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Tigers lose lead in setback at No. 17 Washburn
10/4/2009
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
TOPEKA -- Fort Hays State University football coach Kevin Verdugo and sophomore linebacker Nick Dreitz both thought the Tiger defense had a solid contest against Washburn University, the nation's top-ranked offense at 47 points per game.
"I thought our defense played pretty well today," Verdugo said after the Tigers' 28-14 loss to the Ichabods on Saturday in Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl.
"I felt like we did a pretty good job," Dreitz said.
Washburn, though, had multiple long passes on third and fourth down and second-and-long.
"Third and fourth down, they got a few big plays on us," Dreitz said.
In addition, the Tigers, without injured All-American left tackle Wes Yarbough, missed on two long pass plays, had a safety and lost a fumble in Washburn territory.
The Tigers dropped to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, while Washburn improved to 5-1, 3-1.
Verdugo labeled his improved squad "still a good football team."
"We are getting better every week," Dreitz said. "We are going to keep on getting better, get to the playoffs and hopefully get these guys first round."
Ichabod sophomore quarterback Dane Simoneau passed for 398 yards, the most passing yards by a quarterback in the MIAA this season and the fourth-most in Washburn history.
Simoneau, who ranks seventh in NCAA Division II in passing efficiency, continually made big plays, including a 41-yard strike on second-and-24, a 28-yard play on third-and-10, a 14-yard pass on third-and-11 and a 10-yard play on fourth-and-7. His final touchdown was a 51-yard play to senior wideout Drameagon Powers, who caught five balls for 109 yards.
"That No. 7 (Powers), he has got some wheels, he is pretty fast and that quarterback, he is putting it right on the money, so a combination of those things and communication I thought was a big thing," Dreitz said. "Maybe if we can communicate a little bit better."
Offensively, Fort Hays scored fewer than 30 points for the first time this season. Yarbough, a returning all-conference player, suffered a leg injury last Saturday and didn't suit up. Redshirt freshman Josh Reese started in his place.
"I was a little hesitant in the back," Tiger senior quarterback Mike Garrison said. "I still have all the faith in J.R., but Wesley back there, he is an All-American."
Washburn picked up three sacks, including a safety by senior defensive end Eric Lawrence early in the third quarter. The play gave Washburn a 15-14 lead. Lawrence, the Ichabods' all-time leader in tackles for loss, also had two quarterback hurries.
"No. 90 (Lawrence) is a heck of a player," Verdugo said.
Garrison completed 24-of-39 passes for 221 yards, mainly on screens to junior James Walker and short passes.
"They played a lot of two-deep man under coverage, which is very difficult, you are not going to win on the outside receivers. You are going to win with the inside receivers and backs," Verdugo said.
On long passes, Garrison missed on a post route to junior wideout Cordarol Scales and junior O.J. Murdock on a vertical route.
"I should have put a little more air on it, the first one to O.J.," Garrison said. "He might have run for a touchdown. There was no one behind him.
The second one to Cordarol, it was just a little timing issue. I was just a little late on the throw. If it was a little sooner, he probably would have caught it."
Fort Hays took a 7-0 lead on its longest play of the game, a 30-yard pass from Garrison to Murdock. It marked Murdock's fifth TD in five contests.
After a Washburn field goal, Fort Hays scored on a 1-yard run from James Walker for a 14-3 lead. Washburn closed to 14-10 after a 41-yard pass from Simoneau to senior Brad Cole set up a 1-yard run by freshman Vershon Moore.
"They got a couple fingertip grabs and we got a couple that were overthrown or just barely missed," Verdugo said.
The Ichabods made it 14-13 behind another big pass play. With nine seconds left in the first half, Simoneau hit sophomore Ryan Mertz for 33 yards to set up a field goal.
"They had a couple big plays when we had them backed up that came out in their favor, but overall, I thought the defense played the run well and did pretty well overall," Verdugo said.
Washburn took the lead for good in the third quarter after Tiger junior defensive back Michael Walker intercepted a pass on his own 2-yard line.
Lawrence then sacked Garrison for a safety.
"He was able to pin his ears back and come," Verdugo said. "He knew that it was third down and we had to throw the ball and he beat us inside."
Washburn tacked on two more TDs, both from Simoneau to Powers (5 and 51 yards).
Midway through the fourth quarter, Fort Hays, down 28-14, drove to the Ichabod 19 when Garrison hit senior tight end Beau Gadwood in the middle. Gadwood, though, fumbled the ball and Washburn ran out the clock.
Fort Hays travels to Warrensburg, Mo., on Saturday to play University of Central Missouri.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |
| BB | 03/07 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 13-7 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 16-4 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | W 3-0 |
| MB | 03/05 | Emporia State | L 65-61 |
| BB | 03/05 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 10-3 |
| WB | 03/04 | No. 15 Emporia | L 72-66 |
| WB | 02/28 | No. 12 Emporia State | L 87-80 |
| MB | 02/28 | Emporia State | W 94-47 |
| SB | 02/28 | Quincy | L 6-0 |
| SB | 02/27 | Mo Southern | W 9-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Missouri S&T | L 8-3 |