This Week In The Southland
11/9/2011 6:50:00 AM | Football
With its 38-9 win at Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday, No. 3 Sam Houston State clinched a share of the Southland Conference regular-season championship and became the first team nationally to lock up a league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division I playoffs.
This week, the Bearkats play host to Northwestern State trying to become the first Southland team to finish with a perfect record against conference foes since McNeese State finished 7-0 in 2007 on its way to an 11-0 regular-season mark.
Stephen F. Austin won the title last year with a 6-1 record, the same ledger it shared with McNeese State when they shared the championship in 2009.
Former league member Texas State won the league with a 5-2 record in 2008. Sam Houston's previous three Southland championships were shared - with McNeese State in 1991 and 2001 and with Northwestern State in 2004. A win against the Demons would clinch Sam Houston's first outright Southland championship.
The Bearkats are 9-0 this season and 6-0 in league play and hold the tie-breaker with Central Arkansas by virtue of their 31-10 victory on Sept. 17 should Northwestern State pull the upset in Huntsville.
The Bears have already concluded league play at 6-1 and play host to a non-conference game against Texas State on Saturday in its season finale.
Sam Houston plays at Texas State Nov. 19 to close its regular-season schedule. Not since 2007 has a Southland team been undefeated this late into the season. McNeese State finished 11-1 that year after a first-round playoff loss.
Northwestern State and Sam Houston State will kick off Saturday at 3 p.m. on the Southland Conference Television Network. In other conference games, Lamar visits Nicholls State at 5:30 p.m. and Southeastern Louisiana visits Stephen F. Austin at 6 p.m. Two non-conference games are on the schedule this week, including Texas State at Central Arkansas at 4 p.m. and UTSA at McNeese State at 7 p.m.
Week 11 Matchups
Northwestern State and Sam Houston State meet Saturday for the 34th time in the series ... the Demons hold a 19-14 advantage in the series and won last year's meeting in Natchitoches, 23-20 in overtime ... the Bearkats have won three of the last five games between the teams.
Lamar and Nicholls State meet for just the fourth time and the first time since Lamar won 20-16 in 1984 ... Nicholls State won the only meeting in Thibodaux, 21-14 in 1983 ... Lamar won 22-10 in the first game between schools in 1972.
Saturday will mark the 15th meeting between Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin ... the Lumberjacks hold an 8-5-1 lead in the series and have won the last three in the series, including 51-14 last year in Nacogdoches.
Texas State and Central Arkansas meet for the fifth time, but the first as non-league rivals ... the Bears lead the series 3-1 and won 49-17 last year in San Marcos ... this will be the first meeting between McNeese State and UTSA.
Northwestern State at Sam Houston State Game is on Southland TV
The Northwestern State at Sam Houston State game Saturday is the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network. The Bearkats, which have already clinched a share of the regular-season title, are going for their fourth overall Southland Conference title and their first outright championship.
Saturday's 3:05 p.m. kickoff will be televised by the Southland Conference Television Network. Coverage begins at 3 p.m., Central. 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 Eyeing Texas First
Sam Houston State will attempt to become the first Texas member of the Southland Conference to roll to a league title unbeaten and untied Saturday against Northwestern State on Saturday.
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), Louisiana-Monroe (1987, 1989), Louisiana Tech (1982), Northwestern State (1988) and Troy State (2000) - all were non-Texas squads.
Stephen F. Austin and North Texas both 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.
Bearkats Now Ranked Third
Sam Houston State has climbed another spot in this week's Sports Network Top 25 poll. The Bearkats are ranked third by The Sports Network and fourth in the latest FCS Coaches poll. The No. 3 ranking marks only the third time in Sam Houston's 24 years in NCAA Division I that it has stood No. 3 nationally.
The 2004 Bearkats were No. 3 on November 8, 2004, following a 52-47 victory over McNeese State and No. 3 in the final poll on December 20, 2004 after an NCAA playoff semifinal appearance at Montana.
