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Tigers rally for 'W'
10/18/2009
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
The Tigers trailed by 17 points last week, but Coach Kevin Verdugo thought the Fort Hays State University football team could make a comeback. It didn't, losing by 45 points.
In Saturday's Hall of Fame game against University of Nebraska-Omaha, the Tigers trailed again by 17 points, and Verdugo thought the team could mount a second-half comeback. This time, the Tigers did.
The Fort Hays defense came up big time after time and a moribund Tiger offense came to life in the second half for a 31-20 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory in front of 2,767 fans at Lewis Field Stadium.
"Very similar to last week at Central Missouri," Verdugo said. "I felt like we could continue to climb back in; nothing was out of hand."
The Tigers scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 24-20 lead.
Senior running back Jacobb Irvin, who had lost playing time in part to an injury and in part to good play by junior back James Walker, sparked the Tigers on their first scoring drive of the second half. Irvin's 26-yard dash to the UNO 14 set up senior quarterback Mike Garrison's TD run on the next play.
Irvin finished with a team-high 87 yards on 11 carries, with two TDs.
"I just wanted to come out and do my part," he said. "Today was my day.
"They put me in there, that's what I'm supposed to do -- one cut and vertical," he added.
The Tiger defense stopped UNO again, and Irvin capped a 13-play, 70-yard drive, scoring on a 2-yard run to get Fort Hays within 20-17 with 3:49 left in the third quarter.
On its next possession, Nebraska-Omaha (5-3 overall, 4-2 MIAA) drove to the Fort Hays 20, but redshirt freshman quarterback John Tiegland's pass was intercepted by senior cornerback C.J. Lovett at the 2-yard line. Lovett returned the pick 53 yards to the UNO 45.
"I knew they were going to come in and pick on me a little bit," said Lovett, who has seen some teams throw away from his side. "I hadn't done much this season."
On the next play, Tiger senior quarterback Mike Garrison threw deep for speedy junior wideout O.J. Murdock, who hauled in the 45-yard TD pass to give Fort Hays a 24-20 lead with six seconds left in the third. Garrison finished 16-of-29 passing for 198 yards, with the one TD and no picks.
Tiegland, who got the start after senior Greg Wunderlich broke his toe in last Saturday's win over Washburn University, marched the Mavericks inside Tiger territory again on their next possession. The drive stalled, and UNO's 46-yard field goal try was blocked by junior Michael Walker.
"We knew their quarterback might be hurt," Lovett said. "It didn't factor into anything we did defensively."
The loose ball on the blocked field goal was recovered all the way back at the UNO 33. From there, the Tigers needed five plays to score, on Irvin's 1-yard run with 13:48 left in the game.
The Mavericks put together another drive, but Lovett picked off Tiegland again for his second interception of the day and the 13th of his career, tying the school's career record.
"C.J.'s an explosive player," Verdugo said. "You were able to see him come out today and make big plays."
It was UNO, however, that made two big plays to put Fort Hays (5-3, 3-3) in an early hole.
True freshman Levi Terrell, playing in just his fourth game after UNO took the redshirt off him, scored on the Mavericks' second play from scrimmage, from 65 yards out. Terrell finished with 178 yards on 30 carries, the first runner all season to go over the century mark against the Tigers.
"He's an explosive running back," Verdugo said.
"Going to have to contend with him for a long time in this conference."
The Mavericks made it 14-0 with 7:47 left in the first quarter on junior Adolph Overstreet's 56-yard punt return for a score.
But the Tigers held UNO to a pair of field goals by junior Greg Zuerlein (20 and 35 yards) the rest of the half, then got a field goal of their own -- a 22-yarder by senior Nathan Rausa with 1:21 left -- to make it 20-3 at halftime.
But the Mavericks couldn't score against the Tigers in the second half.
"It was a complete meltdown," in the second half, UNO coach Pat Behrns said. "I'm surprised it was that different from the first half.
"We couldn't make a play, and we couldn't stop them. No excuses. They came out in the second half and pounded us," he added.
"This is a great win for our program," Verdugo said. "They're all great wins."
Fort Hays will play at Pittsburg State University on Saturday. The Gorillas lost 55-3 at Washburn University.
| 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 |