Sam Houston - Northwestern State Game Notes
11/10/2011 8:52:00 AM | Football
GOING FOR PERFECT SLATE
Sam Houston State will attempt to become the first Texas member of the Southland Conference to roll to a league title unbeaten and untied when the Bearkats play host to Northwestern State Saturday at 3 p.m. in Elliott T. Bowers Stadium in Huntsville.
Six Southland teams have won outright conference football championships with perfect records a total of 14 times in the league's 48-year history. Those teams -- McNeese State (1979, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2007), Arkansas State (1975, 1986), Northeast Louisiana (1987 1989), Louisiana Tech (1982), Northwestern State (1988) and Troy State (2000) - all were non-Texas squads.
Stephen F. Austin and North Texas won titles in 1989 and 1994, respectively, with only a tie blemishing their record, but no Texas team has gone through Southland play without either a loss or tie.
FIRST THREE CONFERENCE TITLES WERE CO-CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sam Houston State clinched at least a share of the 2011 Southland Conference football title with the Bearkats' 38-9 victory at Southeastern Louisiana Saturday. The crown is the Bearkats' fourth Southland title in 24 years in the league.
The first three league titles, however, were co-championships. Sam Houston tied with McNeese State for the title in 1991 and 2001 and with Northwestern State in 2004. A win over the Demons Saturday would mark the Kats' first out-right league championship.
SAM HOUSTON's 9-0 START
The Bearkats are off to a 9-0 season start for only the second time in school history. The first was in 1956 when the Bearkats went 10-0, winning both the Lone Star Conference and Refrigerator Bowl titles.
ELEVEN-GAME WINNING STREAK
Sam Houston closed the 2010 season with victories over Central Arkansas and Texas Sate and have won nine in a row this season to put together an eleven-game winning streak.
The longest Bearkat winning streak in Sam Houston history was 12 games including the final two games of 1955 and the 10-0 undefeated 1956 season. The streak ended with a 14-7 loss to Southwestern Louisiana in the 1957 season opener.
PERFECT SEASONS AT BOWERS STADIUM
Sam Houston also will be seeking its first perfect season on the Kats' home turf at Bowers Stadium since 2004.
The Bearkats stand 93-42-1 at Bowers Stadium since the facility opened in 1986. Coming into Saturday with a 5-0 record at home this season, Sam Houston previously has posted perfect home records five times - 1986 (6-0), 1987 (4-0), 1990 (4-0), 2001 (6-0) and 2004 (8-0).
BEARKATS VICTORIES IN 2011
Sam Houston's non-conference victories this year came against Western Illinois (an NCAA FCS playoff quarterfinalist in 2010), FBS Mountain West Conference member New Mexico, and FCS independent UTSA. The win over New Mexico marked Sam Houston's third victory over an FBS opponent.
In Southland action, the Bearkats own wins over Central Arkansas (No. 18 coming into the contest), two-time defending league champion Stephen F. Austin, Nicholls, McNeese State (ranked No. 24 coming into the game), Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana.
The victories over UCA and McNeese marked Sam Houston's 21st and 22nd wins over a top 25-ranked NCAA Division I FCS opponents and were the Kats' first Top 25 wins since defeating No. 25 Nicholls in 2007. The win over McNeese marked only the second time in 24 seasons in the Southland Conference that Sam Houston State has won in Lake Charles.
SAM HOUSTON IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Sam Houston stands No. 3 in the Nov. 7O Sports Network FCS national poll. That ranking is Sam Houston's highest since December 20, 2004, when the Bearkats were rated No. 3 in the final poll of the season after reaching the NCAA Division I FCS national semifinals.
The Bearkats have been included in the national top 25 since a win over No. 18 Central Arkansas Sept. 17. Before the UCA win, Sam Houston had gone 55 weeks out of the poll, the longest drought since the Bearkats went from Oct. 16, 1994 to Sept. 4, 2000. Ironically, it was a 35-14 loss to Central Arkansas that knocked Sam Houston out of the polls in 2007.
