Young Kats look to bounce back against Demons
10/29/2010 7:07:00 AM | Football
Last Saturday's loss in the Battle of the Piney Woods was a bitter pill for Sam Houston State to swallow.
A determined Bearkat squad went toe-to-toe with fourth-ranked Stephen F. Austin and were a few breaks away from pulling off an upset in a 31-28 setback in front of 24,000-plus fans at Reliant Stadium.
It was the kind of loss that can be deflating for a young team like Sam Houston State, but the Bearkats (2-1 in SLC, 4-3 overall) have bounced back with a solid week of practice heading into this weekend's matchup with up-and-coming Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La.
"We got together on Monday to talk with the team and I told them that we have to bounce back," Bearkats head coach Willie Fritz said. "We have to put that game behind us and I don't want to hear any talk about last week.
"All I want to hear about is beating Northwestern State and how we are going to do it. We had a great practice on Tuesday, one of the best we have had all season. We were good on Wednesday and Thursday, and we need good mental preparation over the next couple of days leading up to the ballgame."
Sam Houston has proven it can rebound from a disappointing loss. The Bearkats got run over 56-14 at Western Illinois to begin the season 0-2.
The following week during the home opener on Sept. 25, Sam Houston whipped Gardner-Webb 30-14, which jumped started a four-game winning streak.
"We didn't start off real well at the beginning of the season, and we are learning a little more about our guys each week," Fritz added. "The thing I keep telling them is that you only have 11 opportunities each season and we have played seven and have four left. You have to focus in and give it the best effort you can every ballgame."
Another thing that should help the Bearkats recover is the fact that they have gone on the road and won a pair of games this season. Sam Houston rolled Lamar 38-10 in Beaumont and pulled away from Nicholls 26-7 in Thibodaux, La.
But this will be a stiffer challenge. Northwestern State has improved tremendously since an 0-11 campaign in 2009. The Demons (2-1, 3-4) will be celebrating homecoming fresh off a pair of road wins at Central Arkansas and Texas State the previous two weekends.
"We did a nice job a couple of weeks back against Nicholls," Fritz said. "Playing on the road makes things tougher, but sometimes it is nice to get away because there are less distractions on the road.
"I think our preparation will be excellent. It's also not that far away, so we might get a good number of Bearkat fans at the game. It is their homecoming, so I'm sure there will be a nice crowd. We look forward to going over there."
Saturday's kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Turpin Stadium.
Following the trip to Northwestern State, Sam Houston will play host to McNeese State on Saturday Nov. 6 at Bowers Stadium in a 2 p.m. game. The contest marks the fourth annual "Kats for the Cause Pink Out" day at Bowers Stadium with several events highlighting breast cancer treatment and awareness.
Tickets for the final two games at Bowers Stadium this year are on sale online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is 936 294-1729.
