Football opens SLC play on TV at Central Arkansas
10/8/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football
THIS WEEK
Sam Houston State Bearkats (2-1) vs. Central Arkansas Bears (4-1)
Saturday, October 11, 2008 -- 6 p.m. -- Estes Stadium -- Conway, AR
THE GAME ON RADIO
Sam Houston State's contest Saturday with Central Arkansas will be broadcast live on KSAM 101.7 FM in Huntsville. The broadcast, with Kooter Roberson and Leroy Wilkinson, can also be heard on the internet at www.gobearkats.com.
THE GAME ON TELEVISION
Saturday's game marks the first of three appearances for the Bearkats on the new Southland Conference TV network. The game will be telecast live on nine stations in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas including KTBU TV in Houston. Sam Houston's home games with McNeese Oct. 18 and SFA Nov. 1 also will be telecast on SLC TV. This marks the 24th time since Sam Houston moved up to the NCAA Division I level that a Kats' game has been televised regionally or nationally. Sam Houston stands 12-11 in its previous 23 games on the tube.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE OPENER
The Bearkats start their 22nd season of Southland Conference football Saturday at Central Arkansas. Sam Houston is 7-13-1 in league openers since the Kats joined the Southland in 1987. Three of the seven times Sam Houston opened the Southland with a victory, the Kats went on to win the league title (1991, 2001, 2004). SHSU also won its league openers in 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2006.
OFFENSIVE SHOWDOWN EXPECTED
Two of the top offenses in the Southland Conference duel Saturday. Here's how the Kats and the Bears rank in the SLC.
Sam Houston Central Arkansas
Scoring................40.3 pts. (2nd in SLC) 37.6 pts. (3rd in SLC)
Passing............. 301.0 yds (2nd in SLC) 319.0 yds (1st in SLC)
Total Offense..... 411.0 yds (3rd in SLC) 463.2 yds (2nd in SLC)
RHETT BOMAR vs. NATHAN BROWN
Leading the two high octane offenses are quarterbacks Rhett Bomar of Sam Houston and Nathan Brown of Central Arkansas. Bomar leads the Southland in total offense with 314.3 yards per game. In three games, he has completed 62 of 97 passes for 878 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brown ranks second in SLC total offense with 302.8 yards, going 111 of 156 in the aire for 1,458 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has not been intercepted this year. Both have earned Southland Conference offensive player of the week honors once this year.
Brown led the Bears to a 35-14 victory as he passed for 308 yards and two TDs. Brown also led UCA to a 38-30 victory in Huntsville in 2006.
Nathan Brown vs. SHSU PC - PA - HI - Yards - TD
2006 ................................ 17 - 32 - 0 - 208 - 4
2007 ................................ 28 - 37 - 0 - 308 - 2
Rhett Bomar vs. UCA PC - PA - HI - Yards - TD
2007 ................................ 22 - 36 - 2 - 241 - 1
SAM HOUSTON STATE BEARKATS
Sam Houston has won the Southland Conference championship and earned an NCAA Division I playoff berth three times (in 1991, 2001 and 2004). The Bearkats reached the national quarterfinals in 2001 and the semifinals in 2004.
Bearkats playing in the National Football League include quarterback Josh McCown (Panthers) and Keith Davis (Cowboys).
Thanks to a pair of open dates and Hurricane Ike, the Bearkats have played only three games this season, each against an opponent from a different NCAA division.
SHSU defeated East Central Oklahoma (NCAA Division II) 58-14 in its opener Aug. 28. Scoring on each of its eight possessions in the first half, Sam Houston built a 52-0 halftime lead and did not play its starters in the second half.
After the Sept. 13 match-up with Prairie View was canceled due to the hurricane, the Bearkats held their own with #19 Kansas in front of a crowd of 51,767. The Kats fell 38-14 to the defending Orange Bowl champions. SHSU trailed 14-7 with a minute left before intermission and cut the Jayhawk margin to 28-14 in the third quarter. The contest marked only the second time in Southland Conference football history an SLC team lost to an NCAA Division I Bowl Championship Series Top 25 team by less than a four-touchdown margin. Northwestern State fell to #21 Missouri 35-14 in 1998
In its only meeting this year with an NCAA Division I FCS foe, Sam Houston defeated Gardner-Webb 49-33 in a road game in Boiling Springs, NC (the farthest East SHSU has played football).
Rhett Bomar earned Southland and National FCS "Offensive Player of the Week" honors. He passed for a season high 340 yards including five TDs (tying a school record). He also ran for a score to become only the second player in Sam Houston history to be responsible for six TDs in one game. Dustin Long threw for five TDs and ran for another against McNeese in the 2004 championship season.
Bomar left the game after one series in the third quarter so his 943 yards this season have come in eight quarters of action.
