This week in the Southland
9/21/2011 9:33:00 PM | Football
Seven of the eight Southland Conference teams will be on the gridiron this week, a week that features a pair of conference games on Saturday with Northwestern State visiting Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana traveling to McNeese State.
Two league teams will face teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, including league-leading Sam Houston State at New Mexico and Central Arkansas at former league-member Arkansas State. Stephen F. Austin has a game against Texas State, which played its final football season in the Southland in 2010.
Week Four Matchups
Northwestern State and Nicholls State will battle for "NSU" bragging rights on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network ... Northwestern has a 24-14 edge in the series that dates back to 1973 ... Nicholls has won the last two meetings and six of the last eight ... Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese State will meet for the 37th time Saturday at 7 p.m. in Lake Charles ... the Cowboys hold a 21-15 edge in the series and have won the last five meetings ... Stephen F. Austin meets Texas State Saturday at 6 p.m. in Nacogdoches and is trying to snap a four-game losing streak to the Bobcats, who lead the all-time series 55-29-1 ... Central Arkansas renews its series with Arkansas State Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.com ... the teams meet for the first time since 1997 ... the Bears lead the series 12-9-2 ... Sam Houston State plays New Mexico for the first time ... Lamar is idle.
Northwestern State vs. Nicholls on Southland TV
The Northwestern State at Nicholls State game on Saturday will be televised by the Southland Conference Television Network. Coverage begins at 3 p.m., Central, with kickoff slated for 3:05 p.m. Visit www.Southland.org/television for a list of affiliates. Randy McIlvoy and Shea Walker will call the action from the booth.
Week Three Rewind
Sam Houston State beat Central Arkansas 31-10 last Saturday in the conference opener for both teams ... the game was the earliest conference opener for the league since Northwestern State beat Nicholls State 35-3 on Sept. 17, 1994 ... the league also got victories from Lamar and McNeese State ... the Cardinals beat Incarnate Word 45-35 in Beaumont and the Cowboys beat Sioux Falls 31-17 in Lake Charles ... of the seven games involving league teams last week, the home team won all seven games ... unfortunately for the Southland, the other four games were on the road against teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision ... Nicholls State lost 38-21 at Louisiana-Lafayette ... Southeastern Louisiana lost 52-6 at Southern Miss ... Northwestern State lost at SMU 40-7 and Stephen F. Austin lost at Baylor 48-0.
Three Southland Teams Ranked in FCS Top 25 Polls
Three Southland Conference football teams - McNeese State, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin - are ranked in this week's Sports Network poll. The Cowboys climbed four spots from No. 23 to No. 19 this week, just in front of Sam Houston State, which is No. 20. Stephen F. Austin fell from No. 19 to No. 22 this week after its loss at Baylor. Central Arkansas and Southeastern Louisiana received votes in this week's Sports Network poll. Only McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin are ranked in the week's FCS Coaches Poll. The Lumberjacks are No. 17 followed immediately by McNeese State, which is No. 18. Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas are receiving votes from FCS coaches.
Last of 11 Games for Southland vs. Football Bowl Subdivision This Week
Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas will try to give the Southland Conference its first win against the Football Bowl Subdivision this season and the first since 2009 when Central Arkansas won at Western Kentucky. The league has played nine games against the FBS this season and was winless in 11 games against the subdivision last year. This year, the Southland has played teams from Conference USA as well as the Big 12, Mid-American, Mountain West, Southeastern, Sun Belt and Western Athletic conferences. The league is 0-9 in games against that subdivision this year. Since 2000, the Southland Conference has 16 wins against FBS teams and has played to within 14 points another 21 times, including twice this year when Southeastern Louisiana lost 47-33 at Tulane and Central Arkansas lost 48-42 in overtime at Louisiana Tech.
Week Three Conference Honors
Sam Houston State wide receiver Richard Sincere was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week after he ran the ball seven times for 107 yards and two scores in a 31-10 victory over Central Arkansas. Sincere scored on touchdown runs of 9 and 45 yards, the last of which gave the Bearkats a 21-point cushion in the third quarter. Bearkat safety Darnell Taylor earned defensive player of the week honors after leading Sam Houston with 11 total tackles against Central Arkansas. Taylor helped Sam Houston State hold the Bears to 271 total yards. McNeese State wide receiver/return specialist Darius Carey returned a punt for 68 yards for the Cowboys' second touchdown of the game in a 31-17 over Sioux Falls. Carey finished the game with 179 all-purpose yards.
Other Notable Performances in Week Three
- Sam Houston State running back Tim Flanders ran for 119 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in the Bearkats' 31-10 win over Central Arkansas. Flanders combined with Richard Sincere, who was the conference offensive player of the year, to give Sam Houston State a pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time since 1997. The duo combined for 226 rushing yards. Flanders scored on a 23-yard run.
- Central Arkansas linebacker recorded a career-high 16 tackles, including 12 solo stops, in the loss at Sam Houston State. His 3.5 tackles for loss was a career best and accounted for half of the team's seven tackles for loss against the Bearkats.
- Sam Houston State punter Matt Foster averaged 46.3 yards on three punts vs. Central Arkansas. He totaled 139 yards and landed one inside the 20. The Bearkats lead the Football Championship Subdivision in net punting with a 44.13 average.
NCAA Stat Leaders
Sam Houston State leads the Football Championship Subdivision in net punting, averaging 44.13 net yards per punt. Nicholls State is ninth nationally with a net average of 39.79.
Sam Houston State ranks second nationally in rush defense and has only allowed 84 yards in two games for an average of 42.0 rushing yards per game. Only Georgia Southern, the top-ranked team in the FCS, is better, allowing just 39.5 rushing yards per contest.
Sam Houston State is allowing an average of only 8.0 points per game to rank third nationally among teams in the FCS. North Dakota State (4.5) and Towson (6.5) are better.
Three Southland Conference teams rank in the top 14 of the FCS in total defense. Lamar leads the league, allowing only 224.67 per game to rank third, while Sam Houston State allows 243.5 per game to rank seventh. Nicholls State ranks 14th with an opponent average of 275.33 total yards per game.
