Box Score

A pair of fourth-quarter miscues by the Tigers kept them from winning a game where they held a 17-13 lead going into the final quarter. A muffed punt led to a Lindenwood touchdown that put the Lions up 20-17, then the Tigers had the ball deep in Lindenwood territory late and threw an interception with a little over a minute to play.

Fort Hays State had a golden opportunity for a win with 1st-and-goal from the Lindenwood 4-yardline with a little over a minute to play, but Tarean Austin threw an interception on a fade route to the back of the endzone which Pierre Desir picked off to secure a 20-17 win for Lindenwood. It was Desir's second interception of the game.

The interception came right after the Tigers converted a pass on 4th-and-10 at the Lindenwood 33-yardline when Austin found Treyvias Alexander for a 29-yard pass completion.

After trailing 3-0 through one quarter, the Tigers put up 14 points in the second quarter to take a 14-13 lead to halftime. The Tigers took a 7-3 lead at the 11:05 mark of the second quarter when Austin had an 8-yard touchdown run. Lindenwood put a field goal through midway through the second to pull within one, then took a 13-7 lead when Andrew Helmick went 18 yards for a touchdown on a pass from Taylor Jasin. Jasin found Helmick on the play before for a 68-yard pass to set up the touchdown. FHSU grabbed the lead back with 47 seconds remaining in the half on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Austin to Tanner Hageman.

A Drew O'Brien field goal at the 4:34 mark of the third quarter pushed the Tiger lead to 17-13.

The Tiger defense held the potent Lindenwood offensive attack in check for most of the second half, holding the Lions to 161 second-half yards after allowing 291 in the first half. A Keke Paul interception in the endzone and returned for 60 yards prevented a Lindenwood touchdown early in the third quarter and the Lions could not find any momentum for the remainder of the quarter.

Lindenwood got the break it needed in the fourth when Keaton Callins fumbled a punt at the FHSU 11-yardline, which the Lions recovered at the 15-yardline. That gave the Lions the short field and they capitalized three plays later with a one-yard touchdown run by Marvin Byrd.

Treveon Albert had another great all-around game for the Tigers for the second-straight week. He had 106 rushing yards on 23 attempts and four receptions for 27 yards. Austin finished 16-of-23 passing for 174 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. A.J. Woodall led FHSU in tackles with 12, followed by Layton Hickel with 11.

Taylor Jasin, who entered for an injured Ben Gomez in the first quarter, threw for 285 yards and one touchdown on 24-of-39 passing. He had one interception. Andrew Helmick had a team-high 99 receiving yards on five catches. Denodus O'Bryant led the Lindenwood rushing attack with 96 yards on 16 carries. Connor Harris led the Lions in tackles with 14 and Pierre Desir had both of the team's interceptions to go with six tackles.

Fort Hays State heads to Southwest Baptist next Saturday (Oct. 13) for the MIAA Television Game of the Week. Game time is set for 2:30 pm in Bolivar, Mo.