BOMAR MOVING UP THE CAREER PASSING LISTS In just 12 games as a Bearkat, Bomar is starting to make a move on many of the Sam Houston State all-time passing records.
|
Passing yards Career |
||
| 1. Arthur Louis | 1977-80 | 4,902 |
| 2. Dustin Long | 2004 | 4,588 |
| 3. Reggie Lewis | 1984-87 | 4,269 |
| 4. Ashley Van Meter | 1989-92 | 3,869 |
| 5. Lanny Dycus | 1984-85 | 3,843 |
| 6. Don Gottlob | 1950-52 | 3,832 |
| 7. Albert Bradley | 1996-2000 | 3,713 |
| 8. Chad Schramek | 1994-97 | 3,585 |
| 9. Josh McCown | 2001 | 3,481 |
| 10. RHETT BOMAR | 2007-08 | 3,087 |
|
Passing Touchdowns Season |
||
|
1. Dustin Long |
2004 | 39 |
| 2. Josh McCown | 2001 | 32 |
| 3. Chris Chaloupka | 1999 | 21 |
| 4. Don Gottlob | 1952 | 18 |
| 5. Reggie Lewis | 1987 | 16 |
| 6. Arthur Louis | 1978 | 14 |
| 7. Arthur Louis | 1979 | 13 |
| 8. Reggie Leiws | 1986 | 12 |
| 9. Ashley Van Meter | 1992 | 11 |
| 10. RHETT BOMAR | 2008 | 10 |
| Rhett Bomar | 2007 | 10 |
| Chad Schramek | 1997 | 10 |
| Passing Touchdowns Career
|
||
| 1. Dustin Long | 2004 | 39 |
| 2. Arthur Louis | 1977-80 | 34 |
| 3. Don Gottlob | 1950-52 | 33 |
| 4. Josh McCown | 2001 | 32 |
| 5. Reggie Lewis | 1984-87 | 30 |
| 6. Albert Bradley | 1996-2000 | 23 |
| David Kubiak | 1967-1970 | 23 |
| 8. RHETT BOMAR | 2007-08 | 20 |
| Chad Schramek | 1994-1997 | 20 |
|
Quarterbacks total touchdowns |
||
| 1. Arthur Louis | 1977-80 | 42 (8 rushing) |
| Don Gottlob | 1950-52 | 42 (8 rushing, 1 fumble recovery) |
| 3. Dustin Long | 2004 | 41 (2 rushing) |
| David Kubiak | 1967-70 | 41 (17 rushing, 1 receiving) |
| 5. Reggie Lewis | 1984-87 | 40 (10 rushing) |
| 6. Josh McCown | 2001 | 38 (6 rushing) |
| 7. Albert Bradley | 1996-2000 | 33 (10 rushing) |
| 8. Guido Merkins | 1973-76 | 29 (13 rushing, 1 receiving) |
| RHETT BOMAR | 2007-08 | 29 (9 rushing) |
| 10. Dennis Gann | 1965-66 | 24 (10 rushing, 1 receiving) |
| Completions in a career |
||
| 1. Dustin Long | 2004 | 333 |
| 2. Chad Schramek | 1994-97 | 309 |
| 3. Lanny Dycus | 1984-85 | 299 |
| 4. Reggie Lewis | 1984-87 | 298 |
| 5. Ashley Van Meter | 1989-92 | 297 |
| 6. Albert Bradley | 1996-2000 | 296 |
| 7. Arthur Louis | 1977-1980 | 272 |
| 8. Josh McCown | 2001 | 259 |
| 9. RHETT BOMAR | 2007-08 | 234 |
| Don Gottlob | 1950-52 | 234 |
|
Completion percentage in a career |
||
| 1. Dustin Long | 2004 | .627 (333-of-531) |
| 2. Chris Chaloupka | 1999 | .620 (168-of-271) |
| 3. Josh McCown | 2001 | .604 (259-of-429) |
| 4. RHETT BOMAR | 2007-08 | .603 (234-of-388) |
| 5. Reggie Lewis | 1984-87 | .568 (298-of-524) |
| Total offense career
|
||
| 1. Reggie Lewis | 1984-87 | 5,150 (4,269 pass, 471 rush) |
| 2. Arthur Louis | 1977-80 | 4,933 (4,902 pass, 31 rush) |
| 3. Dustin Long | 2004 | 4,576 (4,588 pass, -12 rush) |
| 4. Don Gottlob | 1950-52 | 4,200 (3,832 pass, 368 rush) |
| 5. Ashley Van Meter | 1989-92 | 4,193 (3,869 pass, 324 rush) |
| 6. David Kubiak | 1967-70 | 4183 (2,655 pass, 1,528 rush) |
| 7. Albert Bradley | 1996-2000 | 4,034 (3,713 pass, 321 rush) |
| 8. Lanny Dycus | 1984-85 | 3,839 (3,843 pass, -4 rush) |
| 9. Josh McCown | 2001 | 3,832 (3,481 pass, 351 rush) |
| 10. Chad Schramek | 1994-97 | 3,710 (3,585 pass, 125 rush) |
| 11. RHETT BOMAR | 2007-08 | 3,558 (3,087 pass, 471 rush) |
| 12. Guido Merkens | 1973-1976 | 3,315 (2,354 pass, 961 rush) |
FOURTH YEAR UNDER COACH WHITTEN
Todd Whitten and his staff begin their fourth season at Sam Houston State, seeking to build on back-to-back winning seasons and Southland Conference runner-up finishes. Thirty-eight lettermen return from last year's 7-4 squad including six starters on offense and and six on defense.
