Around the Southland Conference
10/4/2013 8:35:00 AM | Football
The Sam Houston football team gets a weekend to rest and there are just two games in the Southland Conference Saturday.
But one is the league's first conference game of the year and it's an important clash.
McNeese State visits Central Arkansas Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Red Beans and Rice Bowl.
This year's contest will be a battle of top-15 teams. McNeese is 4-1 on the year and is ranked No. 11 in the Sports Network poll and No. 14 in the FCS Coaches' Poll, while the Bears are 2-2 overall and ranked No. 14 by the Sports Network and No. 11 by the coaches.
The other game Saturday pits future league member UIW at Southeastern Louisiana. The Cardinals are 3-2 on the year and have already played Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State, who shared last year's Southland title.
The sixth season of the Southland Conference Television Network gets underway Saturday when the network will broadcast live from Conway, Ark. for the McNeese State at Central Arkansas game Saturday at 3 p.m. Randy McIlvoy and Shea Walker will call the action from the press box and Brooke Bentley will be the sideline reporter.
An eight-game network schedule will be featured on more than 20 affiliates across Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas and will be available on the Southland Conference Digital Network and ESPN3. Last year, the network won its second College Sports Media Awards honor for live event production.
In last weekend's top game, No. 4 Sam Houston ran its home win streak to a Division I-best 18 games with a 49-34 victory over No. 2 Eastern Washington, highlighting a weekend where Southland Conference teams finished 4-2.
Sam Houston improved to 3-0 all-time against Eastern Washington in what was the first regular-season matchup between the school that have only met in the FCS playoffs. Lamar came from behind to win 27-16 at Grambling while Nicholls beat Arkansas Tech (44-34) and Northwestern State blanked Langston (37-0). McNeese State lost 41-6 at No. 5/5 Northern Iowa and Stephen F. Austin lost 56-48 at home to Prairie View A&M.
Sam Houston State has its best national rankings of the year, climbing over Towson to get to No. 2 in this week's Sports Network poll and to No. 3 in the FCS Coaches' Poll after its 49-34 victory over Eastern Washington. The Bearkats were ranked No. 3 and No. 4 in the two preseason polls, but slipped one spot (4/4) in the Sports Network poll after beating Houston Baptist 74-0 in the opener and another spot in both polls (5/5) after falling 65-28 at FBS No. 7 Texas A&M in week two.
The picked up one spot in the rankings (4/4) after Stephen F. Austin beat No. 2/3 Montana State. McNeese State fell in both polls after falling to No. 5/5 Northern Iowa. The Cowboys are now No. 11 in the Sports Network poll and No. 14 in the coaches' poll. Central Arkansas had an open date last week, but managed to fall one spot in the Sports Network poll to No. 14, but climbed two spots in the Sports Network poll to No. 11. Southeastern Louisiana received votes in the Sports Network poll, while Stephen F. Austin received votes in the coaches' poll.
After leading the Bearkats to a 49-34 upset of No. 2/3 Eastern Washington on Saturday, Sam Houston State running back Timothy Flanders and cornerback De'Andrey Loche have been named the Southland Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively. Flanders ran the ball 32 times for 280 yards and two touchdowns to become the first Southland player and the 22nd player in FCS history to rush for 5,000 career yards. The rushing total, which included 82 yards on 13 carries in the fourth quarter, was the 29th time in his career that he reached 100 yards and the third time he has topped 200 yards. Flanders has exactly 5,000 career yards. He scored on runs of 60 and 12 yards and played in the fourth quarter for the first time this year. His 61 career rushing touchdowns, which includes nine this season, rank 12th all-time in the FCS.
In five games this season, Flanders leads all FCS rushers with 766 yards and his 153.2 yards per game ranks third in the FCS. Loche returned an interception 42 yards for touchdown to give Sam Houston a 21-13 second-quarter lead. The Bearkats never trailed again. The senior from Diboll, Texas, made two tackles and had two pass breakups in the win over No. 2/3 Eastern Washington. In four games this season, Loche has made 14 tackles and broken up five passes.
Sam Houston will return to action Saturday Oct. 12, opening Southland action against Lamar in SHSU's 80th homecoming football game.
The Cardinals closed out the non-conference portion of the 2013 schedule last Saturday with a 27-16 road victory over Grambling State. It was the first road win for Lamar since a 34-26 victory at Nicholls in November 2011.
The Bearkats lead the FCS in scoring offense, scoring 51.6 points per game ... Sam Houston ranks fourth in Division I, trailing only Baylor (69.7), Oregon (59.8) and UCLA (52.7). The Bearkats rank 12th in the FCS in total offense, averaging 484.8 yards per game.
Tickets for Sam Houston's three remaining home games at Bowers Stadium plus the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” with SFA Nov. 2 at Reliant are available now online at www.gobearkats.com .
Tickets also may be purchased at the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium.
Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
