Sam Houston - Incarnate Word Game Notes
11/4/2014 9:50:00 AM | Football
BEARKATS IN THREE-WAY TIE FOR FIRST IN SOUTHLAND
As Sam Houston begins a two-week road swing, the Bearkats stand in a three-way tie for first place in the Southland Conference. McNeese State, Southeastern Louisiana and SHSU all have 4-1 league marks. Central Arkansas is a half-game back at 4-2.
The Bearkats travel to San Antonio to meet Incarnate Word this Saturday and then back to Houston to tackle Houston Baptist Saturday, Nov. 15. SHSU ends the regular season with a home matchup with the UCA Bears on Saturday, Nov. 22.
SAM HOUSTON FOOTBALL'S SECOND VISIT TO SAN ANTONIO
For only the second time in Sam Houston State's 99 years of football, the Bearkats will play in San Antonio this weekend when they take on University of the Incarnate Word.
The Bearkats lost to Trinity University 27-6 in 1947 in their first visit to the Alamo City.
Sam Houston and Incarnate Word have played each of the past two seasons in Huntsville with the Bearkats winning both contests.
TWO RUSHERS WITH 100 YARDS PLUS IN SAME GAME
Senior running back Keshawn Hill rushed for 160 yards and sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson added 152 more to mark the first time since 2012 for two Bearkat players to total more than 100 yards in the same game. Hill was one of those players two seasons ago, gaining 132 yards in a victory over Southeastern Louisiana while All-America Timothy Flanders totaled 152 yards. Two SHSU backs have rushed for 100 yards or more in one game 10 times.
SECOND VICTORY THIS SEASON OVER FCS TOP 25 OPPONENT
Sam Houston has wins over two FCS Top 25 teams, defeating McNeese when the Cowboys were No. 4 on Oct. 11 and No. 23 Stephen F. Austin last Saturday at the 89th “Battle of the Piney Woods” at NRG Stadium, the home of the NFL Houston Texans.
BEARKATS FOCUSING ON ONE GAME AT A TIME
With a third Southland title in four seasons and a fourth consecutive FCS playoff berth still a possibility, Sam Houston players know they have to focus on going 1-0 each week.
The Bearkats stand 4-1 in Southland play after going 1-3 in non-league action, a schedule that included road losses to No. 2 Eastern Washington and SEC power LSU.
PLENTY OF NEW FACES ON THE 2014 BEARKAT FOOTBALL SQUAD
When Sam Houston opened the 2014 season August 23 at Eastern Washington, there were 18 players in the starting lineup who did not start in the spring game. Only seven players who started during the 9-5 campaign in 2013 returned this year.
In the Bearkats' four Southland Conference game, only two seniors have started -- running back Keshawn Hill on offense and safety Michael Wade on defense. In the four league games, four freshmen and eight sophomores have been among the starting 22.
Several transfers from FBS programs joined the team this fall including LaDarius Brown (WR-TCU), Derrick Edwards (WR-Texas Tech), Josh Hunt (LB-Wake Forest), Jacobi Hunter (DT-California), Jarrell Oliver (RB-Utah), Trenier Orr (CB-Cincinnati), Jalen Overstreet (RB-Texas), Ernest Payton (CB-Missouri) and Xavier Smith (CB-Missouri).
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
In Sam Houston's four Southland Conference games, the Bearkat defense has created 13 turnovers (7 fumble recoveries, 6 interceptions) while the SHSU offense has given up seven.
The Bearkats intercepted three passes at Northwestern State. Sam Houston recovered three Abilene Christian fumbles. The Wildcats had not lost a fumble in its first eight games 2014.
PLAYING CLEAN
Coach K. C. Keeler has preached to his young Bearkat squad about eliminating penalties. The Kats “played clean” Saturday with only one penalty for 15 yards and knocked off No. 23 ranked Stephen F. Austin 42-28.
DEFENSE PLAYS 41 MINUTES IN TWO-TOUCHDOWN VICTORY VERSUS SFA
Sam Houston's defense was on the field for 41 minutes in Saturday's two-touchdown victory over No. 23 SFA. The Lumberjacks ran 96 plays as compared to SHSU's 54. Yet an outstanding effort by the Kat defense, quick strikes by the offense and relatively error free play spelled Sam Houston's fourth consecutive victory in the “Battle of the Piney Woods” at NRG Stadium.
The Kats averaged 9.0 yards per play while SFA managed 5.4. SHSU's touchdowns included runs of 59, 31, 32 (by Keshawn Hill) and 52 (by Jalen Overstreet. The Lumberjacks had to drive 85, 86 and 74 for their three offensive touchdowns . The Jacks were forced to punt nine times
THE BEARKAT OFFENSE
Sam Houston ranks fifth in the Southland Conference with an average of 439.6 yards total offense per game. The Bearkats have scored 294 points for a mark of 32.7 points per game, seventh in the league.
RUNNING BACK KESHAWN HILL SHSU'S OFFENSIVE SENIOR LEADER
Senior running back Keshawn Hill stands No. 3 in SHSU career rushing TDs (30), No. 6 in career all-purpose yards (3,365) and No. 12 in career rushing yards (2,061).
