Oct 09, 2021

🏈📻 LISTEN LIVE as Tigers try for fourth straight win

Posted Oct 09, 2021 3:00 PM
Courtesy FHSU Athletics
Courtesy FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) at
Washburn (3-2, 3-2 MIAA)

Saturday, October 9 - 1 pm
Topeka, Kan. - Yager Stadium
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)

LISTEN LIVE

**TICKET INFORMATION**
Tickets MUST be purchased in advance of the game. There will be no walk up sales on the day of the game.
Adult - $10.00Senior (65+) - $5.00K-12 Student - $5.00

Direct link to purchase tickets online
Fort Hays State Football hits the road eastbound on I-70 this weekend for a meeting with Washburn University on Saturday (Oct. 9). Kickoff is set for 1 pm at Yager Stadium in Topeka. The Tigers are looking for a fourth-straight win over the Ichabods in a battle between a pair of 3-2 teams.

This game will feature the top two offenses in the MIAA. Fort Hays State currently leads the MIAA and ranks 5th nationally in total offense at 513.8 yards per game, while Washburn ranks second in the conference and 10th nationally at 488.8 yards per game. Washburn quarterback Mitch Schurig ranks ninth for total passing yards (1,530) in NCAA Division II, while FHSU quarterback Chance Fuller is right behind at 1,510 yards, ranking 10th.

Fort Hays State has seen a surge in its run game lately, rushing for over 200 yards in the last three contests. FHSU is 32-1 overall since the start of the 2013 season when running the ball for 200 or more yards as a team. FHSU had 311 against Lincoln, 273 against Missouri Southern, and 206 against Nebraska-Kearney.

Adrian Soto continues to impress in all facets of the Tiger offense, now with 975 all-purpose yards for the season. He produced 309 all-purpose yards in the win over Nebraska-Kearney last week, going for 124 return yards, 98 rushing yards, and 87 receiving yards. He received MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors for his effort. He has produced over 200 all-purpose yards in three of five games this year. He ranks third nationally in rushing yards per carry (8.4) and fourth nationally in all-purpose yards per game (195.0).

Fuller has plenty of receiving targets available to do damage as four players have at least 200 receiving yards and six have at least 100. Manny Ramsey is the team leader at 33 receptions for 390 yards, while tight end Hunter Budke has 21 catches for 350 yards.

On defense, Layke Heimerman leads the Tigers in tackles with 44, while five others have at least 20 on the season. Jhimon Preston led the team last week with 11 tackles. Fort Hays State ranks third in the MIAA in total defense at 359.2 yards per game.

Washburn holds a 44-27-3 advantage in the all-time series with FHSU and this will be the 75th meeting between the teams. FHSU won the 2019 meeting between the teams in Topeka by a score of 41-38 in overtime. The last three games in the series played in Topeka have been decided by six points or less. Since 2002, Fort Hays State is a perfect 5-0 against Washburn when scoring at least 30 points in a game. In 10 of the 11 meetings when FHSU scored less than 30 since 2002, it lost. A 17-7 win over WU in Hays in 2008 was the only exception.  

FHSU Athletics