Northwestern State was the team that knocked Sam Houston out of its first No. 3 national ranking, defeating Sam Houston 45-27 in Natchitoches, La., in 2004.
Central Arkansas returned to The Sports Network Top 25 last week and climbed to No. 19 this week.
Season-Ending Battle for Chief Caddo will be on Southland TV
The annual rivalry game between Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State will be televised by the Southland Conference Television Network Nov. 19, the league office announced this week. The broadcast will begin at 3 p.m. with kickoff slated for 3:05 p.m., CST. The teams battle annually for Chief Caddo, college football's largest trophy, standing 7-foot-6-inches and weighing 320 pounds. Northwestern State leads the all-time series 28-16-1. Stephen F. Austin has won the last three meetings between the schools, including 36-13 last year in Nacogdoches.
Week 10 Conference Honors
Stephen F. Austin quarterback Brady Attaway was named the Southland Conference Offensive player of the Week after he completed 24 of 39 passes for 359 yards of total offense and a season-high five touchdowns in leading Stephen F. Austin to a 69-10 victory at Lamar last Saturday. Sam Houston State cornerback Dax Swanson picked up two more interceptions in Sam Houston State's 38-9 victory at Southeastern Louisiana to run his season total to seven. He has picked off four passes in his last two games and his .78 interceptions per game is tied for second in the Football Championship Subdivision. McNeese State punter Ben Bourgeois averaged 41.8 yards on four punts in the Cowboys' 26-17 victory over Nicholls State that snapped the team's four-game losing streak.
Other Notable Performances in Week 10
- Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Dick threw three touchdown passes in the Bears' 45-20 road win over Northwestern State that sewed up at least a second-place finish in the Southland. Dick completed 18 of 34 passes for 217 yards.
- Nicholls State quarterback LaQuintin Caston accounted for 186 yards in the Colonels' 26-17 loss at McNeese State. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown and ran the ball 27 times for 94 yards and a score.
- Sam Houston State wide receiver Richard Sincere had nine rushes for 137 yards and a touchdown and added two catches for 58 yards in the Bearkats' 38-9 victory at Southeastern Louisiana. It was his fourth 100-yard rushing performance of the season and helped spark Sam Houston to its 11th consecutive victory, one off the school record set in 1955-56.
- Southeastern Louisiana wide receiver Simmie Yarborough became the conference's all-time leader in receptions after catching a season-high nine passes for 114 yards against No. 5/4 Sam Houston State. He increased his career total to 217 receptions, breaking the previous mark of 211 set by Sam Houston's Matt Dominguez from 1997-2000. Yarborough recorded his second consecutive 100-yard game and the seventh of his career. With 30 career touchdown receptions, he needs two to tie the record held by Texas State's Cameron Luke from 2006-08.
- Central Arkansas cornerback Marcus Peters had six solo tackles, one tackle for loss and returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown in the Bears' 45-20 win at Northwestern State. The score was UCA's sixth defensive touchdown of the season. He also had a 55-yard fumble returned for a touchdown against Stephen F. Austin earlier in the season.
- In the 26-17 win over Nicholls State, McNeese State defensive end Chris Loveless had the best game of his career, totaling 11 tackles, including two tackles for losses of seven yards and a five-yard sack to go along with a fumble recovery that lead to a field goal that gave the Cowboys a 17-10 lead.
- Stephen F. Austin linebacker Ryan Epperson led an Lumberjack defense that recorded nine sacks for the second consecutive week, this time against Lamar in a 69-10 victory. He totaled 12 tackles, including eight solo stops, to go with four tackles for loss and three sacks. The SFA defense held Lamar to 173 yards of total offense.
- Central Arkansas kicker Eddie Camara had his fourth consecutive perfect game, going 6 for 6 on PATs and 1 of 1 on field goal tries in the win at Northwestern State. His 25-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter gave the Bears a 38-20 lead.
- Sam Houston State defensive lineman Preston Sanders produced the Bearkats' third blocked kick of the season in the win at Southeastern Louisiana. He blocked a field goal that the Bearkats recovered and the SLU 38-yard line to set up a two-play touchdown drive for the team's third score of the first half.
