ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Griffon Football (1-2, 0-1 MIAA) is back on the road Saturday, as the Griffons head west to face Fort Hays State (2-2, 1-1 MIAA).
 
Kickoff from Lewis Field Stadium in Hays, Kansas is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the Griffon Sports Network (GoGriffons.com/listen, Varsity Network App) with pregame coverage starting at 6:30. Voice of the Griffons Tommy Rezac and former Griffon All-American Dakari Streeter will be on the call.
 
The game is also available to watch on the MIAA Network with a subscription.
 
About Last Week
MoWest is coming off of a 34-26 loss vs. Central Missouri in the MIAA opener this past Saturday. The Griffons got off to a strong start, leading 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, but surrendered 24 second quarter points to the Mules and trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half.
 
Kane Donovan led the offense with 243 passing yards, completing 27-of-46 passes. Brandon Hall was the lead rusher, turning in a season-best 94 yards on 17 carries. Gyasi Smith was the lead receiver, hauling in four passes for 107 yards – both career-highs.
 
Khristian Turner led the MWSU defense with eight total tackles and two pass breakups. Khalid Sereal had a solo sack, while Drew Scott had a sack and a forced fumble. Brayden Evertsen earned a fumble recovery. Jaelon Dixon had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the game as well.
 
Stopping the Run
MoWest currently ranks No. 1 in the MIAA and No. 5 in the nation in rush defense, allowing opponents an average of just 54.3 rush yards per game. The Griffons are only allowing 2.26 yards per carry (11th nation) and have allowed only two rushing scores so far this season (t-3rd nation).
 
Return Game
Freshman Jaelon Dixon turned heads in last week's game with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the first half vs. Central Missouri.
 
MoWest has now returned a kickoff for a touchdown in four of the last five seasons and five times total since the start of the 2019 season. MWSU was No. 2 in the MIAA in kickoff return yards in 2024 with 842. They're second in the league currently with 243.
 
Red Zone Rewards
MoWest has found steady success when entering the red zone this season, scoring on 10-of-11 trips (90.9%). Their red zone success rate ranks No. 2 in the MIAA and is tied for fifth in the nation.
 
The Griffs have scored six red zone touchdowns this season and are 4-of-4 on field goal tries inside their opponents' 20-yard line.
 
Long Drive Runnin'
MoWest currently leads the MIAA and is No. 21 in the country in time of possession, averaging 33:08 per game. The Griffons have had a touchdown drive of 90 yards or more in each of the first three games this season.
 
Fourth Down Fortunes
MoWest currently leads the MIAA with six fourth down conversions so far this season, converting on 6-of-8 attempts. The Griffons were 3-of-5 on fourth down vs. UCM last week. MWSU's 75% success rate on fourth down ranks No. 2 in the MIAA and is tied for sixth best in the nation.

Defensive Diagnosis
The Griffons brought back eight starters on defense this season, including three all-MIAA performers. Among them is last year's tackle leader and linebacker Kienen Gaskin (third team all-MIAA), who finished with 84 total tackles - fifth most in a single season in program history.
 
Also back on defense is corner Desmond Green (second team all-MIAA), who shined with a team-high four interceptions in 2024. He now has seven INTs in his career, including a pick-six against Northwest Missouri State in 2023.
 
Another senior, defensive tackle Grant Finley (third team all-MIAA), looks to make an even bigger impact up front after leading Missouri Western in 2024 with five sacks, including three solo sacks against Nebraska-Kearney. He finished 2024 with 9.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
 
Tiger Talking Points
Fort Hays State celebrates its Homecoming this weekend as they welcome Missouri Western for their third home game of the season.
 
Hays (2-2, 1-1 MIAA) is coming off of a 31-16 loss at No. 18 Pittsburg State this past Saturday. Hays led in that game 16-10 entering the fourth, but the Gorillas scored 21 points in the final period to pull away.
 
Per the Massey Ratings, FHSU has played the third toughest schedule in the country in NCAA Division II, having faced No. 13 Angelo State at home to open the year (L 28-7) before a win at No. 5 Colorado State-Pueblo (36-35) the following week.
 
