Bearkats race past Bobcats
11/20/2011 6:51:00 AM | Football
With 10 straight victories already in their pockets, the second-ranked Sam Houston Bearkats weren't going to be denied No. 11.
Tested by their longtime rivals, the Bearkats put an exclamation mark on their impressive regular-season run, having a record-setting day from tailback Tim Flanders and pulling away in the second half with 19 unanswered points to cruise past Texas State 36-14.
"I'm just so full of emotion right now. I'm proud of my team. I'm proud of myself. I'm proud to be a Bearkat right now," Kats sophomore defensive end Preston Sanders said excitedly. "We knew we needed to win. We came out here and did what we had to do."
After jumping out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, the Bearkats ran into trouble offensively and struggled to move the ball late in the quarter and at the begining of the third. Meanwhile, Texas State found a way to put some drives together.
The Bobcats (6-6 overall), who broke onto the scoreboard late in the first half on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Arndt to Darius Bolden off of a fumble by Kats quarterback Brian Bell, struck quickly in the third quarter as Arndt hit Isaiah Battle for a 15-yard score.
Just like that, Sam Houston had a brand-new game on its hands, holding a slim 17-14 lead.
On the next possession, the Bearkats, who improved to 11-0 for the first time in school history, drove inside the Bobcats' 10, but were stopped short of the goal line. They had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Craig Alaniz, which extended Sam Houston's lead to 20-14.
"We had a couple of opportunities at the end of the second quarter and we really could've been in command," Sam Houston head coach Willie Fritz said. "We had the big fumble that really got them back in the ballgame to make it 17-7. That wasn't a real good way to go into the half. They kicked off to us, we went three-and-out and they got another score. All of a sudden, we had a football game.
"You've got to fight through adversity. Everything doesn't always go perfect for you. Our guys responded very well."
Needing a spark in the worst way, the Bearkats got a big assist from their defense.
Late in the third quarter, Sam Houston forced and then recovered a pair fumbles and also got the "block party" involved on a long field goal attempt early in the fourth.
"Our coaches tell us all the time that you've got to go hard every play, go hard every play and don't take a play off," Sanders said.
The Kats' offense fed off of those turnovers, which flipped field position in a major way.
The second fumble recovery put Sam Houston deep in Bobcat territory. A few short plays later, Flanders barreled through the Texas State defensive line, leaping into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day to stretch the Bearkat lead to 26-14. A 2-point passing attempt fell incomplete.
That score established Flanders as the Southland Conference's single-season record holder in total touchdowns (22) and also for most rushing touchdowns (20).
Flanders, who finished the game with 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns, also became the school record holder for most touchdowns and points (132) in a single season.
"It's a great accomplishment. I didn't know about it until just now," Flanders said. "That was one of my secondary goals. My primary goal was a conference championship and to be undefeated. Now it's to win a national championship."
On the next drive, Texas State attempted a 47-yard field goal, but Sanders broke through the line and blocked Will Johnson's kick. Sam Houston junior safety Robert Shaw scooped the ball and returned it 15 yards. A personal foul on Colby Goodwin, who pulled down Shaw by the collar, moved the Bearkats into Texas State territory.
"With that field goal, that would've brought it back down to a nine-point lead," Bell said. "Getting the block was just huge. Special forces did a great job tonight with some great returns and field position.
"In my opinion, our defense is the best in the nation. No doubt, no questions asked. If we get a turnover, they come right back and get a turnover. You can't ask for a better defense in the country and we have the best right here at Sam Houston."
A few short plays later, backup running back Ryan Wilson burst through the middle for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Bearkats a 33-14 lead, which essentially sealed the game.
Fittingly, a perfect season became official for the Bearkats, whose defense have been a big part of their resurgence, on a fourth-down stop.
"Sweet as vanilla cake, that's all I can say on that one," Sanders said. "I'm proud to be a defensive member. I'm proud of everyone on the Black Swarm. I'm proud of the offense. It was a great game overall."
By virtue of their victory coupled with top-ranked Montana State's 36-10 loss to archrival Montana on Saturday, the Bearkats now have high hopes of landing the top overall seed in the 20-team Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and a first-round bye. If Sam Houston is named one of the top two seeds - five are selected - the Bearkats are all but assured home-field advantage throughout the semifinals, as long as they keep winning, with the national championship being held in Frisco.
"It's hard to say. We haven't played teams in other parts of the country," Fritz said of being a No. 1 seed. "I think we deserve it. We won our conference very convincingly."
Tested by their longtime rivals, the Bearkats put an exclamation mark on their impressive regular-season run, having a record-setting day from tailback Tim Flanders and pulling away in the second half with 19 unanswered points to cruise past Texas State 36-14.
