Bearkats Begin 4-Game Home Stand
9/12/2013 8:10:00 AM | Football
TEXAS SOUTHERN VISITS BOWERS STADIUM
The Sam Houston vs. Texas Southern game sponsored by the Huntsville Item begins a four-game home stand at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium for the Bearkats Saturday at 2 p.m.
COMCAST SPORTSNET HOUSTON TELECAST
Comcast SportsNet Houston (CSN), a partnership between the Houston Astros, Houston Rockets and the NBC Sports Group, will televise Saturday's Bearkats-Tigers game. CSN is available in both standard and high definition to local cable, satellite and telco TV providers. For channel locations, visit www.csnhouston.com/channel-finder.
BEARKAT RADIO
KSAM 101.7 FM will broadcast all Sam Houston football game. The broadcast also may be heard anywhere in the world online at www.gobearkats.com.
SAM HOUSTON VS. TEXAS SOUTHERN
Sam Houston holds a 9-5 edge over the Tigers in the all-time series between the two FCS programs. The series was renewed last year after a 14-year break with the Kats winning 50-6 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Sam Houston is 5-1 against Texas Southern in Huntsville. However, TSU's only victory at Bowers Stadium came in their last visit in 1997 by a score of 26-20.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
Sam Houston earned its second consecutive Southland Conference football championship with a 6-1 league mark in 2012. The title is SHSU's fifth as a member of the Southland and ninth overall in 97 years of football. The Bearkats also won Southland titles in 1991, 2001, 2004 and 2011.
Tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2013 Southland head coaches' preseason poll, Sam Houston will be seeking to become only the fifth team to win the league's football title three consecutive years.
Lamar (1964-65-66), Arkansas State (1968-69-70), Louisiana Tech (1971-72-73-74) and McNeese (2001-02-03) are the only teams to pull off the feat in the Southland's 50 years of football.
CONSECUTIVE NCAA FINALS APPEARANCES
Sam Houston State is one of only eight football programs to appear in consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship Games. The list of seven other universities reaching the finals in back-to-back seasons during the tournament's 34-year history includes Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Southern, Youngstown State, Marshall, Montana, Appalachian State and North Dakota State.
BEARKATS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Sam Houston finished its 97th football season No. 2 in both the Sports Network and NCAA FCS Coaches polls. The Bearkats' No. 2 rankings each of the past two years represent the program's highest NCAA final national rankings
The Bearkats stand No. 5 in both the current 2013 Sports Network poll and NCAA Coaches rankings. Sam Houston has been ranked among the FCS top 25 26 consecutive weeks since debuting in the national poll Sept. 9, 2011. During an 11-0 regular season in 2011, the Kats rose to No. 1. Sam Houston has been ranked among the FCS top 10 for 22 consecutive polls.
Prior to the past two seasons, the Bearkats' highest national ranking was No. 3 following a 2004 NCAA Championship semifinal appearance.
KATS OPENED 98th FOOTBALL SEASON WITH VICTORY
Sam Houston opened its 98th season Aug. 31 with a 74-0 shutout of first year program Houston Baptist. The 74 points marked the fifth highest single game scoring total for the Kats. The Bearkat offense scored six rushing touchdowns and quarterback Brian Bell threw for two more. Defensively, the Kats returned two interceptions for TDs, scored a safety and blocked two punts.
SHSU FALLS TO NO. 7 TEXAS A&M IN SECOND GAME
The Bearkats won't argue with anyone about No. 6 Texas A&M's FBS national ranking or the fact the quarterback Johnny Manziel has more national awards in sight. Led by the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner, the Aggies rolled up 500 yards passing and 714 yards total offense in Saturday's 65-28 victory over Sam Houston last Saturday.
"Texas A&M is very good," SHSU head coach Willie Fritz said. "They have one the best offenses I've ever seen."
Manziel completed 29 of 42 attempts for 426 yards and three touchdowns. Sam Houston State produced some offense of its own.
