By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
For the second-straight year, Fort Hays State is in the NCAA Playoffs. The No. 19/17 ranked Tigers open their postseason with the No. 12/11 ranked Greyhounds from the University of Indianapolis. Game time is set for 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET Saturday at Key Stadium in Indianapolis. The Tigers finished the regular season 9-2 overall, while the Greyhounds went 9-1.
The Tigers are in search of their first-ever NCAA Playoff win. The Tigers have been in the NCAA Playoffs three times before (1993, 1995, and 2017). Last year the Tigers earned the No. 1 seed in Super Region 3 by going a perfect 11-0 in the regular season and received a bye in the opening round. Ferris State (Mich.) came to Hays and spoiled Fort Hays State’s perfect season by a score of 31-21, leaving the Tigers 0-3 in their playoff history. The Tigers hope to keep their five-game win streak rolling against a Greyhound team that enters the postseason on a nine-game win streak.
Playoff wins have been hard to come by for the Greyhounds as well with just one win in their four previous playoff appearances. Indianapolis makes its fifth NCAA Playoff appearance this year, but all five have been within the last seven years. The Greyhounds picked up a win in their first-ever playoff game in 2012 on their home field against Midwestern State (Texas), but have gone 0-4 in the playoffs since that win. The Greyhounds lost to CSU-Pueblo in the second round of 2012, then lost in the first round of the 2013, 2015, and 2017 seasons to West Texas A&M, CSU-Pueblo, and Harding respectively. Last year, the Greyhounds were the No. 2 seed in Super Region 3 and fell on their home field to No. 7 seed Harding 27-24.
Fort Hays State is coming off its second-straight MIAA Championship, while Indianapolis has also won two consecutive GLVC titles. The Greyhounds have won six of the seven football championships overall in GLVC history (conference started football as a championship sport in 2012), enjoying a four-year run at the top from 2012-2015. The 2016 season is the only time another school won the GLVC, a title shared by a pair of former MIAA schools that year, Southwest Baptist and Truman.
The winner of this game on Saturday will move on to face No. 1 seed Ouachita Baptist in the second round in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Fort Hays State had 19 players collect All-MIAA honors earlier this week, headlined by Defensive Player of the Year Jose Delgado and Special Teams Player of the Year Dante Brown. Head coach Chris Brown earned Coach of the Year honors for a second straight year. The Tigers claimed the Defensive Player of the Year award for a third year in a row (Sie Doe, Jr. in 2016, Nathan Shepherd in 2017) and the Special Teams Player of the Year for a second year in a row (Brandon Brown, 2017).
The Tigers have two threats at quarterback that have combined for 3,159 passing yards on the season. Senior Jacob Mezera leads the way with 2,226 yards, while Chance Fuller is nearly the 1,000-yard mark with 933. The pair has thrown for 22 of the 23 passing touchdowns by the Tigers this year. The Tigers also have two players carrying the load in the backfield in Charles Tigner and D.J. Hickman (both All-MIAA performers). The duo has over 1,000 yards rushing combined, Tigner with 721 and Hickman with 460.
Layne Bieberle and Harley Hazlett each have over 800 receiving yards this season, Bieberle with 806 and Hazlett with 801. Bieberle also poses a threat on punt returns with 304 yards. Bieberle is the team-leader in all-purpose yards with 1,110. He was an All-MIAA selection as both a wide receiver and kick/punt returner this year. Hazlett is a do-it-all player for the Tigers, adding 59 rushing yards and 70 passing yards this season to his receiving total. He has 860 all-purpose yards this year, but has had a hand in 930 yards of total offense, earning All-MIAA honors for a second straight year.
Delgado anchors the defensive side of the ball for FHSU, entering the postseason with 391 career tackles. He has 106 so far this year. Connor Shedeed leads FHSU in interceptions with three to go with his 86 tackles on the season. Bandit position staples Doyin Jibowu and Tanner Hoekman have each added two interceptions this year. Wyatt Parker is the team leader in sacks (5.5) and forced fumbles (4), while Sterling Swopes leads the team in tackles for loss (12.5) and quarterback hurries (10).
The Tiger defense has turned up the intensity over the last two games, holding opponents under 200 yards of offense each time. FHSU limited nationally ranked Northwest Missouri State to just 178 yards of total offense in a 17-16 win in Week 10 on the road, then last week held Northeastern State to just 190 yards in a 58-0 shutout.