- Southeastern Louisiana running back Jordan Wells closed in on the NCAA single-season record for kick returns after averaging 28.0 yards per return on five attempts against Sam Houston State. He has totaled 1,311 yards this season on kick returns, breaking the school and conference records. He is 100 yards shy of the FCS record (1,411) held by David Primus of Samford in 1989.
- Stephen F. Austin punter Drew Nelson averaged 46.7 yards per punt on three punts against Lamar. He totaled 140 yards and landed two inside the 20.
Southland in the NCAA Stats
- Sam Houston State leads the Football Championship Subdivision in rush defense, allowing only 55.78 yards per game. Northwestern State, which ranks second in the Southland, limits opponents to 121.78 rushing yards per game to rank 23rd nationally.
- The Bearkats also top the subdivision in scoring defense, holding opponents to only 12.00 points per game.
- Sam Houston State leads the nation with Bucknell in turnover margin benefiting from 29 defensive turnovers this season, average of 2.56 per game. The Bearkats have gained 29 turnovers and have committed just six.
- Stephen F. Austin kicker Jordan Wiggs is third the nation, averaging 1.88 field goals per game. The freshman has made 15 of 19 attempts (78.9 percent).
- Sam Houston State is second in total defense, limiting opponents to only 260.44 total yards each game.
- Sam Houston State quarterback Brian Bell has the second-best pass efficiency rating in the FCS at 171.74. Furman's Chris Forcier is the national leader with rating of 183.79. Central Arkansas' Nathan Dick is 3rd with 161.40 rating.
- Tim Flanders, the Sam Houston State running back, ranks second nationally in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game. He has scored 18 touchdowns, including two this past Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana. Stephen F. Austin kicker Jordan Wiggs is ranked 10th in individual scoring, averaging 9.25 points per game.
- Sam Houston State defensive back Daxton Swanson is averaging .78 interceptions per game to rank third in the FCS. He has seven interception returns for 82 yards. Northwestern State safety Jamaal White is eighth with .50 per game and Nicholls State defensive back Bobby Felder is 11th with .44 per game.
- Sam Houston State leads the FCS in scoring offense, scoring an average of 39.44 points per game. In the Southland, Stephen F. Austin (36.89) ranks fifth and Central Arkansas (34.80) ranks 14th..
- McNeese State ranks eighth nationally in punt returns, averaging 14.83 yards per return. The Cowboys have returned just eight punts for 115 yards.
- Nicholls State kicker Cory Kemps is ranked sixth in the nation in punting, averaging 43.45 yards per punt.
- Stephen F. Austin rank fourth in passing offense. The Lumberjacks are averaging 323.78 yards per game. Southeastern Louisiana is averaging 307.11 yards per game, ranking the Lions eighth. Central Arkansas is ranked 21st with average of 260.90 passing yards per game.
- Sam Houston State rank second in the nation in pass efficiency defensive, limiting opposing teams to a rating of 91.99. The Bearkats trail Jackson State, which holds teams to a rating of 91.87.
- The Bearkats rank sixth in the FCS in rushing offense with an average of 253.00 yards per game.
- Stephen F. Austin receiver Gralyn Crawford ranks sixth in all-purpose running, averaging 168.89 yards per game. Southeastern Louisiana running back Jordan Wells is averaging 154.00 yards to rank 10th, while Nicholls State defensive back Chika Madu ranks 30th with 135.67 yards per game and Sam Houston State running back Tim Flanders ranks 35th with 133.22 yards per game.
- Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls State and Northwestern State are ranked ninth, 11th and 13th, respectively, in kick returns. The Lions are averaging 24.59 yards per return compared to 24.08 by the Colonels and 23.68 by the Demons.
- Sam Houston State ranks ninth in net punting with a net average of 37.55 per punt. Of 44 punts, 14 have been returned for 15 total yards. Southeastern is ranked 24st with net average of 36.85.
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.
