This Week in the Southland
11/16/2011 12:58:00 AM | Football
It is the final week of the regular season and the Southland Conference has already crowned its champion. Sam Houston State won its first outright conference championship and its fourth overall last Saturday when it beat Northwestern State 43-17.
The Bearkats became the first team since McNeese State in 2007 to go through the conference schedule unscathed. All that remains for the No. 2 Bearkats is a non-conference game against longtime rival Texas State, which will try to play the role of spoiler with Sam Houston trying to extend its national-best 12-game win streak and finish the regular season as the only undefeated team in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Bearkats and Bobcats play Saturday at 3 p.m. in San Marcos.
Six other conference teams are in action this week. Nicholls State is at Southeastern Louisiana Thursday at 7 p.m. in the River Bell Classic on Cox Sports Television. It is the first of two conference games on television this week. The Southland Conference Television Network will carry the annual battle for Chief Caddo between Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State Saturday at 3 p.m. in Natchitoches.
McNeese State visits Lamar Saturday at 6 p.m. Central Arkansas concluded its season last Saturday with a 23-22 win over Texas State. The postseason fate of the Bears, who posted an 8-3 overall record after winning their final seven games and finished second in league play with a 6-1 mark, is in the hands of the selection committee.
Division I Playoff Bracket to Be Announced Sunday
The 20-team NCAA Division I Football Championship bracket will be announced Sunday at 9 a.m., Central, on ESPNU. Ten member conferences have been granted automatic qualification for this year's championship, including the Big Sky, Big South, Colonial, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Missouri Valley Football, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Southern and Southland.
The remaining 10 teams will be selected at large by the Division I Football Championship Committee. The committee will seed the top five teams in the bracket. There will be four first-round games on Saturday, Nov. 26 with eight second-round games schedule for Dec. 3.
The winners of the second round advance to the quarterfinals, which will be played Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9-10. The two semifinal games will be played Dec. 16-17 with the winners advancing to the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, which will be played at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 at noon. All 19 games of the championship will be televised by the ESPN family of networks.
Key Upcoming Dates
Nov. 19: Final Regular Season Games
Nov. 20: NCAA Announces 20-Team Bracket, 9 a.m., Central (ESPNU)
Nov. 26: First-Round Games*
Dec. 3: Second-Round Games*
Dec. 9-10: Quarterfinal Games*
Dec. 16-17: Semifinal Games*
Jan. 7: Championship Game, Noon, Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas (ESPN2)
* indicates campus sites
Buy Championship Tickets Now and Save
With the announcement of the championship bracket on Sunday, now is the time for fans to get the best price on tickets for the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Fans are encouraged to buy early for the most affordable ticket options, which are just $35 for a midfield seat and $30 for a sideline seat. After the playoff bracket is announced Sunday, tickets increase to $45/$40 and on game day to $55/50. Tickets for the game are now available online at ncaa.com/fcs or by calling (469) 365-0000 for group and suite sales. Another attractive ticket package is the Family Four-Pack, which includes four tickets to the game, four hot dogs and four drinks for $99.
Week 12 Southland Matchups
Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana will meet for the 21st time Thursday in the River Bell Classic on Cox Sports Television ... the Colonels lead the series 12-8 and have won each of the last three games and 10 of the last 11 ... Nicholls won 27-25 last year
Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State meet for the 68th time Saturday when the teams play at Turpin Stadium ... the Demons lead 42-22-3 though the Lumberjacks have won the last two, including 36-13 last year.
Sam Houston State and Texas State will play Saturday and it will be the 88th all-time meeting between the teams ... Texas State holds a 48-35-4 edge in the series, though Sam Houston State won 31-29 last year.
McNeese State and Lamar will play Saturday for the 30th time ... the Cowboys hold a 20-8-1 lead over Lamar ... McNeese won 30-27 in a non-conference game between the teams last year in Lake Charles ... that was the first year of football at Lamar since the school discontinued its football program in 1989, soon after a 22-17 Cardinals victory over McNeese State.
Battle for Chief Caddo is on Southland TV
The Stephen F. Austin at Northwestern State game Saturday is the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network. What is on the line when the teams battle for the 7-foot-6, 320-pound wooden statue?
A winning season. Each team enters the game with a 5-5 record. The Lumberjacks, winners of the last two conference championships, have won their last four game, while Northwestern State has dropped its last two. Saturday's game will kick off at 3:05 p.m., Central, with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. Visit www.Southland.org/television for a list of affiliates. Randy McIlvoy and Shea Walker will call the action from the booth. The crew will be joined by Jane Slater on the sideline.
Sam Houston State Now No. 2
Sam Houston State, the only remaining undefeated team in the Football Championship Subdivision, has moved up to No. 2 in The Sports Network Top 25. The lofty ranking represents the Bearkats' highest standing in the national polls in Sam Houston's 24 seasons at the NCAA Division I FCS level.
Sam Houston had been ranked as high as No. 3 on three occasions (twice in 2004 and last week). Montana State, 9-1 for the year and No. 2 in the Sports Network Poll a week ago, now fills the No. 1 spot after North Dakota State was handed its first loss of the season by unranked Youngstown State last week. Montana State closes its regular season Saturday with a home game against rival Montana.
Week 11 Conference Honors
Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Dick, who threw for a career-high 457 yards Saturday in the Bears' 23-22 win over Texas State, was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Dick threw three second-half touchdowns and pass for a career-high 457 yards in a 23-22 non-conference victory over Texas State for Central Arkansas' seventh consecutive win. His 457-yard performance was the fourth-best in school history, while his 64 attempts was a school record. Sam Houston State safety
Darnell Taylor was named the conference defensive player of the week. Taylor gave Sam Houston State a 23-0 second-quarter lead over Northwestern State with a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown as the Bearkats went on to defeat the Demons 43-17 last Saturday to clinch the school's first outright
Southland Conference championship and fourth overall. Lamar kick returner Marcus Jackson was named the conference special teams player of the week. Among Jackson's three kickoff returns for 123 yards in a 34-26 victory at Nicholls State last Saturday was a 78-yarder for the touchdown that forced a 7-7 tie early in the second quarter. He also caught five passes for 64 yards, including a 14-yarder for an early fourth-quarter touchdown.
