Bearkats vs. Bears Game Notes
9/16/2011 8:55:00 AM | Football
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE OPENER
Saturday's game is the Southland Conference opener for both teams. The Bearkats hold a record of nine victories, 14 losses and one tie in their previous 24 Southland opening games. Last year, Sam Houston defeated the Nicholls Colonels in Thibodaux, La., 26-7 in the Kats' first conference contest.
PARENTS' WEEKEND
Saturday's contest with Central Arkansas marks the 26th annual Parents' Weekend football game at Sam Houston State. The Bearkats own a 21-4 record in the previous Parents' Weekend outings. Twice Parents' Weekend contests were canceled due to hurricanes - in 2005 with Rita and 2008 with Ike. Sam Houston has won its last three Parents' Weekend games at Bowers Stadium.
UCA - SAM HOUSTON SERIES RECORD
Central Arkansas leads the all-time series between the Bears and the Bearkats three victories to two. UCA won the first three meetings and SHSU the last two. Sam Houston won 17-14 in Huntsville in 2009 and 20-13 last year in Conway.
BEARS NATIONALLY RANKED
Central Arkansas stood No. 18 in last week's NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national rankings. The Bears were predicted to finish third in the 2011 Southland Conference football race behind McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin in the preseason poll voted upon by the league's head coaches. UCA is led by preseason first team All-Southland Conference quarterback Nathan Dick.
SAM HOUSTON AT BOWERS STADIUM
The Bearkats own a record of 89 victories, 42 losses and one tie on their home turf at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
BEARKAT RADIO
KSAM 101.7 FM will broadcast all Sam Houston games home and away again in 2011. The broadcast also may be heard anywhere in the world online at www.gobearkats.com.
LOOKING FOR 2-0 START
In its 26 seasons of football at the NCAA Division I level, the Bearkats have started 2-0 seven times (1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2007).
RETURNING BEARKATS
In his second season, Fritz and his staff welcome back 11 starters on offense, nine on defense and three specialist starters plus 23 other returning lettermen. That includes Southland Conference "Freshman of the Year" Tim Flanders (5-9, 208) who rushed for 948 yards (94.8 per game) and scored 13 rushing touchdowns; quarterback Brian Bell (6-2, 162) who led the team with 1,371 yards passing; leading receiver Seth Patterson (6-3, 200) who caught 35 passes for 370 yards and All-Southland Conference kick return specialist Brandon Closner (5-10, 170) who averaged 11.5 yards returning punts and 25.8 yards on kickoff returns.
BEARKAT OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK
Brian Bell returns to run the offense. As a true freshman in 2010, he took over as SHSU's starting quarterback in the third game. Senior reserve signal-caller Greg Sprowls (6-4, 210) also returns. The Bearkats look to have a strong running game again. Flanders set a school record with seven 100-yard rushing performances and the highest season rushing total ever by a Bearkat freshman. Sophomore Ryan Wilson (5-10, 185) gives SHSU another experienced runner.
Sam Houston's top six receivers return including starters Patterson, Kevin Matthews (5-9, 190) and Richard Sincere (5-10, 175). Transfer Trey Diller (6-2, 200), who red-shirted last year, gives the Kats another quick, athletic target. J. D. Standley (6-3, 235) and T. J. Jones (6-3, 235) are back at tight end. Senior center Travis Watson (6-4, 295), a second-team All-Southland selection, is back to lead the offensive line. Junior tackles Dan Jenkins (6-4, 290) and Kaleb Hopson (6-6, 290) and senior guard Chris Crockett (6-3, 285) joined Travis as starters last year.
SAM HOUSTON DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK
Defensively, 11 of the top 12 team leaders in tackles are back. Senior linebacker Will Henry (5-10, 210) and junior defensive lineman J. T. Cleveland (6-0, 290) were second team all-conference in 2010. Junior cornerbacks Darnell Taylor (6-0, 195) and Dax Swanson (5-10, 161) and sophomore strong safety Bookie Sneed (6-0, 175) all were honorable mention All-Southland selections. Other returning starters on defense include linemen sophomore Gary Lorance (6-0, 270) and senior Eddie Decambre (6-2, 245) and senior linebacker Kash David (6-3, 230).