"I'm just so full of emotion right now. I'm proud of my team. I'm proud of myself. I'm proud to be a Bearkat right now," Kats sophomore defensive end Preston Sanders said excitedly. "We knew we needed to win. We came out here and did what we had to do."
After jumping out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, the Bearkats ran into trouble offensively and struggled to move the ball late in the quarter and at the begining of the third. Meanwhile, Texas State found a way to put some drives together.
The Bobcats (6-6 overall), who broke onto the scoreboard late in the first half on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Arndt to Darius Bolden off of a fumble by Kats quarterback Brian Bell, struck quickly in the third quarter as Arndt hit Isaiah Battle for a 15-yard score.
Just like that, Sam Houston had a brand-new game on its hands, holding a slim 17-14 lead.
On the next possession, the Bearkats, who improved to 11-0 for the first time in school history, drove inside the Bobcats' 10, but were stopped short of the goal line. They had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Craig Alaniz, which extended Sam Houston's lead to 20-14.
"We had a couple of opportunities at the end of the second quarter and we really could've been in command," Sam Houston head coach Willie Fritz said. "We had the big fumble that really got them back in the ballgame to make it 17-7. That wasn't a real good way to go into the half. They kicked off to us, we went three-and-out and they got another score. All of a sudden, we had a football game.
"You've got to fight through adversity. Everything doesn't always go perfect for you. Our guys responded very well."
Needing a spark in the worst way, the Bearkats got a big assist from their defense.
Late in the third quarter, Sam Houston forced and then recovered a pair fumbles and also got the "block party" involved on a long field goal attempt early in the fourth.
"Our coaches tell us all the time that you've got to go hard every play, go hard every play and don't take a play off," Sanders said.
The Kats' offense fed off of those turnovers, which flipped field position in a major way.
The second fumble recovery put Sam Houston deep in Bobcat territory. A few short plays later, Flanders barreled through the Texas State defensive line, leaping into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day to stretch the Bearkat lead to 26-14. A 2-point passing attempt fell incomplete.
That score established Flanders as the Southland Conference's single-season record holder in total touchdowns (22) and also for most rushing touchdowns (20).
Flanders, who finished the game with 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns, also became the school record holder for most touchdowns and points (132) in a single season.
"It's a great accomplishment. I didn't know about it until just now," Flanders said. "That was one of my secondary goals. My primary goal was a conference championship and to be undefeated. Now it's to win a national championship."
On the next drive, Texas State attempted a 47-yard field goal, but Sanders broke through the line and blocked Will Johnson's kick. Sam Houston junior safety Robert Shaw scooped the ball and returned it 15 yards. A personal foul on Colby Goodwin, who pulled down Shaw by the collar, moved the Bearkats into Texas State territory.
"With that field goal, that would've brought it back down to a nine-point lead," Bell said. "Getting the block was just huge. Special forces did a great job tonight with some great returns and field position.
"In my opinion, our defense is the best in the nation. No doubt, no questions asked. If we get a turnover, they come right back and get a turnover. You can't ask for a better defense in the country and we have the best right here at Sam Houston."
A few short plays later, backup running back Ryan Wilson burst through the middle for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Bearkats a 33-14 lead, which essentially sealed the game.
Fittingly, a perfect season became official for the Bearkats, whose defense have been a big part of their resurgence, on a fourth-down stop.
"Sweet as vanilla cake, that's all I can say on that one," Sanders said. "I'm proud to be a defensive member. I'm proud of everyone on the Black Swarm. I'm proud of the offense. It was a great game overall."
By virtue of their victory coupled with top-ranked Montana State's 36-10 loss to archrival Montana on Saturday, the Bearkats now have high hopes of landing the top overall seed in the 20-team Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and a first-round bye. If Sam Houston is named one of the top two seeds - five are selected - the Bearkats are all but assured home-field advantage throughout the semifinals, as long as they keep winning, with the national championship being held in Frisco.
"It's hard to say. We haven't played teams in other parts of the country," Fritz said of being a No. 1 seed. "I think we deserve it. We won our conference very convincingly."
Selection show on ESPNU this morning; tickets go on sale, too
The soon-to-be top-ranked Sam Houston State Bearkats will be tuning in for the FCS playoff selection show this morning to see where they are in the 20-team bracket. The selection show will be televised on ESPNU at 9 a.m.
Tickets for Sam Houston's NCAA Division I FCS playoff games go on sale online today at 10 a.m. and at the Bearkat athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium at 8 a.m. Monday. The athletic ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
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