HAYS – After a sluggish start offensively, Fort Hays State scored 28 points over a seven minute stretch of the second and third quarters and cruised to a 44-3 win over Missouri Southern State in front of 5,832 on cool damp evening at Lewis Field. The Tigers have won two straight following an 0-2 start. The Lions fall to 1-3 under first year head coach Jeff Sims.
The Tiger defense was solid from start to finish, picking off four Lions passes and had three stops on fourth down. The Lions only points came on a 30-yard Riley Hathorn field goal late in the third quarter. They had seven tackles for loss an four sacks, two from Drew Harvey who led them with 12 tackles. Hayden Kreutzer had two interceptions with Tanner Hoekman and Isaiah Creal-Musgray getting the others.
Five of Fort Hays State’s first seven possessions started inside Lions territory, but they were held to a pair of 41-yard Dante Brown field goals until Manny Ramsey’s 17-yard touchdown catch from Chance Fuller with 5:21 to play in the second quarter.
Harley Hazlett then tip-toed down the Tiger sidelines on a 51-yard screen pass for a touchdown with 4:16 left in the half to push the lead to 20-0.
Te’Corey Tutson’s 93-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter gave the Tigers the ball at the MSSU 3-yard line setting up a 3-yard touchdown pass from Fuller to Hazlett. The two would connect on a 22-yard strike following a Hayden Kreutzer interception to give FHSU a 34-0 lead with 13:25 to play in the third.
Hazlett would finish with eight receptions for a career-high 123 yards and a three touchdowns.
D.J. Hickman, who rushed for 90 yards on 16 second half carries, scored on a 3-yard run with 9:27 left in the third to five the Tigers a 41-0 lead.
Chance Fuller completed 20 of 36 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns and one interception. Charles Tigner rushed for 87 yards on 17 carries.
FHSU finished with 437 total yards of offense, 182 on the ground, and 255 through the air. The Lions had 344 yards, 64 on the ground and 280 through the air.
Missouri Southern’s Jacob Park threw for 173 yards on 22-of-48 passing with four interceptions. Sean Kelly completed 7-of-16 passes for 107 yards before leaving with an apparent severe leg injury in the second half.
The Tigers travel to Edmond, Okla. to play Central Oklahoma Saturday (Oct. 6) at 1 p.m. The Bronchos dropped to 2-2 following a 59-10 loss at No. 7 Northwest Missouri State.