Kats leading several NCAA FCS Stats
10/2/2011 10:16:00 AM | Football
The Bearkat defense leads NCAA FCS teams in rushing defense (51.8 yards per game). The defense ranks No. 8 in scoring defense (17.0) No. 10 in turnover margin (1.25) and No. 26 in total defense (315.3).
Junior safety Darnell Taylor of Mesquite leads the Bearkats with 34 total tackles. Other top tacklers include defensive backs Bookie Sneed (24) and Robert Shaw (18), linebacker Darius Taylor (19) and defensive lineman Eric Fieilo (17).
Fieilo and transfer defensive end Jarrett Brown combined to tackle UTSA quarterback Eric Soza for a safety for the Bearkats' first score in the win over the Roadrunners.
Offensively, Sam Houston State leads the Southland Conference and ranks No. 5 in NCAA Division I FCS rushing with 256.5 yards per game on the ground. The Kats stand No. 29 nationally in total offense with 405.8 yards per game.
Tim Flanders continues to carve his notch in the Sam Houston record book. With SHSU's final touchdown in a 22-7 win over UTSA last Saturday, Flanders became only the sixth Bearkat running back to total 20 or more career TDs. Luther Turner (1985-87) holds the record with 35. McNeil Moore (1951-53) scored 30, Charles Harris (1991-94) tallied 26 and Flanders is tied with Curtis Thomas (1988-91) and Chris Poullard (2006-09) with 20 each.
Not yet midway through his sophomore season, Flanders now ranks 24th in all-time SHSU rushing with 1,452 career yards.
Brandon Closner, senior return specialist from Arlington is averaging 21.6 yards per kickoff return and 7.9 yards per punt return. He ranks third in both Sam Houston career punt returns (70 for 637 yards) and kickoff returns (66 for 1,585). He stands just 23 yards away from becoming the Kats' all-time leader in kickoff returns. Stevie Smith (2002-05) currently holds the career mark of 1,607 yards.
Matt Foster, Sam Houston's "Punter from Down Under" from Melbourne, Australia, owns a 42.0 average on 20 punts this season. The Bearkats rank No. 6 in NCAA Division I FCS net punting with a 39.2 average. The junior specialist has seven punts of more than 50 yards including a long of 62 and 10 punts that have been downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Torrance Williams, sophomore from Waco Connelly, scored the game-winning touchdown on 59-yard reverse at 8:43 mark in third quarter in third quarter Saturday versus UTSA. He also gained 37 on another key run for the Bearkats.
Kenneth Jenkins, junior from Galveston Ball, was one of Sam Houston's tackle leaders and intercepted two passes in 22-7 victory over UTSA. His first interception set up Bearkats' first touchdown in the second quarter. Saturday the Bearkat defene limited Roadrunners to 246 total yards (29 rushing, 217 passing) and created five turnovers.
Sam Houston takes on Stephen F. Austin in the 86th "Battle of the Piney Woods" at Reliant Stadium in Houston this Saturday at 2 p.m.
Tickets still are available now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets . The Sam Houston ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium will be open Monday through Friday daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
