-5 for the season and 3-5 in the MIAA) let a 27 point lead wither away losing to Central Missouri (6-4, 5-4 MIAA) 48-34, snapping their five game win streak.
“Twenty seven to nothing against a really good football team, and you know we didnt score a lot points in the second half, you cant let off the gas pedal,” senior Tanner Hageman said.
The Tigers jumped out on the Mules early and often starting with the first play of the game, a 30 yard strike to senior Keaton Callins, scoring on that drive followed by FHSU scoring on the next three drives.
But after an amazing start things didnt go so well in the second quater for the Tigers.
“We just started hurting ourselves, quit executing,” Hageman said.
After scoring on their first four possessions, with senior Ed Williams accounting for two of them, Fort Hays was held scoreless from the 8:17 mark in the second quarter to the five minute mark in the fourth quarter.
“We just didn’t do things well, we gotta put the ball where its suppose to be and make things happen,” said, head coach, Chris Brown.
Central Missouri did not put points up on the board until 6:42 remaining in the first half with a Ray Harris two yard run, but with that and a score right before the half on a fourth down and goal turned a blowout into a game heading into the half.
“We got a little complacence late in the second half,” Hageman said.
It was 27 unanswered points to start the second half that doomed the Tigers, as Central Missouri quarterback Hayden Hawk settled in and threw for two scores in the third and one in the fourth all too different wide receivers.
The Tigers managed one big score in the second half, pulling the Tigers within seven as the Mules kick failed making it 41-37, but LaVance Taylor would take the ensuing kicking back for a touchdown making it a two score game at 48-34 with only 4:40 remaining.
‘We’re suppose to kick it to the corners and we kick it down the middle and our coverage isn’t set up for that, we got to get our kicks where their suppose to be,” Brown said.
Sophomore Treveon Albert continued his tear over the last five games adding four touchdowns passes, making it 14 touchdowns and two interceptions in the the five game span. Albert also added a score on the ground to go along with his 20 of 35 for 292 yards throwing performance.
Callins, who had eight receptions and a score last week, finished with eight more receptions for 149 yards and two more scores. Hageman added four more receptions for 49 yards.
In a game in which Central Missouri had given up 2,000 yards rushing coming in, the Tigers only managed 165 yards on the ground, with senior Andre Smith leading the way with 88.
Next on the slate is the University of Nebraska-Kearney as an old RMAC rivalry is reborn. Despite starting 0-4, a win next week would give the Tigers a winning record for the year.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Lewis Field Stadium.