By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
KEARNEY, Neb. – Fort Hays State saw its nine-game win streak against Nebraska-Kearney snapped on Saturday night (Oct. 1), falling by a score of 38-20. The No. 23/19 ranked Lopers took advantage of a few Tiger mistakes in the second half, running away with what was a tight football game until late in the third quarter. UNK moved to 4-1, while FHSU dropped to 1-4.
Both teams scored on their first drives of the game. The Tigers went 65 yards over 13 plays, chewing up 6:13. They capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Adrian Soto. Just over four minutes later, UNK scored on its first drive with an 11-yard touchdown run by Damien Cearns after marching 74 yards.
After that, the Tiger defense dug in and held the Lopers to only nine more yards the entire first half, shutting down one of the nation’s top rushing attacks. However, the Lopers had a couple of opportunistic plays that led to their 14-7 halftime lead.
The Tigers were driving deep into UNK territory in the latter part of the second quarter, but a Chance Fuller pass popped up off the pads of his receiver and into the arms of a UNK defensive back, thwarting a great opportunity to take the lead back. Then later in the quarter, UNK had a well-timed delayed blitz to rush a Fuller throw that was intercepted and returned to the FHSU 6-yardline. TJ Davis cashed the very short-field opportunity in with a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Lopers up 14-7.
UNK had only 81 rushing yards at halftime, and just two passing yards for 83 total yards. They held quarterback TJ Davis, the MIAA’s top rusher at 133.3 yards per game entering the contest, to just 26 by the break.
The Tiger defense kept giving the UNK offense trouble out of the break, keeping the Lopers from a first down on their first two drives. The Tigers then marched the ball 64 yards down the field and scored a touchdown on a 20-yard touchdown strike from Fuller to Dawson Brown II. But the extra point missed and left the Tigers short of the Lopers by a point with 6:44 remaining in the third quarter.
The Loper offense started to find its footing on the ensuing drive and then hit Fort Hays State with a big play over the top with the defense looking for the run on 3rd-and-2 at the FHSU 48. UNK had only two passing yards to that point, but then tacked on 48 when Davis found Luke Blatchford for a long touchdown pass on a defensive breakdown. UNK led 21-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lopers went on to chew off a bunch of time to start the fourth quarter and scored a touchdown pass by Davis with 8:53 remaining, extending their lead to 28-13. The Tiger offense then turned the ball over on downs and UNK scored immediately on a flea-flicker play with a 38-yard touchdown pass. The Lopers added on a field goal with just over two minutes remaining. The Tiger offense had one more score late, just before time expired, as Jack Dawson found Cale Cormaney for a 1-yard touchdown pass.
The big plays at opportunistic times were too much for the Tigers to overcome, despite outgaining the Lopers 370-297 in total yards. FHSU held a rushing attack averaging better than 300 yards per game on the ground to just 164.
For FHSU, Fuller finished with 21 completions for 219 yards. Dawson threw for 70 yards on five completions. Manny Ramsey produced the ninth 100-yard receiving game of his career, making 10 catches for 134 yards. Mason Perez led the Tigers in tackles with seven, while Jeremiah Jackson-Trotter had 2.5 tackles for loss.
Davis finished with 133 passing yards and 78 rushing yards for the Lopers. Jacey Nutter led UNK in tackles with 12.
The Tigers host Washburn for Homecoming next Saturday (Oct. 8) in Hays at 7 p.m. The Ichabods will enter at 3-2, coming off a loss at home to Emporia State on Saturday.