Fort Hays State (5-1) at Washburn (4-2) Saturday, October 15 - 1 pm Topeka, Kan. - Yager Stadium
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Fort Hays State Football hits the road for the second straight week, traveling to Topeka, Kansas on Saturday (Oct. 15) to face Washburn. The Tigers are seeking their first-ever 6-1 start at the NCAA Division II level, along with their first win in Topeka during the program's NCAA Division II history. Game time is set for 1 pm at Yager Stadium.
 
Fort Hays State has dropped the last eight games it has played against Washburn in Topeka. The last road win over Washburn occurred in 1987. All six wins the Tigers have claimed against Washburn since 1988 occurred in Hays, including a 35-30 result last year. The Tigers are 0-8 in their NCAA Division II history against Washburn in Topeka. Washburn leads the all-time series 43-24-3 and leads 11-5 since FHSU joined NCAA Division II.
 
Fort Hays State and No. 12 ranked Emporia State are currently tied for second in the MIAA standings at 5-1, just one game back of the nation's No. 1 ranked team Northwest Missouri State at 6-0. Four teams, including Washburn, sit right behind the Tigers and Hornets at 4-2.
 
The Tigers have never started 6-1 through seven games in their NCAA Division II history. The closest to that mark was the 1995 team, which started 5-1-1 when ties still existed. FHSU earned a program first earlier this week getting listed in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, sitting at No. 23. The official national rankings, issued by the AFCA, have the Tigers as the second-highest receiving votes team, just outside the top 25.
 
Quarterback Jacob Mezera had a breakout performance last week in the 54-41 win at Pittsburg State. He broke the school record for total offense, amassing 508 yards (446 passing and 62 rushing). His five passing touchdowns tied the single game school record, while adding a rushing touchdown to give him a hand in six touchdowns total. With the big performance, Mezera jumped to third in the MIAA in passing yards per game (243.5). Mezera earned MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week honors.
 
Charles Tigner has strung two big performances together with 160 and 179 all-purpose yards in the last two games respectively. He had 160 receiving yards last week at Pittsburg State, the first Tiger to produce a 100-yard receiving game this season. Tigner now ranks second on the team in receptions with 16, while Tyler Bacon continues to lead the team with 29. Both Tigner and Bacon have 279 receiving yards for the season.
 
Defensive end Sie Doe, Jr. leads the MIAA in sacks (9) and tackles for loss (10.5). He ranks third in the nation in sacks per game (1.5). Doe also leads the MIAA in forced fumbles (3). Jose Delgado and Alex Schmidtberger are also among the top 25 tacklers in the nation. Delgado ranks third in the MIAA with 63 and Schmidtberger is right behind in fourth with 62. Raheeme Dumas is tied for second in the MIAA in interceptions with three after snagging two at Pittsburg State last week.
 
Kicker Brandon Brown continues to perform at a high level for the Tigers, leading the MIAA in scoring with 60 points. He is averaging 10 points per game. He is 13-of-14 on field goal attempts this year with his only miss beyond 50 yards. He earned MIAA and D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts at Pittsburg State, where he went 4-of-4 on field goals and 6-of-6 on extra points. He averages 61.4 yards per kickoff, producing 22 touchbacks so far.