2008 Woodie Awards
Tigers looking for first win
Jamie Arthur, Collegio Sports Editor
Issue date: 10/12/06 Section: Sports
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With several injured starters, the Gorillas' head coach Chuck Broyles joked that "it'll be easy to pick the travel squad" for this Saturday's game against Fort Hays State in Hays. One of those making the trip, redshirt freshman Geno Waters, will also be making his first collegiate start. With sophomore quarterback Mark Smith out for the season with a broken left arm, Waters will assume the starting role. Waters threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns last week as the Gorillas (4-1, 3-1 MIAA), the No. 11 team in NCAA Division II, beat 19th-ranked Washburn, 29-14. Others will likely miss Saturday's game include sophomore defensive tackle Branden Banks, sophomore defensive tackle J.C. Dawes, redshirt freshman inside linebacker Todd Hertzog and sophomore defensive lineman Evandall Williams. Despite the departure of Smith, one of the most accurate passers in Division II, the Gorillas racked up 544 yards total offense against the Ichabods last week, while holding Washburn to just 311 total yards. Fort Hays (0-6, 0-6), the newest addition to the MIAA, remains the only team in the conference that has yet to win a game. After pulling within five points of Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo., last week, the Tigers let the game slip from their grasp allowing a duo of SBU quarterbacks to combine for 286 passing yards and three aerial touchdowns. FHSU quarterback Shane Jackson, passed for 213 yards and one touchdown completing 19 of 35 attempts with two interceptions in the Tigers 39-21 loss. He also rushed for one touchdown. Jackson, one of 12 returning starters for the Tigers, has completed 73 of 139 passes for 639 yards and three scores. The 6-foot, 200-pound quarterback has thrown nine interceptions in six games. He has rushed for just 38 yards and two touchdowns.
Tailback Jordan Hickel carried the ball 27 times for 131 yards including a 1-yard score. Hickel leads the Tigers with 110 carries for 378 yards and three touchdowns. The Tiger offense is averaging just 15 points and 259.8 yards per game. The Gorillas sit atop the Division II charts for scoring offense, averaging 51.7 points per game and they rank second in in total offense, averaging 497.3 yards per game. Defensively, the Tigers are led by middle linebacker Hoang Mai, who has recorded a team-leading 37 tackles (20 solo). FHSU has surrendered an average of 34.8 points and 359.2 yards per game. After a stellar performance last week, the Pittsburg State defense is allowing an average 25.8 points and 323.5 yards per game. Why FHSU could win The way FHSU's season is going, this would be the upset of the year. But, unfortunately for the winless Tigers it's going to take a lot more than the loss of Smith to keep the Gorillas from winning this game. What Pitt must do Everything they did last week. If Waters can give even half the performance he did last week, the Gorillas should be able to cruise to their fourth straight conference victory. Although, a few interceptions from the defense wouldn't hurt either. Quick Hits *Tigers second-year head coach Kevin Verdugo is a native of Pittsburg. He is 0-1 against the Gorillas. *FHSU's quarterbacks have been sacked 22 times on the season, while the defense has made only nine sacks against opponents. Both numbers rank last in the conference. *The Tigers joined the MIAA this season after leaving the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last year. FHSU fills the vacancy left by University of Missouri-Rolla in 2005. *The Tigers have not won a contest against the Gorillas since 1978, but the two teams played to a 16-16 tie in 1995 in Hays. |
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