By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State pushed its win streak to six games by holding off Nebraska-Kearney 37-31 at Lewis Field Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 26). Now 6-2 overall, the Tigers pushed their win streak in the series with the Lopers to eight straight in the process. The Lopers dropped to 5-3 with the loss.
The Tigers never trailed, building a 23-7 lead before the Lopers trimmed the lead to 23-10 by halftime. The offense was firing on all cylinders in the first half, churning out 275 yards with three touchdowns and a field goal. Charles Tigner reached the endzone twice for FHSU’s first two touchdowns of the game, a 17-yard touchdown run and then a 15-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. A Dante Brown field goal and Layne Bieberle touchdown reception covered the Tiger scoring in the second quarter.
In the second half, the Tigers had to hold off surges from the Lopers three times to secure the game. The Lopers scored a touchdown on their first drive of the half to trim the Tiger lead to 23-17, but the Tigers found an answer on a Manny Ramsey 88-yard touchdown reception from Chance Fuller near the end of the third quarter. It was the longest pass and reception for either player in their collegiate careers so far. FHSU led 30-17.
The Lopers pulled within six once more on a TJ Davis 4-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers responded with a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive, capped by a two-yard run by Tigner.
The final Loper surge occurred on the ensuing drive as the Lopers put together a long 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped on a 1-yard run by Darrius Webb. It was Webb’s second rushing touchdown of the day for UNK. The Tigers led 37-31.
The Tigers needed a pair of first downs to run out the clock and they were successful on both third-down situations. On 3rd-and-9, Fuller hit Ramsey on the right sideline and he stretched for a 10-yard gain at the first-down stick. On 3rd-and-6, Fuller found Harley Hazlett over the middle for another 10-yard gain to seal the game.
Fuller had a career day with 435 passing yards, completing 28-of-38 attempts. Ramsey finished with a team-high 169 receiving yards on six catches, Bieberle had 127 receiving yards on seven catches, and Hazlett had a team-high nine catches for 81 yards. Bieberle produced the ninth 100-yard receiving game of his career at FHSU, just one shy of the record 10 held by Lance Schwindt. Hazlett is just one reception shy of the career reception record at FHSU of 168 held by Eric Busenbark, now with 167 overall. Hickman and Tigner combined for 85 rushing yards, Hickman with 43 and Tigner with 42. FHSU finished with 514 yards of total offense.
Tanner Hoekman led the Tiger defensive effort with 11 tackles, while Kolt Trachsel added 10. The Tigers held the nation’s third-best rushing offense to 287 yards on the ground, about 35 yards under its season average. Overall, the Lopers finished with 383 yards.
TJ Davis led UNK with 118 rushing yards, while passing for 96. Darrius Webb added 88 yards on the ground. LaRoy James led UNK in tackles with 16.
Fort Hays State travels to Jefferson City, Missouri next week for a meeting with Lincoln University (1-7). Kickoff is set for 1 pm.