After holding a 21-17 lead at halftime, Sam Houston State was shut out Saturday in the second half by Southeastern Louisiana's defense as the Lions pushed to a 34-21 win.
Bryan Bennett threw three touchdown passes, one of which came in the second half to give Southeastern its first lead of the game.
“It seemed like they came out with a little more fire than we did (in the second half),” SHSU linebacker Eric Fieilo said after the game. Fieilo, who tied a team-high of two tackles for loss Saturday, was sidelined in the first half due to a suspension by the Southland Conference for a helmet-to-helmet hit in last week's win against Nicholls State.
“That quarterback (Bennett) is really good. He gets the offense going.”
Brian Bell had three touchdown passes by halftime – short throws to Richard Sincere and Torrance Williams and a 21-yard toss to Gerald Thomas. That was enough to establish a 21-10 lead against Southeastern before the Lion scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to Marquis Fruge with 15 seconds left until halftime brought Lions to within a single possession.
“The big key of the game was that we didn't close out the first half,” SHSU head coach Willie Fritz said. “We closed the first half poorly and started the second half poorly. Then I thought we had a turnover (forced) and we didn't get it. And a little bit later, we had a big one.”
Southeastern took over in the second half. Bennett and Xavier Roberson connected a 62-yard pass play for a touchdown just a minute into the third quarter. Later in the quarter, Marquis Hayes caught Bennett's third touchdown throw of the game, which went for 18 yards.
The loss takes SHSU out of the discussion for a third straight Southland Conference championship, while putting Southeastern in position to take the crown with an undefeated league record with a win next week against Nicholls State.
Southeastern with the win against SHSU clenched its first conference title since 1961 and its first Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth in school history.
“It was real disappointing watching Southeastern celebrate but that's in the past now,” Fieilo said. “We've got to look forward to Central Arkansas, have a good practice this week and come out with a win to make it to the playoffs.”
