(RV) Fort Hays State (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) at
(RV) Angelo State (0-0, 0-0 LSC)
Thursday, August 27 - 7 p.m.
San Angelo, Texas – LeGrand Stadium

Fort Hays State travels to San Angelo, Texas for the 2026 season opener against Angelo State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at LeGrand Stadium. 
 
HOW TO WATCH FHSU AT ANGELO STATE
The game will be available on the FloCollege streaming platform. There is no single-game subscription available, just monthly for $29.99. Fans can get three FHSU events out of their monthly subscription as men's soccer will play at West Texas A&M on September 10 and Lubbock Christian on September 12. Streams for both of those contests will also be on FloCollege since both are members of the Lone Star Conference. Subscribers must cancel their subscription before a full calendar month has rolled over to avoid being charged for future months. Click here to subscribe.
 
HOW TO WATCH FHSU THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON
The remaining 10 games on Fort Hays State's regular season schedule will be available on The MIAA Network. Subscriptions to the network are as follows…
 
All-Access Pass: $140 (all sports, all events on The MIAA Network in 2026-27)
Monthly Pass: $35 (all events on the network within a calendar month from time of subscription)
Individual Broadcast Pass: $15
 
SERIES HISTORY
Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: ASU won 28-7 in Hays (8/28/25)
FHSU Record in Hays: 1-1
FHSU Record in San Angelo: First meeting
 
Fort Hays State and Angelo State meet for the 3rd time to open the 2026 season. Angelo State is the season-opening opponent for FHSU for the third-straight year. The teams have split the previous two meetings, FHSU winning the season opener in 2024 by a score of 21-7, and then ASU winning last year 28-7. Both of the previous meetings were played in Hays.

WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
Head Coach Chris Brown talked about the upcoming season opener at Angelo State. Wide receiver Keyshawn Dooley and safety Jaxon Kolzow also fielded questions. Watch video below courtesy of ECTV and Hays Post Sports.


 
WEEKLY TIGER TALK
Head Coach Chris Brown and safety Jaxon Kolzow join Voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock on the August 24, 2026 edition of the show.



AFCA PRESEASON POLL
Fort Hays State was listed among the teams receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll, released on August 18. This is the third-straight year the Tigers are among the receiving votes list in the preseason poll. Angelo State also received votes in the AFCA preseason poll. Next week's opponent, CSU Pueblo, is ranked No. 6 in the preseason poll. CSU Pueblo went 10-2 overall last year and one of its losses was to Fort Hays State when it was ranked No. 5 in the AFCA poll, the highest-ranked AFCA opponent the Tigers defeated in their NCAA Division II history.
 
STRONG TESTS EARLY
On paper, Fort Hays State will be tested early in the season as the first three Tiger opponents are all referenced in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll. The first opponent of the three is Angelo State, which received votes in the poll just like FHSU. The home opener the following week is against No. 6/10 ranked CSU Pueblo. After that, the Tigers open MIAA play at home with No. 4/5 ranked Pittsburg State. Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State shared the MIAA title last year, both at 8-1 in conference play. Pittsburg State won one NCAA playoff game last year before getting knocked out by Harding.
 
MIAA PRESEASON POLLS
Fort Hays State was tabbed fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and fifth in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll for the 2026 season. The Tigers were picked in the position they finished last year in the standings after tying for fourth with Central Missouri at 5-4 in conference play. The Tigers were 6-5 overall.
 
FIVE ALL-MIAA PERFORMERS RETURN FOR FHSU
Fort Hays State had 14 All-MIAA selections in 2025 and five return to the 2026 team. Four of the players are on the defensive side of the ball, while the other is a specialist. Defensive lineman Gaven Haselhorst headlines the group of five returning after earning All-MIAA First Team, All-Super Region First Team, and All-America honors from two organizations for the 2025 season. Parrish Terry, another defensive lineman for FHSU, now has two all-conference honors in his career. Michael Polley (S), Matthew McBride (CB), and Logan Russell (P) all received honorable mentions.
 
STRONG DEFENSE
Fort Hays State has ranked among the top three of the MIAA in total defense seven of the last nine seasons (2nd four times, 3rd three times). The Tigers have an 11-year streak of allowing less than 400 yards per game on defense. Fort Hays State allowed 384.3 yards per game in 2025, which ranked 5th in the MIAA. FHSU had to face four of the top-20 offenses in the nation in 2025.
 