Sam Houston's weekly rankings since have been No. 16 (after New Mexico win), No. 10 (after SFA win), No. 7 (after Nicholls win), No. 6 (after McNeese win), No. 5 (after Nicholls victory) and No. 4 (after the Lamar victory).
SOUTHLAND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Seven times this season Bearkats have earned Southland Conference "Player of the Week" honors.
Junior defensive back Dax Swanson is the latest recipient of the honor, earning "Defensive Player of the Week" recognition after two interceptions in Sam Houston's 38-9 victory at Southeastern La. Nov. 6.
Sam Houston took all three honors after a 45-10 victory over SFA Oct. 8. Wide receiver Richard Sincere won the offensive award after rushing for 111 yards and two TDs and catching three passes. Sincere also earned the league's offensive award after rushing for 107 yards and two scores in a victory over No. 18 Central Arkansas.
Linebacker Darius Taylor was the "Defensive Player of the Week" after picking off two interceptions and making five tackles to set up important scores in the SFA victory. His twin brother, Darnell Taylor, earlier won defensive honors following the UCA victory in which he totaled 11 tackles including one for loss.
Punter Matt Foster, who had five kicks for a 46.0 average, completed the sweep of league honors after the SFA win, taking the special teams award.
Running back Tim Flanders earned the Southland's offensive honor after the overtime win at New Mexico State where he scored a school record five touchdowns and rushed for 194 yards.
BEARKAT OFFENSE
Sam Houston ranks No. 6 in NCAA Division FCS rushing (253.0 yards per game), No. 1 in scoring offense (39.44 points) and No. 23 in total offense ( 416.89 yards). The Bearkats lead the Southland in rushing yards and scoring and rank second in the league in total offense.
RUNNING BACK TIM FLANDERS
Tim Flanders leads the Southland Conference in rushing (95.11) and scoring (108 points) and ranks No. 2 in NCAA FCS scoring and No. 30 nationally in rushing yardage per game.
The sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., continues to carve his notch in the Sam Houston record book.
Starting the season ranked 31st in Bearkat career rushing, Flanders has climbed to No. 11 with 355 carries for 1,804 career yards in 19 games. He is 122 yards away from passing No. 10 Luther Turner (1,925 yards in 22 games in 1985-87) to move into the Bearkat top 10.
In the Southeastern Louisiana game, Flanders scored his 30th career rushing touchdown to tie with McNeil Moore (1951-53) at the No. 2 in Sam Houston career rushing touchdowns. Again, Luther Turner is the man to catch leading all Sam Houston backs with 35 career TDs.
Flanders already has tied Charles Harris (1991-94) for most 100-yard games with 11.
On Sept. 24 in Albuquerque, in a 48-45 overtime victory against New Mexico, the sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., set a school record for most rushing touchdowns with five. The old mark was four by Charles Harris, Sam Houston's all-time rushing leader, against North Texas in 1992 and James Aston versus Nicholls in 2009.
His 194 yards (including TD runs of 61, 53, three, two and four yards at New Mexico) ranks as the 11th highest single game rushing total by a Bearkat back.
Flanders has produced runs of more than 50 yards four times this year. His longest run was a 61-yard touchdown at New Mexico.
He also ranks as the Bearkats' leading receiver with 22 catches for 343 yards and one touchdown.
Flanders set a school mark as a freshman in 2010 with six consecutive 100-yard rushing games.He earned Southland Conference's "Freshman of the Year" honors and was a first team all-league selection in in 2010. His 13 rushing touchdowns were the most ever by an SHSU freshman running back.
MULTI-TASKING WIDE RECEIVER
Richard Sincere, sophomore from Galveston Ball, is a true triple threat with his ability to run, catch and throw the ball. A wide receiver who also lines up behind center in the "Wild Bearkat" formation, Sincere has rushed 73 times for 602 yards and seven touchdowns. He has caught 17 passes for 264 yards including a 77-yard touchdown strike on the opening play of the Lamar victory.
Sincere has posted four 100-yard rushing performances including 137 at Southeastern Louisiana,111 at Reliant Stadium against SFA, 107 against Central Arkansas and 102 versus Lamar.
The sophomore has 11 offensive explosions (plays of more than 20 yards), six on running plays and five on receptions.
