By NICK McQUEEN

nmcqueen@dailynews.net

Fourth-year Fort Hays State University football coach Kevin Verdugo doesn't have a crystal ball.

Nor does he rely on any other method of predicting the future. The former college quarterback lives his life on a week-to-week basis.

What he knows this week, is the Tigers will again be without the services of starting junior quarterback Mike Garrison. They again be led onto the field by sophomore backup Anthony Smith, Verdugo said Monday in his weekly news conference.

Judging by the performance in a 31-28 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association loss at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo., on Saturday, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"They fought, they played hard," Verdugo said of his squad's come-from-behind effort, one of the best road performances in the 3Ôªø1âÑ2-season Verdugo era. "That might be the hardest I've ever seen them play.

"Unfortunately, that great effort wasn't rewarded with the win they were after."

After falling down 21-0 in the first half, Fort Hays (2-4 overall, 1-4 MIAA) fought its way back four four second-half scores. It was the most points the Tigers have scored in a road game (conference or not) since joining the MIAA ranks in 2006.

"That's the first time since I've been here that we've done that --  home or on the road to actually come back from being down two or three scores."

The rally was boosted by a punt return for a touchdown from junior C.J. Lovett, and Smith, in his first start behind center, led the charge in the fourth quarter with a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Smith's performance (21 carries, 134 yards, 2 touchdowns; 6-of-16 passing with three interceptions) was an indication of what the Tigers will look to do with the sophomore on the field.

Verdugo evaluated his young quarterback's play and other than a couple misthrown passes, was pleased with his ability to run the field.

"There were two mistakes that were extremely costly -- one of them an overthrown ball and one an under-thrown ball,"  Verdugo said. "He played well and didn't try to force a bunch."

With the loss of Garrison, who will be on a week-to-week basis from here on out, the Tigers will look for others to step up offensively as the season progresses.

"We don't want everything resting on (Smith's) shoulders,"  Verdugo said. "We all need to collectively play well in order to give our team a chance to win every week."

Most likely, it will come out of the running game. Fort Hays netted 243 yards on the ground against the weakest statistical defense in the MIAA, and even relied on the run in the come-from-behind effort.

"It's a total change (from what the Tigers were doing with Garrison),"  Verdugo said. "The run your quarterback, you really have to go to a zone read kind of system."

Smith was often in the shotgun, and the Tigers ran more of a spread style offense with Smith working mostly outside of the pocket.

Other than correcting some small errors made in Saturday's loss, the 16th in a row on the road for Fort Hays, not much will change when the Tigers take the field at home this week against Missouri Southern State University --  especially with a quarterback making just his second collegiate start.

"It's a situation where you have to be careful how much you change on a week-to-week basis,"  Verdugo said. "We have to maneuver some things around to give them some different looks."

The Tiger defense, which had its critics after giving up big first halves in the previous two weeks, had a better game against one of the most talented offenses the MIAA has to offer, holding the Griffons to just 195 yards of total offense. The defensive effort was highlighted by a 14-yard interception return for a score by senior linebacker Jason Carr. Fort Hays, the best overall defense in the MIAA (270.5 yards per game), continues to hold teams in check, allowing just 21 points a contest.

"They played fairly well,"  Verdugo said. "There were two series where they had a hard time on third down getting off the field, but otherwise played well."

With a backup quarterback for the Tigers, the ninth-ranked offense in the MIAA, and given the history between the two programs, this week's Hall of Fame Game could be labeled as a defensive struggle. Last season, the Tigers were shut out 6-0 in Joplin, Mo. by the Lions, and two seasons ago, when the TIgers finished 1-10, Fort Hays' only win was a 10-0 shutout of the Lions in Hays.

Regardless of what it looks like on paper, though, Fort Hays will enter this week with the same goal it has every week, giving itself the best opportunity to win, and continue its attempt to climb the MIAA ladder. The only difference is, the Tigers will go into this week with the same "new-look" offense shown in the solid effort at Missouri Western.

"They learned a lesson (in St. Joseph),"  Verdugo said. "That's what you have to do in this conference -- to be in every ball game."