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Unbeaten Tigers prepare for MIAA
9/11/2007
By MIKE KESSINGER
Hays Daily News
While everyone in the stands Saturday at Lewis Field Stadium might have felt comfortable by the middle of the fourth quarter, Kevin Verdugo just couldn't.
The third-year Fort Hays State University head coach felt a little nervous up until the final minutes. Facing a gun slinging offense like what Colorado School of Mines presented, Verdugo was wary that anything could happen. In the end, he had nothing to worry about as the Tigers moved to 2-0 with a 34-10 non-conference win. Nonetheless, Verdugo knows anything can happen as he pointed to a game in 2004 for an example. As an assistant coach at the University of Akron, Verdugo witnessed the Zags overcome a 17-point deficit with two minutes left to knock off Marshall.
"I was nervous until the last five minutes in the fourth quarter," Verdugo said. "Anything's possible in a football game."
By the time it was all said and done, Verdugo felt good about his team's overall play, but still saw plenty of work that needs to be done.
"Every week there's things we can improve," Verdugo said. "I thought we got a little sloppy tackling the other night. We tried to lay too many big hits. Kind of in the second half, toward the end, I thought we could have wrapped up a little better. Up front on the offensive line I would like to sustain a little longer, hold a few blocks, give us a few more choices. Obviously, one thing that kind of hampered us offensively, we'll need to catch the ball a little better."
With that said, one thing will change this week as the Tigers begin preparation for play in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association on Saturday at Washburn University. Senior quarterback Ryne Salyer will be the starter. Salyer has come off the bench in the first two games, splitting time with senior incumbant Shane Jackson. Against Mines, Salyer threw two touchdowns completing 12-of-24 passes for 216 yards and no interceptions. It was all good enough to move Salyer into a starting role, but Jackson will still see time on the field.
On the other side of the ball the Tigers will be up against an offense ran by senior quarterback Jordan Brill who was a second-team All-Conference pick last season.
"He's a good player," Verdugo said of Brill. "We're going to have to be fundamentally sound. I think they're good athletes as everybody in our conference does. Our conference is kind of a meat grinder, because it's weet to week to week. So on and so forth, it's good player after good player. (Brill's) not the last one we'll face, he just happens to be the first one."
Tiger notes
Offensive linemen junior Craig Parent and sophomore Sidney Spear both were taken out of the game with injuries. Verdugo said he saw both players Sunday, and both were fine, and will be available to play at Washburn.
"When I saw them yesterday they were walking and talking," Verdugo joked a little bit about the linemen. "You're going to start getting into the part of the season where there's no more bye weeks or anything else, and you're getting into the conference season, you're going to have guys that get dinged up every week. We're going to have to get healthy as quick as we can."
Sports reporter Mike Kessinger can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 127 or by e-mail at
mkessinger@dailynews.net
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 5/11 | Central Missouri | L 4-2 |
| BB | 5/10 | Missouri Western | W 4-3 |
| BB | 5/09 | Emporia State | L 6-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | W 17-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | L 4-3 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 15-7 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 5-4 |
| SB | 5/02 | Central Missouri | L 3-1 |
| SB | 5/02 | Missouri Western | W 3-2 |
| SB | 5/01 | Pittsburg State | W 6-0 |
