Battle of the Piney Woods Today at 3 p.m.
11/1/2014 6:29:00 AM | Football
K. C. Keeler remembers just how quickly he learned about the “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry between Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin.
“Very early in the interview process for this job, the rivalry came up,” Keeler said. The first-year Bearkat head coach brought a 174-73-1 record to Huntsville after stints at Delaware and Rowan.
“A group of alumni asked me how I felt about the color purple. I caught on really quickly they weren't talking about the movie,” Keeler said. “They told me to leave all my purple clothes at home.”
Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin meet for the 89th time Saturday at 3 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Lumberjacks come into the game ranked as high as No. 23 in the FCS polls with a 6-2 record. The Bearkats are 4-4 for the year. Both teams are 3-1 in league action.
“We're set to play an outstanding team in a beautiful neutral stadium before a great crowd,” Keeler said. “It will be a tremendous atmosphere. The game gives both universities two homecomings. And this is a huge game for both of us with first place at stake.”
Keeler points to Stephen F. Austin's error-free play as a big factor for the Lumberjacks.
“They have done a phenomenal job this year. They make few mistakes,” Keeler said. “Last week we had 11 penalties for more than 100 yards and had three touchdowns called back. I'm not sure I've ever seen that. We've been preaching all year that to win, we have to play clean. Stephen F. Austin has learned to play clean and they're a very talented football team.”
SFA also has a head coach new to the “Piney Woods” rivalry as former Central Arkansas head man Clint Conque now coaches the Jacks.
“We're pleased with how hard our players have worked and bought into what we're trying to do,” Conque said. “We're starting to see results on the field. This week we face another tremendous college of athletes. Sam Houston presents us with challenges on offense, defense and special teams. The key for us is to block and tackle and stay focused on ourselves and what we do.”
The Sam Houston-Stephen F. Austin showdown will be telecast on ESPN3 and regionally by more
than 25 affiliates across the region, plus national and online outlets. The local TV outlet in the Greater Houston area is The Kube Channel 57.
Sam Houston State's explosive offense is led by sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson, who ranks 19th in the country with 268.9 yards of total offense per game (204.4 passing, 64.5 rushing).
Freshman receiver Yedidiah Louis, who was recently named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List for the top first-year player in FCS, leads the Bearkats with 41 catches for 444 yards and one touchdown.
Fellow Jerry Rice Award Candidate P.J. Hall serves as the first line of defense for the Bearkats. Hall, who has 47 tackles on the year, leads Sam Houston with 13.5 tackles for a loss and 5.0 sacks.
This marks the 89th meeting between the two schools with Sam Houston State holding a 50-36-2 overall advantage. The Bearkats have won the last three meetings, including a 56-49 shootout last year in Houston.
Stephen F. Austin is coming off its biggest win of the season, upsetting then-No. 8 Southeastern Louisiana 27-17. The Jacks, who have their last three games, are led by senior running back Gus Johnson, a Walter Payton Award candidate for the top player in FCS.
Johnson ranks sixth in the nation with 137.8 yards rushing per game and second in scoring with 13.5 points per game.
Defensively, SFA is led by senior linebacker Collin Garrett, who ranks 25th in the nation with 9.8 tackles per game. Garrett also has 5.5 tackles for a loss, including 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
KSAM 101.7 FM in Huntsville will broadcast the contest live on radio and on the internet on www.gobearkats.com.