An option quarterback in high school, Sincere rushed 42 times for 282 yards and caught eight passes for 192 yards as a freshman in 2010.
This year, his 45-yard touchdown run on a pitch out from Bearkat quarterback Brian Bell was the game-breaker for Sam Houston in the team's 31-10 upset of the No. 18 ranked Bears. He had a 51-yard run to set up a touchdown in the SFA victory.
SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK BRIAN BELL
Since the sophomore took over as starting quarterback as a true freshman in the third game of the 2010, the China Spring product has led the Bearkats to a 13-3 record.
An All-District quarterback in high school for his coach and father Mark Bell, the signal-caller completed 110 passes for 1,381 yards and 7 touchdowns last year.
This season Bell ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division I FCS football in passing efficiency. He has completed 86 of 131 passes for 11 touchdowns. While his streak of passes without an interception ended last week at Southeastern Louisiana at 132 (starting with last season's McNeese game), Bell leads a Bearkat offense that plays remarkable error free ball. Sam Houston ranks No. 1 in FCS ball in turnover margin and has dominated possession time with a 34:34 average this season.
In nine games, the Kat offense has suffered only six turnovers (three lost fumbles and three interceptions).
EXPLOSIVE BEARKATS
The Sam Houston offense has the potential for explosive plays. In nine games this season, the Bearkats have produced 47 explosions (plays of 20 or more yards) including 23 rushing plays and 24 passes.
NATIONALLY-RANKED DEFENSE
With 11 of the top 12 team leaders in tacklers back from a squad that led the Southland Conference in rush defense last year, Sam Houston is putting up numbers that rank high in the NCAA Division I FCS national statistics again in 2011
The Bearkat defense ranks No. 1 nationally in rushing defense (55.78 yards per game), turnover margin (2.56) and scoring defense (12.0 points). The defense stands No. 2 nationally in total defense (260.44) and pass efficientcy defense (91.99). Only New Mexico produced more than 300 yards total offense against the Kats. Sam Houston has limited six foes to less than 100 yards rushing.
TOP DEFENDERS
Junior safety Darnell Taylor of Mesquite leads the Bearkats with 75 total tackles. Other top tacklers include defensive backs Kenneth Jenkins (43), Bookie Sneed (40), Mike Littleton (37) and Robert Shaw (34) and linebackers Darius Taylor (41), Kash David (38) and Eric Fieilo (31).
TURNOVER CITY
The Bearkat defense has created 29 turnovers this year including 18 interceptions and 11 fumbles. A total of 101 points (14 touchdowns and one field goal) resulted because of the turnovers.
Sam Houston's secondary has picked off at least three interceptions in five of the Bearkats' last six games (4 vs. SFA and 3 each vs. UTSA, Nicholls, Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana).
Dax Swanson has two interceptions in each of his last two outings.
The Sam Houston school records for most interceptions in one season is 20 in 1987 and 19 in 1985.
DAX SWANSON TOPS SOUTHLAND INTERCEPTIONS
Daxton Swanson ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division I FCS football and leads the Southland Conference with seven interceptions this season.
Swanson has returned the interceptions for 82 yards including a long of 64 that set up a touchdown in the Lamar victory.
With his second interception in the Southeastern Louisiana game, Swanson tied the school record for most interceptions in one year (7) set by Allen Boren in 1954 and Billy Anderson in 1987.
Swanson intercepted two passes in 2010, bringing his career total to 10. That ties him with Charles Boyce (1988-91) for fifth place in Sam Houston career interceptions. Ronnie Choate (1955-59) holds the Bearkat career record with 13.
ROBERT SHAW TOUCHDOWNS
Junior Robert Shaw from Converse Judson has become a special teams and defensive scoring machine.
Shaw covered a punt blocked by Torrance Williams for a touchdown in Saturday's win at McNeese. It was his second TD on a blocked punt as a Bearkat (the first coming last year in a win over Southeastern Louisiana). Shaw has returned three interceptions for touchdowns in his career including a 61-yard score a week ago in a win over Nicholls State.
