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The Tigers will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season on Saturday (Sept. 17) when they host Southwest Baptist at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. The annual Tailgreat event takes place prior to the game. Kickoff is set for 7 pm. Only a few plots remain for the Tailgreat event, so reserve yours today by contacting the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce at (785) 628-8201. Parking lots are set to open at 11 am.
The first 500 fans to pass through the gate at Lewis Field Stadium will receive a spirit flag. As always, FHSU students are admitted free with a valid Tiger ID Card.
The Tigers enter the game at 1-1 overall. This will be the first of two non-conference games for the Tigers this year, the other will be in October against Central Oklahoma. Both Southwest Baptist and Central Oklahoma will be members of the MIAA next year. SBU is currently a member of the MIAA in everything but football, as they have played an independent schedule since 2008 after leaving the conference in football in 2007.
The Tigers and Bearcats last met in 2007, with Fort Hays State winning 36-30 in Hays. The all-time series is tied at 1-1, as the Bearcats won the first-ever meeting in 2006 in Bolivar.
Fort Hays State fell by a score of 36-31 at Truman last Saturday after winning the season opener against Emporia State 27-17 two weeks ago in Hays. Southwest Baptist also enters the game at 1-1 overall. The Bearcats defeated Bacone College (Okla.) in their season opener, but suffered their first loss this past Saturday as well at the hands of Arkansas Tech.
Senior linebacker Alex Whitehill leads NCAA Division II in tackles after two weeks with 34, averaging 17.0 per game. He set a career high in the season opener against Emporia State with 15, then topped that last week with 19 against Truman. The 19 tackles were most by an FHSU player since 2005 when Dustin Dunn recorded 20 against Western State (Colo.).
Senior punter Ethan Kosjer is also among the nation's best. He ranks second in NCAA Division II and leads the MIAA in punting average at 46.9 yards per attempt. His longest effort of the season was a 77-yard boot against Emporia State.
Junior running back Andre Smith moved to the top of the pack in the MIAA in rushing, now averaging 148.0 yards per game after a 204-yard rushing performance against Truman last week. He was the first Tiger to rush for 200 or more yards since 2009, when James Walker rushed for exactly 200 against Truman. Smith is eighth in the nation in rushing yards per game and fourth in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (219.5).
The Tigers also have two other players with the last name of Smith doing damage on offense. Edward Smith is giving the Tigers a one-two punch in the backfield with Andre Smith. Edward Smith is sixth in the MIAA in rushing at 82.0 yards per game. He is helping the Tigers rank second in the MIAA in rushing at 255.5 yards per game on the ground. Only Pittsburg State is better at 288.5 yards per game on the ground. The Tiger rushing attack ranks 17th in NCAA Division II. Anthony Smith is the top receiving threat for the Tigers with 11 receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns so far this year.
One area the Tigers need to clean up is penalties as they have accumulated 18 through two games. They are averaging 75.5 penalty yards per game.
The Tigers will be looking to extend their winning streak in non-conference games to five on Saturday. The last time the Tigers lost a non-conference game was in 2008.
For tickets to the game on Saturday, either go online to purchase at the following link...Buy Tickets Here, or call (785) 628-4050.