This season Hill stands No. 6 in FCS in rushing touchdowns (14) and No. 9 in FCS scoring (6.52 points per game). In the Southland, Hill ranks No. 5 in rushing (75.3 per game), No. 2 in scoring and No. 4 in all-purpose yards (129.6)
The Klein product posted a career best 198 yards rushing on 17 carries in the Northwestern State game. The total included touchdown runs of 74, 66 and 3 yards. The 198 yards ranked as the 13th best single game performance by a Bearkat. Last Saturday vs. SFA, Hill rushed 14 times for 154 yards. He became only the fourth SHSU running back to score four TDs in a game.
SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK JARED JOHNSON
Sophomore Jared Johnson is the starting quarterback for the Kats this fall after serving as a back-up in 2013 to All-Southland Conference quarterback Brian Bell (Sam Houston's all-time passing and total offense leader).
The South Grand Prairie product ranks third in the Southland Conference in total offense (268.9), No. 7 in rushing (72.9) and No. 6 in passing yards (196.0). He has completed 154 of 282 passes for 1,723 yards and eight TDs. He has rushed for 656 yards and five touchdowns including three scoring runs of more than 50 yards.
Johnson was Southland and FCS national offensive “player of the week” after accounting for 382 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in a victory over No. 4 ranked McNeese State. He set an SHSU single game school record for most yards rushing by a QB (190). Included in the total were touchdown runs of 73 and 67 yards. Johnson also threw for 193 yards with touchdown passes of 22 and nine yards.
OTHER KEY FIGURES IN BEARKAT OFFENSE
Texas transfer Jalen Overstreet has has 53 rushes for 385 yards and is averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Transfer Donavan Williams from ASA College has 59 carries for 282 yards. LaDarius Brown, a transfer from TCU, has 23 catches for 330 yards.
Donald Jackson III, Zachary Stevens and Brandon DeWitt all were starters in the offensive line last year. Jackson both is a preseason All-Southland selection. DeWitt was a freshman All-America selection in 2013.
TWO BEARKATS ON JERRY RICE WATCH LIST
Two Sam Houston redshirt freshmen - wide receiver Yedidiah Louis and defensive lineman P. J. Hall - are included on the “watch list” for the Jerry Rice Award presented annually to the top FCS freshman by The Sports Network.
Louis leads the Bearkats with 42 catches for 488 yards. The New Orleans native stands as one of only two freshmen in the FCS national top 50 with 4.7 receptions per game. His longest gain this year has been a 48-yard catch-and-run at LSU.
Hall ranks No. 19 in FCS tackles for losses with 16 for 55 yards. The Seguin product has 53 total tackles including five sacks. He is one of only two freshman in top 50 in FCS tackles for loss this season. Hall intercepted a pass at Northwestern State and has a blocked kick to his credit.
Hall is a two-time Southland “Defensive Player of the Week” winner. He earned the honor for his play in Sam Houston's league victories at Lamar and over No. 4 ranked McNeese State.
THE BEARKAT DEFENSE
Senior safety Michael Wade and sophomore tackle Sione Latu are the only two starters this season who were in the starting line-up last year.
Wade, a preseason All-Southland selection, leads the Bearkats with 71 tackles (42 solo) and has two interceptions this season. His interceptions versus Alabama State and Northwestern State give him five career picks. Latu has 23 stops including two sacks this fall.
Linebackers Myke Chatman and Tristan Eche are second for the Kats, each with 55 tackles.
Cornerback Trenier Orr, a transfer from Cincinnati, returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown in the Eastern Washington game. He has 46 tackles.
In his first collegiate start against Abilene Christian, freshman linebacker A. J. Davis led Sam Houston with 8 tackles. He returned a fumble 27 yards for a TD and had 2 tackles for losses. Davis has 40 tackles to his credit this year.
Junior safety Eric Agbarogi returned an interception 28 yards for a score in the ACU win.
The Kats limited the No. 5 ranked McNeese Cowboys to 298 total yards. McNeese passed for only 89 yards and gained just 209 on the ground. Sam Houston allowed McNeese only one score through the first three quarters as the Bearkats built a 35-7 lead.
AUSTRALIAN LACHLAN EDWARDS HAVING OUTSTANDING SEASON AS PUNTER
Junior punter Lachlan Edwards from Hastings, Victoria in Australia ranked No. 6 in FCS with an average of 43.5 yards. He has 18 punts of more than 50 yards this season with a long of 57. Results of his punts have included 21 fair catches and 22 inside the 20.
Edwards set a school record with his 49.8 average on five punts at Northwestern State. The previous record of 49.5 yards by Ryan Kluas stood for 16 years. It was set by Ryan Klaus versus Angelo State, 1998. Edwards' punts covered 39, 49, 53, 51 and a season best 57 yards.
SOPHOMORE KICKER LUC SWIMBERGHE
All-Southland Conference kicker Luc Swimberghe is one of only seven kickers in FCS play still perfect in their field goal attempts this fall. Swimberge is 10-of-10.
Swimberghe has totaled 65 points on 35 of 37 PATs and 10 field goals.
The sophomore from Tyler earned Southland “Special Teams Player of the Week” honors after the McNeese victory. He kicked a season-best 44-yard field goal (the second longest of his career) and was 5-of-5 on PATs against the Cowboys.