PUNTER FROM DOWN UNDER
Matt Foster, Sam Houston's "Punter from Down Under," played in his first American football game before 42,521 fans in the 2010 season opener at Baylor. He boomed a 43-yarder on his first attempt. The 25-year-old, who is the oldest player on the Bearkat team, grew up in Melbourne playing Australian rules football.
Foster owns a 40.1 average this season to rank No. 3 in Southland Conference punting. The Bearkats rank No. 11 in NCAA Division I FCS net punting with a 37.84 average.
Foster has nine punts of more than 50 yards including a long of 62 yards. He has 19 punts that have been downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
CRAIG ALANIZ KICKS NINE PATS
In his first start as the Bearkats' kicking specialist, senior Craig Alaniz tied the Sam Houston record for most extra points in a Southland Conference game, going 9-for-9 on PATs and adding a 25-yard field goal. The nine PATs ties him for the second highest total overtime in SHSU history. The school record is 11.
Alaniz is 17 of 17 on extra points and 3-of-3 on field goals.
BLOCK PARTY RETURNS
After several close calls, Sam Houston special teams finally got their first punt block of the season at McNeese State.
The Kats picked up another two blocks (a field goal and point after attempt) at Southeastern Louisiana
Torrance Williams blocked a punt from the McNeese 16-yard line and Robert Shaw recovered the ball in the end zone for six points.
Preston Sanders blocked the field goal and E. J. Nduka the extra point in the victory at Southeastern Louisiana.
Bearkat special teams blocked punts and returned the blocks for TDs twice during the 2010 season. The blocks marked the return of the "block party," a Bearkat special teams tradition established when Willie Fritz was special teams coordinator for Sam Houston in 1991 and 1992.
The "block party" saw Sam Houston block 80 punts, field goals and extra points in the 14 seasons from 1991 to 2004.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the Northwestern State game on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston State athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone number for the ticket office is (936) 294-1729.
POST-GAME AUTOGRAPHS
A special feature of Saturday's game will be a postgame autograph session with the players for Bearkat season ticket holders, members of the Junior Bearkat Club and other fans.
PIZZA HUT TICKET OFFER
Pizza Hut in Huntsville offers Bearkat fans a great way to earn tickets to Sam Houston State's Southland Conference showdown with the Northwestern State Demons on Saturday, Nov. 12. Starting this week, any customer can call into the two Pizza Hut locations in Huntsville and received two tickets to the Nov. 12 game by ordering a large pizza for takeout or delivery. Customers must mention the Bearkat ticket offer during their order to receive the tickets. Huntsville area Pizza Hut locations are 3010 Highway 30 and 4030 Sam Houston Avenue. Telephone numbers for the locations are (936) 294-9191 and (936) 295-5586. The ticket offer is good through Nov. 11 or whenever the ticket supply runs out.
TEXAS FARM BUREAU BENEFIT
Texas Farm Bureau members will receive a complimentary general admission ticket just by showing a membership card or a recent billing statement at Saturday's game. The offer is a special benefit arranged by Texas Farm Bureau for its membership. The offer is only good for one ticket per member. Proof of membership will be requested at the time of ticket pick up.
HILLCREST HEROES DISCOUNT
Military, community service (fire department, emergency service and police) and Texas Department of Criminal Justice personnel will be able to purchase $15 tickets to any of the six Bearkat home football games this season for just $10 under the new "Hillcrest Heroes" discount. To receive the discount, personnel can present their military, TDCJ or community service identification at the box office. The discount applies to both current and retired personnel. The discount also will be available for home volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball events at Sam Houston State University.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE & INCOMING TRANSFERS DISCOUNT
Students enrolled at Blinn Junior College and Lone Star College can received admission to Saturday's game by presenting their student ID at the main ticket office on the west side of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium Saturday. Also, incoming transfer students may receive admission to the game through the SHSU Admissions office.
CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY TAILGATE
With kickoff pushed back an hour to 3:05 p.m. Saturday, tailgate fun at Bearkat Alley will begin at 1 p.m. in the Bowers Stadium parking lot north of the scoreboard. The fun begins with the traditional "March to Bowers" by the Bearkat Marching Band.
