This Week in the Southland Conference
9/28/2011 6:10:00 AM | Football
This Week's Game Schedule
Sam Houston will play host to UTSA's inaugural football team and Nicholls travels to meet Texas State in a pair of non-conference match-ups Saturday. Both games will kickoff at 6 p.m.
UTSA and Texas State, while Southland Conference members in all of their other sports, are competing as FCS Independents this season.
Lamar will play its first conference game as a Southland Conference member since 1986 when it visits Southeastern Louisiana Saturday at 3 p.m. on the Southland Conference Television Network. The Cardinals played football in the Southland from 1964 until 1986 when it became an independent in I-AA, which is now the Football Championship Subdivision.
The school discontinued its football program following the 1989 season and reinstituted it last year before rejoining the Southland this season. The Cardinals will put a 2-1 record on the line against the Southeastern, which fell to 1-3 after a loss at McNeese State on Saturday.
Week Five Matchups
When Southeastern Louisiana hosts Lamar on Saturday it will be the seventh meeting between schools ... the Lions hold a 4-2 edge in the series and will be trying to pay Lamar back for its 29-28 win last year in Hammond.
Stephen F. Austin visits Central Arkansas on Saturday ... it will be the sixth meeting between those school ... UCA leads the series 3-2 though the Lumberjacks have won the last two, including last year, 30-7, in Nacogdoches,
McNeese State visits Northwestern State for the 61st game between these two teams ... the Cowboys have a commanding 38-21-1 advantage in the series and have won the last six games of the series, including a 24-7 win last year in Lake Charles.
Nicholls and Texas State will meet Saturday for the 30th time ... the Colonels own a 16-13 lead in the series and have won four of the last six games between the teams, including a 47-45 win last year in San Marcos.
This will be the first meeting between Sam Houston State and UTSA, which is a first-year program, competing as an FCS Independent.
Cardinals, Lions Game on Southland TV
The Lamar at Southeastern Louisiana 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. The crew will be joined by Jane Slater on the sideline.
Week Four Rewind
Sam Houston State went to Albuquerque, N.M. and fly home with a 48-45 overtime victory over New Mexico, a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision's Mountain West Conference ... it marked the third Bearkat win against an FBS program and it also was the 17th win by a Southland Conference team against an FBS team since 2000 ... it was the first league win against the other Division I subdivision since Central Arkansas won at Western Kentucky in 2009.
Earlier in the day, Northwestern State shut out Nicholls State, 34-0, for the school's 500th all-time victory ... the shutout was the first by the Demons since the 2006 season, a span that covered 53 games.
McNeese State opened conference play with a 48-27 home win over Southeastern Louisiana ... it was the Cowboys' sixth consecutive win in the series ... a pair of McNeese running backs - Andre Anderson (118) and Marcus Wiltz (104) combined for 222 yards and three touchdowns.
Central Arkansas lost 53-24 to in-state rival Arkansas State in the first meeting between the teams as Division I members and first overall since 1997 ... Stephen F. Austin lost a non-conference home game to Texas State.
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 FCS Coaches Poll. McNeese State climbed three spots to No. 15 after beating Southeastern Louisiana in its conference opener, while Sam Houston State debuted in the coaches poll at No. 18 after its win at New Mexico on Saturday.
Stephen F. Austin remained ranked this week and is tied for 25th despite losing its last three games, including last week's 35-26 setback to Texas State.
Only Sam Houston State and McNeese are ranked in the latest Sports Network poll. The Bearkats climbed four spots to No. 16 and the Cowboys moved up one spot to No. 18. Stephen F. Austin fell out of the poll. Central Arkansas is receiving votes in the coaches poll, while Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State join the Bears in the receiving votes column of the Sports Network poll.
Week Four Conference Honors
Sam Houston State running back Tim Flanders was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Bearkats to a 48-45 overtime win at New Mexico on Saturday. Flanders set the school record with five rushing touchdowns and posted a career-high 194 yards rushing as the Bearkats picked up their third victory over a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Northwestern State linebacker Derek Rose made four solo tackles, recovered a fumble and added an interception as the Demons opened Southland Conference play with a win at Nicholls State.
Stephen F. Austin receiver/return specialist Gralyn Crawford scored on a 100-yard kick return in the third quarter of the Lumberjacks' game against Texas State. It was Crawford's fourth career touchdown on a kick return.
Other Notable Performances in Week Four
- McNeese State safety Darrell Jenkins recorded six tackles, two pass breakup and an interception in the Cowboys' 48-27 win over Southeastern Louisiana. His interception stopped the Lions at the McNeese 1-yard line in the closing minutes of the game.