Other Notable Performances in Week 10
- Lamar receiver J.J. Hayes caught four passes for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the team's 34-26 win at Nicholls State. His first touchdown tied the game at 7 just before halftime and his second covered 32 yards to put the Cardinals up 34-19 early in the fourth quarter.
- McNeese State tailback Andre Anderson carried the ball 26 times for a season-high 158 yards and a touchdowns in the Cowboys' 24-21 non-conference victory over UTSA. It was the third highest rushing total of his career.
- Nicholls State quarterback LaQuintin Caston compiled nearly 400 yards of total offense in the Colonels' 34-26 loss to Lamar. He accounted for all three Nicholls' touchdowns. He finished with a career-high 177 rushing yards and a score and threw for a season-high 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
- Sam Houston State running back Tim Flanders rolled up 186 yards of offense with 145 rushing and 41 receiving in the championship clinching win over Northwestern State last Saturday. He scored on a 15-yard run and a 35-yard pass. His performance set the school record for most 100-yard games (12) and made Flanders the eighth running back in school history to gain more than 1,000 yards rushing.
- Stephen F. Austin receiver Gralyn Crawford became the school's all-time career leader with 190 receptions. He had six catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the team's 28-20 win over Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday. Crawford had three kick returns totaling 91 yards and added a 51-yard punt return.
- Lamar linebacker Asim Hicks recorded 13 tackles and a sack in the win at Nicholls State to up his season total to 95, which ranks second best in the Southland this season. He had eight unassisted stops and assisted on five others while recovering a fumble.
- McNeese State safety Darrell Jenkins intercepted the UTSA quarterback at his team's 22-yard line on a potential game-scoring drive. He also forced a fumble The Cowboys won the non-conference game 24-21.
- Southeastern Louisiana defensive back Keiron Jones registered a career-high 17 tackles in the Lions' 28-20 loss at Stephen F. Austin. The total is the most by a Southeastern defensive back since the school resumed playing football in 2003. It tied for second most all time.
- Stephen F. Austin linebacker Devin Ducote closed out his final home game in a Lumberjack uniform with a team-high 16 tackles, including three for losses, in the victory over Southeastern Louisiana.
- Central Arkansas kicker Eddie Camara connected from 19 yards for the game-winning field goal against Texas State with 3:14 remaining in UCA's 23-22 victory.
- Sam Houston State punter Matt Foster averaged 43.0 yards on four punts in the win over Northwestern State. Foster's long was 58 yards and he landed one inside the 20. The Bearkats rank ninth nationally in net punting with 37.58 average.
- Southeastern Louisiana punter Matt McCormick averaged 46.7 yards per punt on 10 punts in the loss at Stephen F. Austin. His average was the school's third best in a game since 2003 and his four punts inside the 20 yard line also tied for third. Three of his punts were longer than 50 yards, including a season-high 61 yard boot in the second quarter.
- Stephen F. Austin Drew Nelson averaged 43.5 yards per punt on four punts against Southeastern Louisiana. He landed one insde the 20.
Southland in the NCAA Stats
- Sam Houston State has the top rushing defense in the Football Championship Subdivision, holding opponents to just 56.6 yards per game. The Bearkats also are the top team in scoring defense, limiting the opposition to only 12.5 points per game.
- Sam Houston State is also solid on offense and boasts the nation's top scoring offense, averaging 39.8 points per game. Stephen F. Austin (36.0) ranks 10th and Central Arkansas (33.73) is 22nd.
- Sam Houston State is also No. 2 when it comes to total defense. The Bearkats defense is holding the opposition to only 262.3 yards per game. Only Texas Southern is better, surrendering just 230.50 yards to opponents.
- One of the biggest keys to Sam Houston's success has been turnover margin. The Bearkats benefit from an average margin of 2.4 turnovers per game. Sam Houston has committed only eight turnovers this season while gaining 32 turnovers from opponents. They are +24 for the season.
- Sam Houston State ranks second nationally in pass efficiency defense with opponent rating of 92.04. Jackson State is the national leader at 90.63.
- The Bearkats are ranked third in passing efficiency with a rating of 167.56. Only Furman (176.14) and Georgia Southern (167.88) have better ratings. Central Arkansas is ranked 21st (145.61).
- Stephen F. Austin has the fifth best passing offense in the FCS. The Lumberjacks are averaging 322.6 passing yards per game. Southeastern Louisiana and Central Arkansas are also highly ranked. The Lions rank 11th with 294.3 passing yards per game and the Bears rank 14th with 278.73 yards per game.
- Lamar is ranked seventh nationally in punt returns, averaging 14.67 per return. Stephen F. Austin and McNeese are also highly ranked. The Lumberjacks rank ninth with average return of 13.64 and the Cowboys rank 12th, averaging 13.00 yards per punt return.
- Sam Houston State has the eighth best rushing offense in the subdivision, averaging 252.0 yards per game.
- Southeastern Louisiana ranks eighth in the FCS in kickoff returns, averaging 24.43 yards per return. Nicholls State is ranked 18th (23.27) and Northwestern State is ranked 26th (22.83).
- Sam Houston State is ranked ninth in net punting, averaging a net of 37.58 yards per punt. Southeastern Louisiana is ranked 15th with net average of 37.00.
