Bearkats get set to take on No. 6 McNeese State
10/9/2007 1:00:00 AM | Football
For the second time this season, Sam Houston State faces a top 10 ranked NCAA Div. I Football Championship Subdivision foe this Saturday when the Bearkats travel to Lake Charles, LA.
McNeese State, the preseason favorite to win the 2007 Southland football race, stands No. 6 nationally in the FCS rankings. The Cowboys, at 5-0, are one of only six unbeaten teams in the national rankings.
The meeting marks the 28th time Sam Houston has played a top 10 FCS opponent. Since moving up to the FCS level in 1986, the Bearkats are 4-23 in their previous meetings with top 10 FCS foes. Sam Houston's highest ranked victory came in 2004 when the Kats knocked off No. 1 Montana in Huntsville.
SAM HOUSTON - McNEESE STATE SERIES
McNeese State leads the series with Sam Houston State with 20 victories to eight for the Bearkats. There has been one tie. Sam Houston State is 4-11 against the Cowboys in Lake Charles. Two of those victories came in the 1950s and one was in 1970. Since the Bearkats joined the Southland Conference, Sam Houston has won in Lake Charles only once, in 1999.
SAM HOUSTON STATE IN LOUISIANA
In its 92 years of college football, Sam Houston State is 44-66-3 against teams from Louisiana and 18-42-1 in contests played in the Pelican State. The Bearkats have won on their last two trips to Louisiana, defeating Northwestern State 30-20 and Southeastern Louisiana 28-23 last year
LAST YEAR - McNEESE 31, SAM HOUSTON 18
Committing four turnovers, Sam Houston dug itself a early 17-0 hole in a 31-18 loss to McNeese State on Parents' Weekend in Huntsville. Jamelle Juneau returned a fumble 39 yards for a touchdown to give McNeese a 24-6 lead. D.D. Terry rushed for 253 yards including touchdown runs of 26 and 12 yards. Jeremy Wilson scored Sam Houston's other touchdown on a 30-yard fumble return.
LAST WEEK - CENTRAL ARKANSAS 35, SAM HOUSTON 14
Quarterback Nathan Brown earned Southland Conference “Offensive Player of the Week” honors after leading Central Arkansas to a 35-14 victory over SHSU at Huntsville. Brown completed passes to 14 different receivers as he hit 28 of 37 attempts for 308 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears rolled up 476 yards total offense and 37:24 in possession time. The UCA defense picked off two Bearkat passes and recovered an SHSU fumble.
THE BEARKAT OFFENSE
For the fifth time in the past nine years, Sam Houston State leads the Southland Conference in passing offense (271.2 yards). The Bearkats rank 14th among NCAA Division I FCS squads national in passing yards per game.
Junior quarterback Rhett Bomar ranks ninth nationally in total offense (304.2 yards per game). Bomar has passed for 1,330 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 191 yards and two scores.
Three Bearkat quarterbacks have earned Southland Conference “Player of the Year” honors and been finalists for the Walter Payton Award as FCS offensive player of the year.
Chris Chaloupka (transfer from Oklahoma State) passed for 2,503 yards and 21 TDs in 1999. Josh McCown (transfer from SMU) passed for 3,481 yards and 32 TDs in 2001. Dustin Long (transfer from Texas A&M) passed for 4,588 yards and 39 TDs in 2004. McCown and Long led the Kats to SLC championships.
BEARKAT RECEIVERS
Tight end Blake Martin leads Bearkat receiving with 26 catches for 263 yards. A preseason All-America and All-Southland Conference pick, Martin has become the fifth tight end in Bearkat history to gain 1,000 yards receiving in his career. He has caught 97 passes for 1,090 yards in 38 games as a Bearkat.
Kevin Pesak totaled 1,682 yards in 1994-97 to lead all Kat tight ends. Others are Ricky Eggleston, 1,555 in 1985-88; Keith Heinrich, 1,050 in 1998-2001; and Corey Roberts, 1,006 in 2002-05.
Catron Houston, who played last season after transferring from Houston, ranks second in receiving with 24 catches for 260 yards.
Justin Wells, junior two-year letterman, has caught 17 passes for 314 yards including 65 and 55-yard touchdowns.
Junior letterman Darnell Jones has 13 catches for 181 yards. Jones caught a 56-yard TD against Arkansas-Monticello.
THE RUNNING GAME
D. D. Terry, who set a school record with 1,328 yards rushing last year, was the Southland Conference Offensive “Player of the Year.” But Terry now is on the practice squad with the Jacksonville Jaquars. Taking over at running back are sophomore Chris Poullard and freshmen Isaiah Sneed and TyMagic Robinson. Poullard has rushed for 301 yards on 58 carries. Sneed is 31 for 143 and Robinson 14 for 77 rushing.
Quarterback Rhett Bomar has rushed 50 times for 191 yards and two scores to ranks as SHSU's second-leading rusher.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Four offensive linemen, who each started in all 11 games in 2006, return including center Brennon Williams, tackle Brandon Hale, and guards Ryan Dretke and Hunter Schmidt. The Bearkats gave up only 10 sacks in 11 games last year.
DEFENSE PRODUCES TURNOVERS
Linebacker Nolan Bucek and defensive back Byron Richmond are the top tacklers for the Bearkats, both with 44 stops. Defensive end Chris Brown, a transfer from the University of Texas, leads the team in quarterback sacks with four. The defense has recovered six opponent fumbles and intercepted two passes.
Defensive end David Branch was a preseason All-Southland Conference selection.
BEARKAT COACHING STAFF NOTES
Unique notes about Bearkat coaching staff include the following:
* Head Coach TODD WHITTEN was drafted in baseball by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1983 and signed a free agent contract with the NFL New England Patriots in 1987.
* Offensive Coordinator JAMES FERGUSON coached Whitten when the head coach was a quarterback at Stephen F. Austin.
* TOMMY MAINORD, Bearkat running backs coach, is the son of CARLOS MAINORD, Texas Tech safeties coach. Carlos Mainord coached SHSU Director of Athletics BOBBY WILLIAMS at Rice University.
* Defensive coordinator DUANE DIRK is the father of SHSU offensive lineman JOHN DIRK.
