Football | 12/3/2016 10:37:08 PM

Copperas Cove, Texas – Fort Hays State rushed for 319 yards as they defeated Eastern New Mexico 45-12 in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl.
 
The Tigers struck first as Jacob Mezera found Layne Bieberle for a 55-yard pass and catch to put FHSU out to a 7-0 lead. With 4:08 to go in the first quarter Shaquille Cooper ran the ball in from 65-yards to out make it a 14-0 lead.
 
The Greyhounds answered with 13:13 to go in the second quarter as Cass Kamal ran in from one yard out, the extra point was blocked and ENMU trailed 14-6. FHSU’s DeAndre James would take the ensuing kickoff 88-yards for a score to make it a 21-6 Tiger lead. Bieberle would make his second touchdown grab of the night as he took a 12-yard pass from Mezera to make it a 28-6 lead. With 41 second to go in the half  ENMU’s Bailey Hale hit a 32-yard field goal to cut the FHSU lead to 35-9. With just 13 seconds to go Mezara hit Cooper on a 40-yard touchdown strike to make it a 35-9 halftime advantage.
 
Neither team would score in the third quarter before the Greyhounds got a 45-yard field goal from Hale at the 12:15 mark in the fourth to make it a 35-12 game. The Tigers would strike again with 10:08 to go in the game as Kenneth Iheme ran the ball in from 24 yards out to give FHSU the 42-12 lead. FHSU would then tack on three more points as Brandon Brown connected on a 26-yard kick.
 
For the Tigers Mezera was 15 of 26 for 199 yards and three touchdowns hitting Bieberle four times for 97 yards and two scores. Cooper finished with 146 yards on the ground with a score and also caught two passes for 66 yards and a score. On defense Jose Delgado led the way with 13 tackles and Sheldon Schmidt had a team best 2.5 tackles for a loss.
 
Fort Hays State finishes the season with a  record of 8-4 and claimed the first Heart of Texas Bowl title for the MIAA.