Tobaben's 4th Down Completion - 2002
8/15/2011 6:00:00 AM | Football
GoBearkats.Com presents a series on the 10 biggest plays from the rivalry which the Bearkats lead 48 victories to 36.
Bearkats vs. SFA "Battle of the Piney Woods" Big Play #8
Travis Tobaben's 4th Down Completion -- 2002
In 2002, when an unranked Sam Houston team upset another nationally ranked SFA squad at Lumberjack homecoming in Nacogdoches, a sports writer for the Houston Chronicle suggested that, perhaps, Stephen F. Austin should quit scheduling the Bearkats for homecoming.
He reasoned this was a good idea since the Lumberjacks hadn't had much to celebrate in the past several years against their Southland Conference rival.
That Saturday night in 2002 was no exception for Stephen F. Austin, which came into the game ranked 23rd among the nation's Division I-AA teams while the Bearkats had lost four of six games.
Shut out for three quarters, Sam Houston State scored 10 fourth-quarter points to surprise Stephen F. Austin 10-7 at Homer Bryce Stadium, defeating the Lumberjacks for the third consecutive year.
"I played in two overtime games in high school that we won but this is the most exciting thing, to beat SFA," said Bearkat quarterback Travis Tobaben, who passed for 216 yards. "The team just kept on fighting. A lot of guys grew up today."
Maurice Harris' two-yard touchdown run with 6:36 left proved to be the difference for Sam Houston State (3-4, 1-1), which failed to score on three possessions after advancing to SFA's six-, 13- and eight-yard lines.
"We just kept hanging in," Bearkats coach Ron Randleman said. "Wow. That was fun."
Lumberjacks coach Mike Santiago had a different perspective, especially after seeing a turnover by his team set up Sam Houston's State game-winning TD drive.
"We let it get away," Santiago said. "They (Sam Houston) were playing with momentum in the second half. They didn't look like a 2-4 team ... especially on defense."
Neither team could get untracked to start the game and played a scoreless first half.
But the turning point came with 9:41 remaining and the Lumberjacks (4-3, 1-1) ahead 7-3. Facing third-and-two from the SFA 47, Lumberjacks quarterback Michael Williams dropped back but was pressured by Michael Saumell-Baston. Williams' pass was intercepted by Michael Thompson, who returned the ball 13 yards to the Lumberjacks' 37.
From there, Sam Houston State needed eight plays to take the lead, getting a touchdown on Harris' two-yard plunge off left tackle. Tobaben's seven-yard pass to Marcus Carter on fourth-and-two from the 29 kept the drive alive.
"That pass on fourth down goes on the list of unforgettable big plays for Sam Houston in this series" Randleman said.
On their previous possession, the Bearkats converted a fourth down that led to Joey Price's 42-yard field goal, cutting SFA's lead to 7-3 with 11:28 left in the fourth.
Williams, who completed 10 of 17 passes for 83 yards and ran for 31 yards, directed the Lumberjacks' only scoring drive as SFA marched 86 yards in 14 plays, taking 6:25 off the clock to open the second half.
Williams connected with Kevin Landry on a three-yard scoring pass, and Stephen Coker's extra point with 8:35 remaining in the third quarter gave the Lumberjacks a 7-0 lead.
Williams, a senior from Cypress Springs, got off a 64-yard punt to the Sam Houston State two with 5:13 left and the Lumberjacks trailing 10-7. Facing fourth-and-four from his 34, Williams was in shotgun formation, but the Bearkats were not sure what SFA was going to do and had no one back to field a punt. So Williams took the snap and punted the ball, where it died at the Sam Houston State two.
The Lumberjacks were hoping to hold the Bearkats and get the ball back after a punt, but Sam Houston State had other ideas.
The Bearkats picked up two first downs, including a 39-yard pass from Tobaben to Michael Darnell, before having to punt with 47 seconds remaining. But with no timeouts, SFA was left stranded at its 24 as the clock ran out.
The latest chapter in the "Battle of the Piney Woods" football rivalry continues Saturday, Oct. 8 when Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin meet at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
Tickets for the 87th Battle of the Piney Woods may be purchased now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets . Fans also may order their tickets through the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone at Bowers Stadium or by calling ticket office at (936) 294-1729.
And be sure to follow the countdown of the 10 biggest plays in "Battle of the Piney Woods" history each week leading up to this year's rivalry showdown on www.gobearkats.com .
Previously:
Big Play #9 - Jimmy Hair TD pass in 1938
Next Week:
Big Play #7 - Rickey Eggleston's "Cardiac Catch" in 1986
