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Tigers run out of options in loss
10/27/2007
By CRAIG HULL
Special to The Hays Daily News
PITTSBURG -- In some ways, it was the same old Pittsburg State.
Option left, option right, mix in some pass and a healthy blend of basic isolation, toss and counter plays.
Perhaps the biggest difference for Fort Hays State University on Saturday was trying to defend the option out of a multitude of formations.
The No. 19-ranked Gorillas became the first team to rush for over 300 yards in a game this season against the Tigers' vaunted run defense en route to a 35-0 victory at Carnie Smith Stadium.
The fifth-consecutive loss drops Fort Hays to 3-6 overall and 1-6 in the MIAA. Pittsburg State, with an overflow homecoming crowd of 9,033, improved to 7-2 and 5-2.
"Coach (Tim) Beck (PSU offensive coordinator) does a tremendous job. What they have essentially done is take the option offense they have run for years, a two-back, double-tight end with a quarterback under center and developed it into a great shotgun offense," said Fort Hays coach Kevin Verdugo.
"They throw the ball enough in the sprint out and in the screen game to keep you off balance and then they take their shots with the home run ball off play action.
"They run, run, run, run and when they get the opportunity to take advantage of those other areas, they capitalize on them."
The Tigers' defense came into the game ranked second in the MIAA in rushing yards allowed with 94.5 and fourth overall defense, allowing 354.1 yards per game. The Gorillas totaled 465 yards of offense grounding out 353 yards.
A pair of Pittsburg products, junior quarterback Mark Smith and junior tailback Caleb Farabi from St. Mary's-Colgan High School, combined for 293 yards on 34 carries and scoring Pittsburg State's first three touchdowns.
Farabi, all of 5-foot-7 and 178 pounds, finished with 151 yards on 22 carries. Smith, 5-11, 183, had 142 yards on 12 carries.
"A lot teams strive to do what Pittsburg State does, a ton of formations and not a lot of plays," Verdugo said. "The more you force teams to identify things, the more they have to think on the run, the more they have to adjust and then it's more than just lining up and playing ball."
Farabi's 18-yard touchdown run off left tackle capped the Gorillas' opening possession.
The Tigers moved the ball in nine plays to the PSU 24, but after Ryne Salyer was sacked on third down Justin Barr attempted a 47 yard field goal and missed wide left.
The Tigers quickly got the ball back after senior defensive end Jason Hill recovered the first of two Gorilla fumbles in the game.
The Fort Hays offense was unable to generate a first down, turning the ball over on downs at the Pittsburg State 38.
On the Gorillas' next possession, kicker Jared Witter lined up for a 46-yard field goal only to have holder Chadd Snyder flip it over his shoulder on a set fake field goal. Witter gained two yards before free safety Seth Blackwell tackled him at the 27.
Pittsburg State extended its lead in the second quarter needing only two plays to go 46 yards. Smith scored on a 41-yard option keeper by reading option right before cutting upfield and running untouched until he dove into the end zone.
The Tigers managed four of their eight first downs in the first half and 94 of their 171 yards.
On the second play of the second half, Smith again broke another option keeper for a touchdown, this time a 55-yard run, but out of a different formation.
With receivers split out wide and a single tight end, Smith lined up in shotgun with fullback Brandon Clark behind him and Farabi at tailback behind Clark. Smith took the snap, read the dive to Clark and followed him through the center of the line before bouncing to his right and cutting back across the field to complete the run.
"(Pittsburg State) is an option team and the key thing to beating an option team is assignment defense," Hill said. "If one person misses a tackle, if one person blows an assignment, the option is going to work."
"The touchdown run to start the second half was a great example of that. They show us a formation that is a typical run formation, or a formation designed to spread our defense out and what did they do? They ran up the middle, we missed a tackle and it turns into a big play."
The Gorillas added a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, the first came on the first play of the quarter when Smith hit tight end Brian Barta on an option run-pass play action completion.
Backup quarterback Chadd Snyder hit Brandon Clark on a play action pass on third and goal from the 19 with 9:15 left to make it a 35-0 score.
Of the Tigers' five second half possessions, two ended on punts, three ended on downs on the Pittsburg State 44, 35 and 21 yard lines.
"We've got to do a better job coaching offensive football," Verdugo said. "I think I reached (frustration) a week ago. We want to try to avoid being frustrated. You have to try to identify problems and until we can go back and watch the tape, I don't want to speculate or comment on what went wrong."
The Tigers' offense entered the game averaging 277.4 yards per game and finished 106 yards behind their average.
Senior tailback Jordan Hickel led the Tigers with 31 yards rushing on 16 carries and had another 26 yards receiving on four receptions.
Salyer completed 18 of 29 passes for 108 yards.
TIGER TIDBITS
- Kevin Verdugo, a Pittsburg native, is now 0-3 vs. Pittsburg State.
- Hill, a 6-foot-2, 240 pound senior from Chandler, Ariz, recorded 10 tackles, seven solo stops, two tackles for loss of nine yards, recovered two fumbles and had a sack, his 10th of the season to go along with 18 tackles for loss this season.
- Fort Hays State defense had two takeaways, Hill's two fumble recoveries, and the Tiger offense did not turn the ball over.
- It is the second time this season the Tigers suffered a road shutout. Fort Hays dropped a 6-0 decision at Missouri Southern on Oct. 13. Pittsburg State recorded its second shutout of the season, its first coming at Truman State, 40-0, also on Oct. 13.
- After facing each other several times as opponents at Lewis Field Stadium during KSHSAA Class 2-1A State Football Championship and again during college, it was the last time Jordan Hickel, a Clafin product, went head-to-head with St. Mary's-Colgan products Mark Smith, Caleb Farabi and Nick Dellasega, the Gorillas' starting free safety.
| 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 |