SHSU SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams look to be a strength as well. Brandon Closner, All-Southland kick returner, ranked No. 2 in the league in punt returns (11.5 average per return) and No. 3 in both kickoff returns (25.8 average per return) and all-purpose yards (126.5 yards per game). Junior kicking specialist Miguel Antonio (5-10, 165) was an honorable mention All-Southland selection. Junior Matt Foster (6-6, 195), the "punter from Down Under" also returns. The Melbourne, Australia, product produced a 38.8 yard average last year.
TIM FLANDERS JOINS 1,000 YARD CLUB
With his eighth career 100-yard rushing performance in Sam Houston's season opening win versus Western Illinois, sophomore running back became the 30th member of the Bearkats' 1,000-yard career rushing club. Flanders has totaled 1,048 yards rushing in 11 games.
SAM HOUSTON DEFENSE STARTS STRONG
The Sam Houston defense sacked Western Illinois quarterbacks five times in the Bearkats' 20-6 victory over the Leathernecks in the season opener. Defensive end Jarrett Brown posted two of the sacks for a total of 13 yards in losses. Defensive linemen Eric Fieilo and Andrew Weaver and linebacker Will Henry accounted for the other three sacks. Sam Houston allowed Western Illinois only 216 total yards. WIU averaged only 1.3 yards per rush as the Bearkats stopped the Leathernecks for losses 12 times.
TRANSFERS FIND SPOTS IN KAT LINEUP
Jarrett Brown, a transfer from the University of Oklahoma, totaled four tackles including two sacks in the WIU victory. Brown red-shirted at OU in 2009 and was on the scout team in 2010. He was an all-district defensive lineman at Arlington Bowie High School.
Trey Diller, a transfer from Wofford College who red-shirted at Sam Houston last fall, caught three passes for 53 yards including a long of 37 against WIU. Diller was an all-district performer at College Park High School in the Woodlands.
Andrew Weaver, a transfer defensive end from Texas A&M, posted two tackles for losses in the victory over the Leathernecks. Weaver was a two-time all-district player at Waco High School.
Chris Rogers, a two-time All-Iowa Conference offensive lineman at Iowa Central Community College, started for the Kats against WIU.
Emory Miller, a transfer from the University of Wyoming, provides depth at quarterback for the Bearkats. He was all-district in both football and basketball at Mesquite Horn High School.
Keith Blanton, a wide receiver from Garland High School, joined the Bearkats last week as a transfer from Iowa State.
WILLIE FRITZ FAMILIAR FACE AT SAM
Willie Fritz already was a familiar face to Sam Houston fans when he left Central Missouri in December 2009 to become the Bearkats' 14th head football coach. The Bearkats head coach played for Sam Houston coaching legend Ron Randleman at Pittsburgh State, then served on Randleman's staff at SHSU as a graduate assistant for squads that went 16-6 in 1984-85 and won the 1985 Gulf Star Conference championship. He was the secondary and special teams coach for Sam Houstno in 1991-92, helping lead the Bearkats to a Southland Conference championship.
SOUTHLAND FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Tim Flanders, the Southland Conference's "Freshman of the Year" in 2010, set three school records in his debut season as a Bearkat. Flanders posted seven rushing performances of 100 yards or more including six in a row. His season total of 948 net yards rushing and 13 rushing touchdowns were the most ever by an SHSU freshman running back.
BLOCK PARTY RETURNS TO HUNTSVILLE
Bearkat special teams blocked punts and returned the blocks for touchdowns twice during the 2010 season. The two blocks marked the return of the "block party," a Bearkat special teams tradition established when Willie Fritz was special teams coordinator for Sam Houston in 1991 and 1992. The "block party" saw Sam Houston block 80 punts, field goals and extra points in the 14 seasons from 1991 to 2004.
SACK ATTACK
Sam Houston's blitzing defense total 31 sacks in 2010, the most by a Bearkat defense since the 2001 Southland championship season when SHSU totaled 44. In the Kats' 26-7 victory at Nicholls, the defense tied a Southland record and set a school mark by rolling up 12 sacks. The previous SHSU record was 10 sacks against Mississippi Valley State in 2002. Northwestern State originally set the Southland record with 12 sacks against SFA in 1997.