FLANDERS ROLLS UP THE YARDS AT A&M
Walter Payton Award candidate Timothy Flanders rushed 19 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns including a scoring run of 68 yards. Flanders also caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brian Bell. The 170 yard rushing total represents Flanders' fourth highest single game in his 26 100-yard rushing performances. He is the first player to rush for 170 yards vs. A&M in 42 games (since Colt McCoy of Texas gained 175 in 2009). Flanders was named as Southland Conference "Offensive Player of the Week" Monday. The award marks the sixth time he has earned the weekly honor.
SHOWDOWN WITH EASTERN WASHINGTON SEPT. 28
The two teams that met in the NCAA semifinals last year in Cheney, Wa., face off in a rematch Saturday, Sept. 28, at Bowers in what is the most anticipated FCS matchup of the 2013 season. Sam Houston advanced to the FCS finals with a 45-42 win last year. EWU upset No. 25 Oregon State in the first week of the college season.
MORE ON FLANDERS
All-America running back, Walter Payton Award candidate and two-time Southland Conference football "Player of the Year" Timothy Flanders holds 31 Sam Houston school records. The Midwest City, Okla., product stands as Sam Houston's all-time rushing leader with 786 carries for 4,455 yards and 55 touchdowns.
Flanders needs 239 more yards to become the all-time leading rusher in Southland Conference history. Claude Mathis of Southwest Texas (4,694 yards in 1994-97) currently holds that mark. The Bearkat running back owns the league career mark for rushing TDs (55) and is tied with Brent Grimes of Central Arkansas for most total TDs (59).
Flanders stands at the FCS active career rushing leader. Shakir Bell of Indiana State is second with 3,907 yards.
Flanders has nine touchdown runs of more than 50 yards to his credit. His 71-yard touchdown against Southeastern Louisiana last year is his longest gain.
QUARTERBACK BRIAN BELL
Brian Bell stands as Sam Houston's all-time "winningest" quarterback, leading SHSU to 31 victories as a starter since 2010.
The senior from China Spring is Sam Houston's all-time leader in both passing and total offense yards with 6,392 yards in the air and 7,318 yards rushing and passing combined. Bell's 56 career touchdown passes also is an SHSU school mark.
CORNERBACK BOOKIE SNEED
Cornerback Bookie Sneed snapped a Sam Houston record that had stood since 1968 with his 92-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter of the 2012 SFA victory. Paul Wenzel returned an interception 90 yards against Sul Ross for the Kat mark that stood for 44 years. Sneed picked off four interceptions last year and eight in his career. He is tied for eighth in career interceptions at SHSU.
SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER CHANCE NELSON
Wide receiver Chance Nelson, a transfer from Texas A&M, caught 35 passes for 671 yards and nine TDs as a freshman in 2012. He scored on a 61-yard pass at Texas Southern and a 70-yard strike against Southeastern La. In the Montana State win in Bozeman, Nelson scored on passes of 16 and 45 yards.
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERCA DONALD JACKSON III
Donald Jackson III received All-Southland Conference honorable mention honors at offensive tackle as a true freshman in 2012. He was named to College Sports Journal's NCAA Division I FCS Freshman All-America squad. Jackson started the final 11 games, blocking for an offense that rolled up a Southland Conference and Sam Houston school record 600 points.
DEFENSIVE END ANDREW WEAVER
Andrew Weaver was selected to the Associated Press FCS All-America third team in 2012. He was an All-Southland second team honoree as well. Weaver had two sacks at Montana State and one in national championship game . In 2011, he returned interceptions for 23 yards in the SFA win. Weaver transferred to Sam Houston from Texas A&M.
WIDE RECEIVER TORRANCE WILLIAMS
A speedy receiver with big play potential, Torrance Williams is a threat both as a receiver and kick return specialist. With more than 1,000 career all-purpose yards, Williams was honorable mention All-Southland Conference after starting all 15 games in 2011.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are available on line at www.gobearkats.com or at the SHSU athletic ticket office (936) 294-1729
