By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Senior defensive lineman Reggie St. Pierre and senior left tackle Wesley Yarbough, two longtime friends, had talked plenty about the 2009 Fort Hays State University football season and a possible revamping for Tiger football.

"We did," St. Pierre said. "We saw the past records before we got here. We were hoping for a turnaround and it looks like we are going to start one this year."

St. Pierre and Yarbough, each in their second season with Fort Hays, helped the Tigers improve to 2-0 with a 31-21 victory against Colorado School of Mines in Saturday night's home opener at Lewis Field Stadium. St. Pierre picked up a team-high 2 1/2 tackles for loss, while Yarbough opened holes for another big night from the Tiger offense.

Fort Hays equaled its win total from last season and started 2-0 for the first time since 2007 and the second occasion since 2000.

"I think we got better in a lot of ways this week," Tiger coach Kevin Verdugo said. "We still have got a long ways to go and a lot of things we can improve on. We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times tonight, but we were able to recover from that and keep the lead and come out the way we did."

Fort Hays, with its new spread offense and new corps of talented wideouts, tallied more than 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 7 and 14 in 2006.

The 76 points combined in Weeks 1 and 2 tied the most since Weeks 3 and 4 of 2004. On Saturday, Fort Hays defeated an Oredigger team that had beaten the Tigers 37-17 in Colorado last fall. Mines, which lost to Washburn University 27-14 last Saturday, has made the playoffs the past two seasons. Mines made multiple mistakes on Saturday, including missing three short field goals and dropping an open pass in the end zone.

The Tigers, though, posted another quality offensive effort and senior quarterback Mike Garrison said "it sure was" the best game of his two-year career. Garrison, helped by the offensive line's blocking, completed 19-of-27 passes for a career-high 233 yards and 1 touchdown. Garrison has yet to throw an interception after he threw seven last season.

"Probably a lot more film study, up here, watching film," he said. "I can go out there and know exactly what they are going to run the defense and know exactly where the ball is going to be in that defense formation, where they roll to their coverage."

Garrison hit multiple checkdowns and short routes against the Mines' defense and connected with eight different receivers.

"It was their defense, the way they played, the coverage they rolled to," Garrison said. "Getting into my reads, my progressions, reading my No. 1 ... When it came down to it, I came down to my checks quite a bit tonight."

Transfer James Walker rushed for 107 yards on 19 carries.

"Everything starts up front with the offensive linemen," Walker said. "The offensive linemen picked up their blocks today, I ran my keys and we were successful on the ground."

Mines took a 7-0 lead on the opening possession of the game before Fort Hays tallied 28 unanswered points. Mines had a six-play, 54-yard drive that culminated in a 27-yard TD pass from senior quarterback David Pesek to senior wide receiver Adam Saur.

The Tigers tied the game three plays later on a 70-yard pass play from Garrison to junior transfer O.J. Murdock, the lone new wideout that didn't play in Week 1. Murdock, who previously played at NCAA Division I University of South Carolina, missed last Saturday's win because of an academic transcript issue.

"With his experience and his ability, it's going to help balance out the field for us," Verdugo said.

On first down, Garrison threw deep down the right side. Murdock and a Mines' defensive back jumped for the ball. The ball was tipped into the air. Murdock, who was slightly ahead of the defensive back, caught the ball and raced into the end zone. Last season, Fort Hays, which ranked last in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics in scoring offense, had one reception longer than Murdock's catch.

"It was the most horrible ball I have ever thrown, all duck and quacky out there," Garrison said. "Great play, great concentration, kept his eye on the ball, didn't fall down. The cornerback was all over him. It was a great play."

Fort Hays then used a 14-play, 93-yard drive to score. It included two Mines penalties, including a roughing the passer call and passing interference in the end zone, and 6-for-6 passing from Garrison, who completed the drive with a 6-yard TD run.

"I think he has got some good talent around him right now that can help him win games," Verdugo said of Garrison. "He doesn't have to be the guy to try and win ballgames for us. I think passing game, he did some good stuff, a few decisions he would like to have back."

Mines went three-and-out and punted to senior C.J. Lovett, the reigning d2football.com Special Teams Player of the Week after he ran back a punt and kickoff for scores versus Western State. This time, Lovett caught the ball at the Tiger 15, juked a defender, went right, then back left and down the left sideline for the score.

It marked Lovett's fifth punt or kick return for a TD in his career, a Tiger record. The punt return TD was his third of his career and set a new Fort Hays school mark. The previous record was 2 set by Lovett and Max VanLaningham (1962-65). Lovett's 85-yard burst broke VanLaningham's school mark of 83 yards set in 1963.

"I was not surprised that they kicked to him," Verdugo said.

Fort Hays tacked on its fourth score of the half after an Oredigger fumble on a punt return. Garrison, who did not have an incompletion until 9:44 remained in the first half, went 3-for-3 on the drive. Garrison, who had completed 45 percent of the passes in his two-year Fort Hays career, misfired on three first-half passes and eight overall. Senior Jacobb Irvin scored from 9 yards out for a 28-7 lead at the half.

"Just staying consistent, hitting the shallow stuff, making the receivers make the big plays," Garrison said.

In the second half, Mines missed two of its three field goals and dropped the sure TD pass. Pesek, the preseason Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year, passed for 376 yards and 3 TDs, but was sacked six times. Pesek connected with Saur for a 15-yard TD midway through the third quarter and Cody Renken for a 15-yard touchdown in the fourth. Tiger senior Nathan Rausa tacked on a late 28-yard field goal for the final margin.

"Coach (Kyle) Nystrom knew what he was doing tonight," St. Pierre said, referencing the Tigers' new defensive coordinator. "He called some bad plays, but he called some good ones. He called more good ones than he called bad ones. That's why the score was like it was."

Fort Hays will play host to Missouri Western State University Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lewis Field Stadium in the MIAA opener.