Home away from home

A strong southern wind greeted the Fort Hays State Tigers at Spratt Stadium on Saturday — a touch of the western Kansas plains in St. Joseph.

“I told (Western coach) Jerry (Partridge) when I got here, ‘You can turn the fan off. I don’t need the welcoming effects,’” Tigers coach Kevin Verdugo said.

Fort Hays’ offense managed to score twice in the fourth quarter against the wind but essentially had to rely on the legs of quarterback Anthony Smith to get that done.

“It played a big factor, going against the wind and trying to get in the end zone,” Smith said.

The Griffons offense failed to score a touchdown in the second half, and quarterback Drew Newhart also said the wind could’ve played a factor.

“It may have been the wind. I’m not one to make excuses,” Newhart said. “We just have to come out and play better.

“We moved the ball extremely well in the first half. I don’t know if we got a little complacent or lethargic.”

Western punter Jamie Hanson boomed two wind-aided 64-yard kicks, while fellow specialist Dustin Strickler made a 41-yard field goal against the wind.

Onside success

For the second straight week, Western’s opponent executed a surprise onside kick, and for a second straight week, it didn’t come back to haunt the Griffons.

After Washburn recovered an onside kick last week, Fort Hays’ Nathan Rausa popped an onside kick up in the air following an interception return for a touchdown Saturday. D.J. Draper caught it give the Tigers the ball back behind, 24-14, in the third quarter.

“It worked like a charm. It’s something we have been prepping all year for some teams,” Verdugo said. “We’ve been close a couple of times to using it, and it was a great opportunity to put it in.”

But five plays later, Western safety Nate Bruto picked off Smith to negate any damage for Western. Partridge attributed the successful onside kicks to mental mistakes.

“Kids aren’t reacting when they are supposed to. They’re not attacking the football,” Partridge said. “We’re playing real young. We’re doing every thing right now to lose it or keep people in it. We’ve got to quit doing it.”

Shutting them down

The Griffons shut out Fort Hays in the first half Saturday. Western shut out two opponents in the first half last year — against Southwest Baptist and Wayne State. The Griffons haven’t posted a full shutout since Oct. 19, 2002, in a 28-0 victory against Baptist. It was the second consecutive week Fort Hays failed to score in the first half. The Tigers mustered just a fourth-quarter touchdown in a loss last week to Truman.

Getting to the QB

Fort Hays sacked Newhart four times for a loss of 40 yards Saturday. It matched the most sacks Western has allowed this season. Northwest Missouri State sacked Newhart fours times for a loss of 36 yards.

Extra points

C.J. Lovett became the first Tigers to return a punt for a touchdown in 38 games, dating back to 2004. ... Western was the last MIAA team to secure a conference victory this season. ... Fort Hays now has lost 16 road games in a row and hasn’t won in St. Joseph since 1989. The Tigers haven’t defeated Western since 2000.

Quotable

“(I was thinking) not again. We needed this one bad. We had a rough last two weeks, and we just needed a win.”

— Newhart on Fort Hays’ last pass, which fell through Bryan Haynes’ hands at the Western

5-yard line with 6 seconds left.

— R.J. COOPER

Costly mistakes

During fall practice, Missouri Western quarterback Drew Newhart said throwing fewer interceptions was one of his goals for his sophomore season.

Last year, Newhart threw for 2,089 yards and 21 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. With three picks Saturday in Western’s 21-17 loss to Washburn, Newhart already has matched that interception total from last year, and the Griffons still have six games remaining.

“I take it all on myself. I put the team in the position to win ball games, and I just don’t come up with big plays like we need,” Newhart said. “I don’t think anything has changed (from last season). I think it’s just me being an idiot. I don’t know what it is. I watched film and felt confident coming into this game.”

During Western’s four-game losing streak, Newhart has turned the ball over 13 times.

“We’re not going to win a ball game when your quarterback throws three interceptions,” he said.

Injury report

Western wide receiver Cedric Houston, who entered Saturday averaging an MIAA-leading 107.8 yards a game, didn’t play against Washburn because of an ankle injury suffered on the last drive against Pittsburg State last week. Coach Jerry Partridge said Houston should be ready to go next week against Fort Hays State.

The same cannot be said for right tackle Corey Halderman. The sophomore tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the second quarter and is done for the season. Offensive line depth was a concern entering this season and will only be magnified now. Sophomore and top backup Jeff Brock finally healed from a stress fracture, and junior Josh Clausen also will see plenty of playing time.

Running back Zach Walker rushed just two times for seven yards before injuring his knee. His status for next week is undetermined.

Three and out, finally

After not forcing a punt for more than nine quarters of football — a span of 137 minutes, 49 seconds — Western’s defense stopped Washburn on the game’s opening drive Saturday as the Ichabods went three-and-out. And after waiting three weeks to return a punt, the Griffons had to settle for a fair catch on Austin Hill’s first punt. Western did force seven punts Saturday — two more than the first four weeks of the season combined.

Perfect no more

Dustin Strickler entered Saturday’s 6-for-6 on field goal attempts. That perfect streak ended when Washburn’s Xavier Beckford blocked Strickler’s season-long 47-yard attempt on Western’s first drive of the game.

The century mark

An Ichabod hadn’t rushed for 100 yards in its past five games — a streak dating back to Nov. 10, 2007. Brandon Walker ended that streak with 106 yards Saturday — more than half of which came on a 56-yard run in the first quarter that set up Washburn’s first touchdown. The Ichabods lined up Walker at quarterback a few times Saturday, including on that big run.

Extra points

Freshman Justin Cooper’s touchdown which provided the winning margin, was his first collegiate score. … Western hasn’t been 1-4 since its first season at the Division II level in 1989. … The Griffons haven’t lost four in a row since a five-game slide in 1998. That last loss in that streak was a 35-27 defeat at Washburn.

­— R.J. COOPER