TOUGH IN SCORING DEFENSE
FHSU has also ranked among the top three in the MIAA for scoring defense in seven of the last nine seasons (1st once, 2nd four times, 3rd two times). Last year FHSU allowed 23.9 points per game, which ranked 4th in the conference. In 10 of the last 11 seasons, the Tigers have limited the opposition to 24 or less points per game. The Tigers have allowed less than 20 per game for a season under head coach Chris Brown three times, including a 15.3 average in 2017, 18.8 average in 2018, and 16.9 average in 2024. The 2017 and 2018 seasons were when the Tigers made the NCAA playoffs under Brown.
 
ALL-AMERICAN ON THE DEFENSIVE FRONT
Gaven Haselhorst is the lone All-America performer returning for FHSU in 2026. Last year, he was a unanimous All-MIAA First Team selection before garnering D2CCA All-Super Region 4 First Team honors and then All-America Honorable Mention selections by Don Hansen Football Committee and D2Football.com. Haselhorst has the most career tackles of any returner on the Tiger defense with 107, while also being the active career leader in tackles for loss (27.5) and sacks (11).
 
WHEN THE TIGERS SCORE 30
Fort Hays State is 63-6 under head coach Chris Brown when reaching 30 points in a game. The Tigers went 2-0 last season when reaching 30 points in a game and they now have a streak of 8-straight wins when scoring 30.
 
28 ALL-AMERICANS UNDER CHRIS BROWN
Fort Hays State has seen 28 individuals earn All-America honors under head coach Chris Brown, who is in his 15^th season leading the team. John Johnson (LB), Gaven Haselhorst (DE), and Josh Shaw (OL) all received All-America status in 2025. Johnson and Haselhorst were both Honorable Mention selections by both Don Hansen Football Committee and D2Football.com, while Shaw was also an honorable mention pick by D2Football.com.
 
BROWN HOLDS FHSU COACHING WINS AND TENURE RECORD
Chris Brown is in his 15th year guiding the Tigers and owns the FHSU Football coaching wins record with an overall mark of 95-63. He has 40 more wins than previous record holder Bob Cortese. Brown is also the longest tenured head coach in program history as he passed Wayne McConnell for the longest stint in history last year.
 
NEW FACES ON OFFENSE
Fort Hays State returned only two of its regular starters from the 2025 season to this year's squad. Neville Brown and David Sjoberg both started eight games on the offensive line last year. There is a handful of offensive returners who made spot starts for the Tigers in 2025, which includes Cade Evans (TE), Dylan Rock (OL), Curtis Douglas (RB), Mason Hogan (OL), Avery Coleman (OL), Ziah Matos (OL), Tristen Davidson (TE) and Keyshawn Dooley (WR).
 
RETURNERS ACCOUNT FOR HALF OF SACK TOTAL IN 2025
Fort Hays State has four players returning in 2025 who combined for 11.5 of the team's 22 sacks for the season. Gaven Haselhorst led the returners with 6 last year, followed by Parrish Terry with 2.5, Kayson Dietz with 2, and Koa McIntyre with 1.
 
DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
Fort Hays State was 1 of 5 MIAA schools with 2 or more defensive touchdowns in 2025. Nebraska-Kearney and Pittsburg State each had 4, while Emporia State had 3. FHSU and Washburn each had 2. The scores for FHSU came on a 78-yard interception return by Michael Polley against Nebraska-Kearney and a 69-yard fumble recovery and return by Taderian Partee against Central Oklahoma.
 
ABOUT THE RAMS:

• Angelo State, like Fort Hays State, is coming off a 6-5 overall season. It was the lowest win total in a season for ASU since 2018, when it went 6-6.
• Angelo State is led by head coach Jeff Girsch, now in his 8^th season leading the Rams. He has an overall record of 55-20 at ASU.
• The Rams went 2-0 in non-conference play against MIAA teams last year (FHSU and Emporia State) before going 4-5 in Lone Star Conference play.
• Angelo State averaged 369.4 yards of total offense per game last year. The Rams allowed nearly the same amount defensively, yielding 366 per game.
• Similar to FHSU's position in the MIAA preseason polls, Angelo State was picked fourth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. The west coast footprint of the conference was picked on top with Central Washington holding the top spot followed by Western Oregon.