By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Football looks for its first win of the 2019 season on Saturday when it takes on Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas at Yager Stadium. The Tigers enter the game at 0-2, while the Ichabods are 1-1. FHSU has not won in Topeka since 1987, looking to snap a string of nine-straight losses at Yager Stadium.
FHSU Alumni Association Pregame Party – Tiger football fans and alumni are invited to a pregame gathering at The Burger Stand at College Hill, 1601 SW Lane St in Topeka. Event Information
Fort Hays State is 0-2 to start a season for the first time since 2013, when it started 0-4. The Tigers won the last two meetings with Washburn, winning 37-20 in 2017 and 30-24 in 2018. Both of those contests were in Hays. FHSU has been very close to snapping its skid at Yager Stadium in its last two attempts. In 2016, the last meeting between the teams in Topeka, FHSU was just a touchdown short of a victory in a 30-24 loss. In 2014, FHSU forced overtime with a touchdown in the final minute of the game, but after FHSU settled for a field goal to start overtime, Washburn won the game 27-24 with a touchdown.
The home team in this series claimed the last six meetings. FHSU won all three meetings with Washburn in Hays since 2015, while Washburn has won all three meetings in Topeka since 2013. A Washburn win during the 2012 season in Hays was the last time the road team won. Washburn ranked No. 15 in the nation in that meeting.
Fort Hays State ranks seventh in NCAA Division II for passing yards per game so far this year, averaging 333 per game. Quarterback Chance Fuller threw for exactly 333 yards in each of the first two games this year. It marks the first consecutive 300-yard passing games for FHSU since the 2015 season when former Tiger Jacob Mezera threw for 446, 354, and 309 in three consecutive games. Harley Hazlett has been the top target for Mezera so far with 11 catches for 160 yards. Manny Ramsey and Layne Bieberle also have over 100 receiving yards this season.
The Tigers are still looking to establish a running game this season after struggling to just 75.5 yards per game on the ground so far. Charles Tigner leads the team in rushing so far with 109 yards, though he’s been valuable in the passing game as well with 71 yards on 11 catches.
Defensively, Tanner Hoekman leads the Tigers in tackles with 15, followed by Drew Harvey and Hayden Kreutzer each with 14. Sheldon Schmidt and Jonathan Williams share the only sack by the Tigers so far this season.