The Lincoln Blue Tigers jumped out to a 32-24 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Fort Hays State Tigers came roaring back to claim a 45-35 victory at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.
Saturday's game was a back-and-forth affair. Fort Hays got the only two scores of the first quarter, jumping out to a 14-0 advantage.
There were a whopping six scores in the second quarter. Fort Hays had just two of them, a touchdown and a field goal.
Lincoln scored on a 7-yard pass from Jacob Morris and a 26-yard run by Morris, with both PAT kicks missing, before a 37-yard touchdown run by Morris Henderson. The 2-point run failed.
The Blue Tigers finally took their first lead of the day with 33 seconds left before halftime when Morris threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Andre Borney. This time, the PAT kick was good, and the Blue Tigers led 25-24.
Lincoln extended its lead to 32-24 when Morris scored on a 9-yard run.
Fort Hays cut the Lincoln lead to 32-31 with 5:06 left in the third, but a 22-yard field goal by the Blue Tigers' Julio Segura with 19 seconds left in the period kept Lincoln up 35-31.
However, Fort Hays scored a touchdown with 10:49 left in the game, then added some insurance with another one with 1:36 remaining.
The teams combined for more than 900 yards of offense, with Fort Hays holding a slim lead of 463-455. Each team lost two fumbles, and the Blue Tigers threw a pair of interceptions.
Morris racked up a game-high 141 yards rushing on 25 carries, while Henderson added 131 on 19 carries. Morris also completed 19-of-31 passes for 277 yards.
The loss dropped Lincoln to 1-7 overall and 0-7 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, while Fort Hays improved to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in league play.
The game was televised after being chosen the MIAA Network Game of the Week.
The Blue Tigers will travel Saturday to Edmond, Okla., to face Central Oklahoma.
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