Hays picked up its first MIAA win vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 13, thumping their rival Lopers 26-7.
 
Heavin' Heavner
Fort Hays State is led offensively by junior quarterback Caleb Heavner, who started each of the last six games for the Tigers in 2024 and has taken the reins again in 2025.
 
So far, the honorable mention all-MIAA recipient has completed 62.3% of his passes (2nd MIAA), going 81-for-130 with 750 yards, four touchdowns and three INTs. He's also rushed for 137 yards. Heavner ranks third in the MIAA in total offense with 887 total yards.
 
Defensive Notables
Defensively, the Tigers have struggled to stop the run this season, giving up an average of 163.5 yards on the ground per game. Hays has also allowed their opponents to score in the red zone 92.3% of the time - the highest opponent red zone success rate in the MIAA.
 
FHSU's pass defense has been stout, allowing just 214 yards per game through the air, ranking No. 3 in the MIAA. Hays also boasts three interceptions this year and an MIAA-leading 124 interception return yards so far this season. The Tigers have forced five fumbles (No. 1 MIAA) and have recovered three of those.
 
Linebacker John Johnson, a second team all-MIAA pick in 2024, is the tackle leader for FHSU with 33 stops, including 3.5 TFL. Michael Polley has been the leader in the defensive backfield, as the junior safety has picked off two passes so far in 2025, including a 78-yard pick-six vs. Nebraska-Kearney.
 
Series History
Saturday marks the 34th all-time meeting with Fort Hays State. The Griffons lead the all-time series 19-13-1, winning 16 of the last 19 meetings since 2001 and five of the last six get-togethers since 2018.
 
Hays handed MoWest its first loss of the season in 2024, defeating the Griffons 30-16 in Hays on September 7. That was MWSU's first loss in Hays, Kansas since 2016.
 
Halling the Load
Two-time all-MIAA running back Brandon Hall is back for a fifth and final season after a promising 2024 was cut short with an ankle injury in week four. Even though he missed seven games last year, Hall is the lead returning rusher with 557 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. He averaged 139.25 rush yards per game and 8.3 yards per carry. He also hauled in 11 passes for 66 yards and an additional score last season.

Hall currently ranks No. 6 in program history with 2414 career rushing yards, having surpassed Mike Connaker for 6th most all-time this season. Hall's career average of 6.1 yards per carry is currently No. 5 in the program record books, and his 399 career carries ranks ninth.

Personnel Pieces
Missouri Western welcomes back a plethora of talent in 2025 with 21 total starters back, including 11 players on the offensive side who started four games or more in 2024.
 
The Griffons also made some key additions in the offseason, signing 30 freshmen and 10 transfers. The position of choice in this class was defensive backs with 14 DBs joining the team.
 
MoWest also signed seven new receivers, as each of the top four pass catchers from 2024 graduated. The Griffs did, however, bring back each of their top five rushers from 2024, returning 97.4% of their 1800 net rushing yards from last season.

Tune Into the Griffons
The Griffon Sports Network will once again provide live and free coverage all season long for all home and away games.
 
Tommy Rezac is back as 'Voice of the Griffons' for a fifth season. All games can be heard for free on the Varsity Network App and at GoGriffons.com/listen. To listen on the Varsity Network App, simply search "Missouri Western" once you have the app downloaded on your mobile device. Pregame coverage for each radio broadcast starts 30 minutes prior to kickoff.
 
Game of the Week
The MIAA has announced its partnership with Scripps Media and their independent television station, KMCI (38 The Spot), will broadcast an MIAA Football 'Game of the Week' again in 2025.
 
MoWest will play in the 'Game of the Week' twice in 2025 - first at Missouri Southern on Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. and then at home the following week vs. Washburn on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. The 'Game of the Week' can be viewed in St. Joseph on Optimum Channel 17. Every game, as usual, will be available to stream on the MIAA Network as well.
 
What's Next
MoWest is back home on Saturday, Oct. 4 to face Emporia State. Kickoff in that game is set for 6 p.m. It'll be MWSU's annual Homecoming game and part of a weekend-long celebration, honoring 50 years of women's sports at Missouri Western State University.