This week in the Southland Conference
9/13/2011 1:57:00 PM | Football
SAM HOUSTON, UCA OPEN SOUTHLAND ACTION
It is only the third week of the season, but Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State will meet Saturday in the season's first conference game. It's the earliest Southland Conference opener since 1999 when Northwestern State beat Nicholls State 35-3 in Thibodaux on the same date.
Central Arkansas is 1-1 this season having beaten Henderson State in its season opener before an upset bid of Louisiana Tech fell just short in overtime last Saturday. Sam Houston State has not played since opening its season Sept. 1 with a 20-6 win over Western Illinois. Kickoff for the Bears and Bearkats in Huntsville is at 6 p.m.
There are six other games in the Southland in week three and four of those come against the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A). Three of those games kick off at 6 p.m., including Nicholls State is at Louisiana-Lafayette, Southeastern Louisiana at Southern Miss and Stephen F. Austin at Baylor. Northwestern State visits SMU in Dallas at 7 p.m. Also Saturday, Lamar plays host to Incarnate Word and McNeese State welcomes Sioux Falls. Both of those games are also at 7 p.m.
Week Three Matchups
This will be the sixth all-time meeting between Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State. The Bears leads the series 3-2 though the Bearkats won 20-13 last year in Conway ... Nicholls State will meet Louisiana-Lafayette for the third time. The Ragin' Cajuns won both previous meetings, including in 2001 by a score of 20-0 ... Southeastern Louisiana visits Southern Miss for the 22nd meeting between the schools ... the Golden Eagles hold an 18-3 lead in the series and won the last meeting, 45-0, in 2006 ... Saturday will be the fourth meeting between Stephen F. Austin and Baylor, which has won all three previous meetings. The game will mark the first meeting between the schools since 1947 ... the other three games Saturday mark the first meeting between the schools: Incarnate Word at Lamar, Sioux Falls at McNeese State and Northwestern State at SMU.
Week Two Rewind
Southeastern Louisiana beat Savannah State 63-6 in its home opener last Saturday. The Lions improved to 1-1 with the FCS win over a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. In other games between FCS schools, Stephen F. Austin lost to No. 3/4 Northern Iowa, 34-23, and Lamar lost 30-8 to South Alabama. Central Arkansas had a late lead at Louisiana Tech before allowing the Bulldogs to tie the game in the final minute to force overtime, where it picked up a 48-42 win to keep the Bears from defeating an FBS team for the second time in three seasons. It was the league's 21st loss to an FBS team decided by 14 points or less since 2000. In other games against the FBS last Saturday, Nicholls State lost at Western Michigan, 38-7 and LSU beat Northwestern State, 49-3.
Eleven Southland Games Scheduled Against FBS in 2011
The Southland Conference has 11 games scheduled against teams from the FBS in 2011. The Southland was winless in 11 games against the FBS last year, but did register one win against that subdivision in 2009 when Central Arkansas beat Western Kentucky for the Southland's 16th win against the FBS since 2000. This year, the Southland will play teams from Conference USA as well as the Big 12, Mid-American, Mountain West, Southeastern, Sun Belt and Western Athletic conferences. The league is 0-5 in games against that subdivision this year.
SFA, UCA, McNeese Ranked in FCS Polls
Three Southland Conference football teams - Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas and McNeese State - are ranked in both The Sports Network and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches polls. The Lumberjacks are ranked 13th in the coaches' poll, followed by Central Arkansas, which is ranked 18th and McNeese State, which is ranked 22nd. In The Sports Network poll, Central Arkansas is ranked 18th, followed by Stephen F. Austin (19th) and McNeese State (23rd). Sam Houston State is receiving votes in this week's poll.
UCA Quarterback Named National Player of the Week by The Sports Network
Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Dick was named The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Louisiana Tech blocked a field goal and then scored a touchdown in overtime to defeat Central Arkansas, 48-42. The Bulldogs struggled to control the UCA signal caller, who passed for 372 yards and four touchdowns. Dick connected with three different receivers for touchdown strikes of 17, 3, 43 and 56 yards, putting the Bears in a position to pull the upset. He completed 29 of 55 attempts. Through two games this season, the University of Arkansas transfer and Allen, Texas, native, has impressed, throwing for 652 yards and seven touchdowns.
Week Two Conference Honors
Nicholls State cornerback Chiku Madu was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week after he forced a fumble and had a 36-yard interception return in the Colonels loss at Western Michigan. He added four tackles to go with his first career touchdown. His teammate, punter Cory Kemps, was named the league's special teams player of the week. He totaled 353 yards on eight punts for an average of 44.1 yards per boot. Three of Kemps' punts landed inside the 20-yard line. Central Arkansas receiver Jesse Grandy was the conference offensive player of the week for his efforts in the Bears' upset bid at Louisiana Tech. He caught seven passes for 148 yards and two scores. He finished with 226 all-purpose yards, adding a pair of punt returns for 11 yards and three kick returns for 67 yards.
NCAA Stat Leaders
- Stephen F. Austin leads the nation in scoring offense, averaging 52.5 points per game through two games this season. Southeastern Louisiana is ranked fourth, averaging 48.0 points per game in its two games this fall. Central Arkansas (40.0) is ranked 12th and Lamar (33.0) is ranked 23rd.
- Stephen F. Austin ranks second in the Football Championship Subdivision in pass efficiency defense, limiting opposing teams to a rating of 64.37. Lamar ranks ninth (89.45) and Nicholls State ranks 16th (95.29).
