Fort Hays State looks to keep pace with the MIAA frontrunners on Saturday (Oct. 6) when it travels to Emporia State. Kickoff is set for 2 pm at Welch Stadium in Emporia. The Tigers enter at 4-1 overall, ranked No. 18 in the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll and No. 12 in the D2Football.com Poll, while the Hornets are 2-3 overall.
 
This is the fourth straight meeting between the teams with at least one of the teams ranked. The Tigers have won three of the last four games against the Hornets. Emporia State was in the AFCA national rankings during the meetings in 2015 (No. 13) and 2016 (No. 10), while FHSU was No. 7 in the game against the Hornets last season. The Tigers carry a national ranking into this meeting for the second straight year.
 
Fort Hays State won last year's meeting with Emporia State by a score of 34-7 in Hays. FHSU led 34-0 before Emporia State picked up its only score of the game late in the fourth quarter. Emporia State claimed the last meeting between the teams in Emporia by a score of 24-16 in 2016.
 
Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri State are tied for second place in the MIAA, both at 4-1. Pittsburg State is the lone undefeated team remaining in the MIAA, but hosts Northwest Missouri State this weekend.
 
Jacob Mezera is now the all-time pass completions leader at FHSU, going past Mike Garrison's 540 in last week's win over Central Oklahoma. He now has 556 completions for his career.
 
Running back Charles Tigner has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last two games. He had 116 against Missouri Southern and then 101 against Central Oklahoma.
 
Jose Delgado is the team leader in tackles so far this year with 42, followed by Connor Shedeed with 39. The Tigers are tied for the MIAA lead in interceptions with Pittsburg State and Missouri Western, each with eight so far this year.
 
Layne Bieberle is just 11 punt return yards from breaking the career school record of 491 yards, held by Tyrone Tracy. Bieberle enters Saturday with 481 punt return yards in his career.
 
Dante Brown earned MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors for the third time this season with his school-record five field goal performance against Central Oklahoma. He also earned D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week for all of NCAA Division II. He leads Division II in field goals per game (2.4), already with 12 makes this season.
 
The Tigers lead the MIAA in turnover margin, currently at +6 for the season. The Tigers rank 14^th nationally in turnover margin per game (+1.2).
 
Fort Hays State is coming off its first shutout of an opponent since the 2008 season. The 15-0 win over Central Oklahoma was just the second time the Tigers earned a shutout in an MIAA game, the other occurring in 2006 against Missouri Southern.