This Week In the Southland Conference
11/6/2013 8:35:00 AM | Football
This Week's Schedule:
Saturday, Nov. 9
Nicholls at Sam Houston State* 2 p.m.
Lamar at Northwestern State*, 3 p.m. (SLCTV)
McNeese State at Stephen F. Austin* 3 p.m.
Southeastern Louisiana at Central Arkansas*, 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
The drama continues as the Southland Conference race sees several big games this weekend with just three more Saturdays to go before the regular season ends.
Southeastern Louisiana will put is six-game win streak on the line when it visits Central Arkansas in its second of three consecutive games against ranked conference opponents. The game at First Security Field at Estes Stadium in Conway will kick off at 7 p.m., CT, and available on ESPN3.
The No. 16 Lions, who are 7-2 overall and 4-0 in league play, moved into sole possession of first place after beating McNeese State 41-7 last Saturday in Lake Charles.
The Cowboys were ranked as high as No. 4 in the FCS polls.
Southeastern is in search of its first Southland Conference championship after joining the league in 2005. UCA, which is 5-4 overall and 2-2 in Southland games, is tied for No. 24 in the FCS Coaches' Poll this week after falling last week at Northwestern State.
The Bears are particularly tough at home with only one loss in their last 16 games at Estes Stadium. Southeastern then returns to Hammond where it will play its final two games of the season, against No. 6 Sam Houston State Nov. 16 and against Nicholls on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Sam Houston State plays host to Nicholls Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bowers Stadium. Lamar meets Northwestern State at 3 p.m. on the Southland Conference Television Network. No. 11 McNeese State travels to Stephen F. Austin.
Half of the Southland Conference's eight teams are ranked for the second consecutive week. Southeastern Louisiana, which made its first appearance in the top-25 polls since 2004 last week, responded with an upset road victory at McNeese State to climb to No. 16 in the Sports Network poll and No. 17 in the FCS Coaches poll. The 7-2 Cowboys dropped from No. 4 to No. 11 in the Sports Network poll and from No. 7 to No. 13 in the coaches' poll, clearing the way for Sam Houston State to lead the Southland in the rankings. The 7-2 Bearkats are back up to No. 6 in the Sports Network poll and No. 7 in the coaches' poll. Central Arkansas fell out of the Sports Network rankings this week, but the 5-4 Bears are tied for No. 24 in the coaches' poll.
Sam Houston State senior quarterback Brian Bell was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week after he completed 19 of 29 passes for a career-best 339 yards and four touchdowns in leading Sam Houston State to a 56-49 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Saturday. The senior from China Spring, Texas, threw touchdown passes of 15, 4, 38 and 16 yards and accounted for 383 total yards of offense in guiding the Bearkats to 557 total yards in the game.
Bell is 36-10 as a starter and ranks No. 10 on the Southland's all-time passing list with 7,835 yards. The win was his third in a row against the Lumberjacks and he has produced 1,032 yards of total offense, including 10 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in four games against SFA.
Southeastern Louisiana senior defensive back Theo Alexander was named the conference defensive player of the week after he accounted for two of the three turnovers forced by the Lion defense in a 41-7 win at McNeese State last Saturday.
Nicholls senior receiver/return specialist Carey Fortson was named the league's special teams player of the week. After coming close on returning kicks for touchdowns earlier this season, Fortson finally broke free on a kick return and scored on a 94-yard return in the second quarter Saturday at Lamar.
Sam Houston State's Torrance Williams is averaging 19.2 yards per punt return to lead the FCS. He has a long of 53 yards among his 21 returns for 404 yards.
With wins in each of its last 20 home games, Sam Houston State not only leads the FCS but it also has the longest home win streak in all of Division I. Michigan's 19-game streak is the best by an FBS team. Already with a 6-0 record at home this season, the Bearkats streak dates back to a 33-28 loss to McNeese State on Nov. 13, 2010. Sam Houston plays its final home game of the regular season Saturday against Nicholls.
The Colonels lost their third consecutive game, falling to Lamar 56-34 last week to fall to 4-5 on the year and 1-3 in conference games. Nicholls outgained Lamar on offense, 483-421. Two Colonels rushed for more than 100 yards, including 111 yards on 12 carries by running back Dalton Hilliard Jr. and 103 yards on 17 carries by quarterback Tuskani Figaro. Sam Houston holds a 17-10-1 record all-time against Nicholls and has won the last seven, including last year by a score of 41-0.
Tickets for the Sam Houston versus Nicholls game are available now online at www.gobearkats.com or at the SHSU athletic ticket office. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