- Sam Houston State ranks third in net punting, with a net average of 41.60 yards per punt. Nicholls State ranks 12th (39.83).
- Two Southland teams are in the top 10 nationally against the pass. Lamar lead the conference and ranks third nationally, limiting opposing offenses to just 81.5 passing yards per game. Stephen F. Austin allows 129.5 to rank ninth. Nicholls State and McNeese State are ranked in the top 20. The Colonels are ranked 14th (135.5) and McNeese State is 20th (146.0).
- Sam Houston State ranks third in both rush defense and scoring defense. The Bearkats are limiting opponents to just 37 rushing yards and six points per game. Lamar is ranked 11th in scoring defense, having allowed 15.0 points per game in its two games this year. Nicholls State is ranked 24th (19.0).
- Lamar is third nationally in total defense, limiting its opposition to just 206.5 total yards. Sam Houston State (216.0) ranks fifth and Stephen F. Austin (245.0) ranks eighth, while Nicholls State is ranked 13th, allowing 273.0 total yards per game.
- Stephen F. Austin ranks third in the FCS in total offense, posting 537.5 total yards per game against McMurry and Northern Iowa. Southeastern Louisiana is also in the top 10, averaging 483.0 yards per game against Tulane and Savannah State. Central Arkansas (437.0) is third in the Southland and 20th nationally, while McNeese State is 23rd in the FCS after totaling 420 yards in its loss at Kansas the opening week of the season.
- Three Southland Conference teams rank among the top-10 FCS teams in passing offense. Stephen F. Austin ranks fourth, averaging 394.0 yards per game, while Central Arkansas ranks sixth, averaging 346.5 yards per game. McNeese State is ranked ninth with 325.0 passing yards per game. Southeastern Louisiana ranks 14th (286.0).
- Four Southland teams rank in the top 25 of the FCS in passing efficiency. Sam Houston State leads the Southland and fourth nationally with a 178.3 rating. McNeese State ranks 15th (158.28), while Stephen F. Austin (153.68) and Central Arkansas (149.23) rank 19th and 22nd, respectively.
- Nicholls State leads the Southland in rushing offense, averaging 225.5 yards per game, a figure that ranks 12th in the FCS. Southeastern Louisiana is also among the top-25 teams in the FCS in the category, averaging 197.0 yards per game.
Northwestern State Nearing Milestone
Demon football is one win shy of 500 all-time victories since its first season in 1907. Northwestern is 499-417-22 after it opened the season with a 24-23 victory over Delta State.
Stephen F. Austin Going for Three-Peat
Stephen F. Austin claimed an outright Southland Conference championship in 2010 to give the school its first back-to-back conference titles. The last Southland team to win three consecutive titles was McNeese State, which shared the 2001 title with Sam Houston State before winning the league outright in 2002 and 2003. Arkansas State won three consecutive Southland titles from 1968-70 and Louisiana Tech won three in a row from 1972-74.
McNeese State, SFA Picked as Favorites
Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State, which finished as the top two teams in the Southland Conference last season, were again picked as the favorites heading into the 2011 season as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors. McNeese State was the coaches' preseason pick, receiving three out of a possible eight first-place votes and 44 points to edge defending champion SFA by just one point. In the SID poll, the Lumberjacks garnered four first-place votes and tallied 44 points to edge the Cowboys by just one point.
Northwestern State's Rose Named to Buchanan Watch List
Northwestern State junior linebacker Derek Rose has been named to the watch list for the 2011 Buck Buchanan Award sponsored by Fathead.com. The Buchanan Award is in its 17th season and will be presented to the Football Championship Subdivision's outstanding defensive player at the national awards banquet Jan. 6, 2012, in Frisco, Texas. Rose is one of six linebackers to be named to the initial watch list and is the only player from the Southland Conference to join the group. The New Orleans, La., native earned first team All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana honors his sophomore season, as well as second team Sports Network All-America honors after he led the league with 138 tackles - the most at Northwestern since 1991 when senior All-America linebacker and Walter Payton Trophy runner-up Andre Carron set the single-season record with 176.
Frisco is Again the Goal
After a successful NCAA Division I Football Championship Game last year at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, the destination remains the goal for every team in the Football Championship Subdivision. Eastern Washington beat Delaware, 20-19, in the first championship at the venue. It was the first of at least three scheduled championship games in Frisco, a north side suburb of Dallas and the nation's fastest growing city. The Southland Conference, along with the City of Frisco and Hunt Sports Group serve as hosts for the game, which moved to Texas from Chattanooga, Tenn., last year after 13 seasons. Last year's championship was played Jan. 7, 2011, to accommodate expansion of the playoff bracket from 16 to 20 teams. This year's championship moves to Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 and will be played at noon, Central, on ESPN2.
Three from Southland Named Preseason First-Team All-Americans
McNeese State free safety Malcolm Bronson, Northwestern State linebacker Derek Rose and Stephen F. Austin return specialist Gralyn Crawford have garnered preseason first-team All-America honors by at least one organization. All three received first-team mention on the Phil Steele FCS Preseason All-America Team. Crawford was also honored by College Sporting News, The Sports Network, Consensus Draft Service and Lindy's. Rose also received kudos from The Sports Network, Lindy's and Beyond Sports Network. A total of fifteen Southland Conference football players earned recognition on preseason All-America teams.
Sam Houston Football Ticket Information
Tickets for Sam Houston's "Parents Weekend" showdown with Central Arkansas are available now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU Athletic Ticket Office at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