PRESEASON HONORS CANDIDATE BRANDON CLOSNER
Brandon Closner, senior return specialist from Arlington, ranked No. 2 in the Southland in punt returns (11.5 average) and No. 3 in both kickoff returns (25.8) and all-purpose yards (126.5). He set school records for most punt return yards (380) and kickoff return yards (981) in one season. He begins his senior season ranked No. 3 in SHSU career punt return yards (486) and No. 4 in career kickoff return yards (1,244).
SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK BRIAN BELL
Brian Bell took over as starting quarterback as a true freshman in the third game of 2010 and led the Bearkats to six victories in their final nine games . The China Spring product who earned All-District and MVP honors for his coach and father Mark Bell in high school, completed 110 passes for 1,381 yards and 7 touchdowns as the Bearkats' signal-caller. He posted a season high passing total was 301 yards on 21 of 35 passes for 301 yards and against McNeese State.
BEARKATS TABBED FOR FOURTH PLACE SOUTHLAND FINISH
Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State, 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 head football coaches. McNeese State received three out of a possible eight first-place votes and 44 points to edge defending champion SFA by just one point. Sam Houston State was tabbed to finished fourth in the coaches' preseason ratings. The Bearkats received 36 total points and had one first place vote.
ELEVEN KATS NAMED TO PRE-SEASON ALL-SOUTHLAND SQUAD
Five Sam Houston State University football players have been named as first team selections and six more have been listed on the second team of the 2011 preseason All-Southland Conference football squad. The squad was selected by vote of the league's head coaches.
Bearkats recognized as first team honorees are running back Tim Flanders, defensive linemen J. T. Cleveland and Preston Sanders, linebacker Will Henry and defensive back Kenneth Jenkins.
Second team selections from Sam Houston are offensive linemen Travis Watson and Caleb Hopson, defensive back Darnell Taylor, place kicker Miguel Antonio, punter Matt Foster and return specialist Brandon Closner.
Only defending Southland champion Stephen F. Austin placed more players on the preseason honor squad. The Lumberjacks had 12 players honored. Central Arkansas and McNeese State followed Sam Houston with eight selections.
Flanders, a 5-9 208-pound sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., earned Southland "Freshman of the Year" honors in 2010. He was the leading rusher in the Southland, running for 948 yards.
Cleveland, a 6-0 290-pound junior from Baytown Lee, was a second team All-Southland selection in 2010. He started all 11 games, totaling 43 tackles and ranking second on team with seven tackles for losses.
Henry, a 5-10 210-pound senior from Waco LaVega, is a two-time All-Southland selection who has totaled 133 career tackles, 24 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his Bearkat career.
Sanders, a 6-3 255-pound sophomore from Red Oak, is a two-sport letterman for the Bearkats as a defensive lineman in football and a thrower for the Sam Houston men's track and field team, placing fourth in the conference shot put last spring.
Watson, a 6-2 295-pound senior from Norman, Okla., was a second team All-Southland Conference as the starting center for the Bearkats last season.
Hopson, a 6-6 290-pound junior from Early, is a two-year starter at offensive tackle for the Bearkats.
Antonio, a 5-10 165-pound junior from Lovelady, was the second-leading scorer for the Bearkats in 2010 with 14 field goals and 33 point-after attempts.
Closner, a 5-10 175-pound senior from Arlington, earned second team all-league honors after ranking No. 2 in the league in punt returns (11.5 average) and No. 3 in both kickoff returns (25.8) and all-purpose yards (126.5).
Taylor, a 6-0 195-pound junior from Mesquite, was an honorable mention all-league honoree in 2010 who has totaled 108 career tackles in two seasons as a Bearkat.
HILLCREST HEROES TICKET 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.
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.
BEARKAT STUDENTS ADMITTED WITH BEARKAT ONE CARD
All current Sam Houston students are admitted free to Sam Houston home football games at Bowers Stadium. Students may pick up their tickets in advance at the Lowman Student Center using their active Bearkat One card. Pickup times are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
FACULTY AND STAFF ADMITTANCE
Sam Houston faculty and staff also are admitted free to the general admission seats with their active Bearkat One card.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for all Sam Houston football games at Bowers Stadium as well as the rivalry game with SFA at Reliant Stadium in Houston October 8 are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets .
For more information, fans may contact the Sam Houston State athletic ticket office by telephone at (936) 294-1729 or by email at zdaniel@shsu.edu .
Fans also may visit the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