- Sam Houston State defensive back Daxton Swanson recorded three tackles at New Mexico, but it was a pass break up in overtime that is drawing attention. He broke up a Lobo pass in the end zone on a second-down play as the Bearkats were able to force three consecutive incompletions to force New Mexico to kick a field goal. Sam Houston won it on its ensuing possession.
- Making just his third career start, Southeastern Louisiana linebacker Ricky Irvin totaled a career-high 17 tackles at McNeese State. Of the total, three went for a loss. Combined with his Westlake High teammate Tyler Stoddard for 30 stops as the duo played their first collegiate game near their hometown.
- Against Texas State, Stephen F. Austin safety totaled a career-high 17 tackles, including 11 assists and a half tackle for loss.
- McNeese State kicker Josh Lewis connected on field goals from 47 and 34 yards and made all six PATs. Lewis has now made 10 consecutive PATs and his last three field goals. He also averaged 58.1 yards on nine kickoffs with a pair of touchbacks.
- Northwestern State receiver/punt returner Kevin Shief returned three punts for 62 yards in the shutout victory over Nicholls State.
- Sam Houston State punter Matt Foster punted five times for 235 yards, an average of 47.5 yards, at New Mexico. He has averaged at least 46 yards per punt for three consecutive games. He leads the Southland and ranks fourth nationally with a 46.8 season average.
Flanders Named CSN National All-Star
Sam Houston State running back Tim Flanders set the school record with five rushing touchdowns, breaking the old mark of four by Charles Harris, Sam Houston's all-time rushing leader, and posted a career-high 194 yards on the ground as the Bearkats picked up their third victory over a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Bearkats collected the 48-45 overtime victory over New Mexico. Flanders scored touchdowns on runs of 61, 53, 3 and 2 yards in regulation and then added a run of 4 yards for the game-winning score in overtime. It was his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing performance dating back to last season and was his 10th career 100-yard game, one short of school record. Flanders is averaging 151.7 rushing yards per game, which leads the Southland and ranks third nationally.
CFPA Honors Three from Southland Position Players of the Week
The College Football Performance Awards have honored three Southland Conference players as national position players of the week. Tim Flanders was named the national running back of the week in the FCS. It also named Stephen F. Austin return specialist Gralyn Crawford its national kick returner of the week and McNeese State linebacker Joe Narcisse its national linebacker of the week.
NCAA Stat Leaders
- Sam Houston State rank third in the FCS in net punting, with an average of 41.79 per punt. Nicholls State is ranked 16th with an average of 38.17.
- The Bearkats are also ranked third in the FCS in rushing defense, allowing just 59.3 yards rushing per game and an average of just 2.2 yards per rush. Lamar is ranked 16th (102.67).
- Lamar is ranked third in total defense, limiting opponents to just 224.67 yards per game. Nicholls State is ranked 20th, allowing 305.5 yards per game.
- McNeese State ranks fourth nationally in punt returns, averaging 24.67 yards per return. The Cowboys are the only Southland team to have score a touchdown on a punt return this season.
- Sam Houston State has the fifth best rushing offense in the FCS, averaging 268.0 yards per game. Two Bearkats - Tim Flanders and Richard Sincere - account for 202 yards and eight touchdowns. Flanders is ranked third with 137.7 yards per game. He also ranks 12th in all-purpose yards with an average of 168.67 yards per game and is second in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game thanks to a five-touchdown effort last week in the win over New Mexico.
- Lamar is ranked fifth in pass defense, allowing opponents an average of just 122.0 passing yards per game. Nicholls State is ranked 13th in the FCS (149.0).
- The Souuthland has four of the top 26 passing offenses, led by Stephen F. Austin, which ranks seventh nationally with an average of 315.75 yards per game. Central Arkansas is ranked 11th (285.50), Southeastern Louisiana is ranked 19th (273.50) and McNeese State is ranked 26th (255.67).
- Sam Houston State has the eighth best pass efficiency rating in the FCS with a rating of 162.51. McNeese State is ranked 17th (151.76). Bearkat quarterback Brian Bell has a pass efficiency rating of 165.59 to rank fifth nationally.
- Lamar ranks 11th in scoring offense, averaging 37.0 points per game. McNeese is ranked 17th with 34.3 points per game.
- Stephen F. Austin is ranked 12th in the FCS in kick returns, averaging 26.75 per return. The Lumberjacks have 16 returns for 428 yards and got a 100-yard return for a score by Gralyn Crawford last Saturday against Texas State. He ranks seventh in the FCS with an average of 31.91 per return. Southeastern Louisiana is ranked 20th with an average of 24.83 per return.