THE BEARKAT OFFENSE
Sam Houston State ranks No. 4 in scoring offense (40.3), No. 6 in passing offense (301.0) and No. 21 in total offense (411.0) in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
Quarterback Rhett Bomar leads the Southland and ranks No. 4 nationally in individual total offense (314.3).
The senior has passed for 538 yards and 5 TDs and rushed for 45 yards and another score in a game-and-a-half. He did not play in the second half of the opener against East Central Oklahoma.
Bomar led the Southland and ranked No. 8 nationally in total offense (290.6 yards per game) last year.
Senior wide receivers Justin Wells (14 catches for 232 yards, 2 TDs) and Catron Houston (14 catches for 178 yards, 2 TDs) are Bomar's top targets.
Wells caught a 46-yard scoring pass at Kansas and a 40-yard tally in Gardner-Webb. The Huntsville High School product has become only the 19th player in Sam Houston's 93 football seasons to total more than 1,000 yards receiving. Wells has 70 career catches for 1,065 yards and seven scores.
Houston, who led the Bearkats in receiving last year (46 catches for 597 yards) has caught 72 passes for 882 yards and five touchdowns since transferring to SHSU from Texas Tech.
Jason Madkins, a 6-5 transfer from Navarro Junior College, is the Kats' tallest receiver. He has three TD catches this year.
Transfer running back James Aston leads the Kats with 194 yards on 28 carries including 3 TDs and a long run of 49 yards. Aston also has 13 receptions for 148 yards and three scores.
A concern coming into the season was the youth of the offensive line after losing three All-Southland Conference linemen and All-American tight end Blake Martin to graduation. But, with a two-deep consisting of four seniors, two juniors and four freshmen, the line has performed well.
Seniors Aaron Saunders (6-7, 314), Nick Grimes (5-11, 278) and Jordan Bowersox (6-2, 277); junior Hunter Schmidt (6-3, 304) and redshirt freshman Travis Watson (6-2, 295) lead the way for the Bearkat offense.
Jonathon Clark (6-4, 245), a transfer from Glendale Community College in Arizona, is the starting tight end.
THE BEARKAT DEFENSE
Defensive end Chris Brown, an honorable mention All-America selection last year as a sophomore, leads the Bearkat defense. Brown has 23 tackles (11 solo) with four quarterback sacks and a pass breakup. Brown totaled three sacks in the Gardner-Webb victory, one short of the Sam Houston school record set by NFL star (Cardinals) Michael Bankston in 1991.
Brown accounted for five of the Bearkats' 13 sacks in 2007 as he earned first team All-Southland conference honors.
Defensive tackle Eric Mikolajchak also earned All-Southland Conference honors last year. Recruited as an offensive lineman, the senior moved to defense as a sophomore and has totaled 84 tackles including 11 for losses in his three years as a starter.
At linebacker, Nolan Bucek led the Southland in tackles (88) in 2007 and Luke McCall added 72 stops as linebackers last year. The pair have totaled 19 and 12 tackles, respectively, in 2008.
Cornerbacks Wonseleh Brewer and Stanley Garrett return as starters in the secondary.
Safety Billy Skinner has 20 tackles and defensive lineman Frank Simon has added 18 stops this year.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Taylor Wilkins was 33-for-33 on extra points and hit 14-of-18 field goals last season, The junior kicking specialist produced a career long 45 yard field goal against East Central. He is 16 of 17 on extra points this season.
Punter Derrick Raymer is averaging 34.5 yards per attempt.
ALL-SOUTHLAND RETURNEES
Six All-Southland Conference Bearkats return. Defensive end Chris Brown was a first team selection. Kicker Taylor Wilkins and linebacker Nolan Bucek were named to the second team. Quarterback Rhett Bomar, offensive lineman Hunter Schmidt and defensive lineman Eric Mikolajchak were honorable mention All-Southland.
BEARKAT OFFENSIVE SUCCESS
In the past nine seasons, Sam Houston has led the Southland Conference in passing four times and total offense three seasons. Three Bearkat quarterbacks have earned Southland "Player of the Year" honors and been finalists for the Walter Payton Award as NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision offensive player of the year -- Chris Chaloupka (1999), Josh McCown (2001) and Dustin Long (2004).
TRANSFERS LOOK TO FILL GAPS
Several transfers figure to fill important spots in the Bearkat two-deep including wide receiver Jason Madkins (Navarro JC), tight end Jonathon Clark (Glendale CC), defensive back D. J. Emerson (SMU) and quarterback Bryan Randolph (Moorpark JC).
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and stands today as the third oldest public university in Texas. Created to train school teachers, today SHSU offers a broad range of programs leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
The University is named for General Sam Houston, the only man in U.S. history to be governor of two states (Tennessee and Texas). He led Texas to independence with the victory over Santa Anna at San Jacinto. He was the first president of the Republic of Texas and served as a senator and governor for the state of Texas. He died in 1863 and is buried in Huntsville not far from the campus named in his honor.
