Amazing Accomplishments by 2014 SHSU Football
12/28/2014 8:17:00 PM | Football
In a story book season, the 2014 Sam Houston football coaching staff and players never lost faith in themselves as the Bearkats bounced back from a 1-3 start to reach the NCAA FCS playoff final four and earn another Southland Conference championship.
The Kats finished the season with an 11-5 record, a victory total previous SHSU teams have equaled or bettered only twice in 99 years of Bearkat football.
Along the way, Sam Houston rolled up five wins over FCS top 25 teams. Three came in the playoffs over No. 3 Jacksonville State, No. 5 Villanova and No. 9 Southeastern Louisiana. The Bearkats also defeated McNeese when the Cowboys were No. 4 on Oct. 11 and No. 23 SFA Nov. 1 at the 89th “Battle of the Piney Woods” at NRG Stadium, the home of the NFL Houston Texans.
The 34-31 road victory at Villanova advanced to the FCS semifinals for the third time in four years and the fourth time in program history.
Sam Houston, New Hampshire and North Dakota State stand as the only programs to earn berths in FCS post-season play each of the past four seasons. The Bearkats reached the NCAA National Championship game in Frisco in 2011 and 2012 (one of only eight universities to play in the finals in consecutive seasons) and reached the second round last year.
With this year's FCS appearance, Sam Houston became only the second team in Southland Conference history to earn four consecutive playoff berths.
With the three playoff wins in 2014, Sam Houston now holds the Southland Conference's top FCS playoff record with a 13-8 mark in postseason play. This year saw Sam Houston's eighth playoff appearance after berths in 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Five of Sam Houston's 13 playoff wins have come on the road.
The Bearkats reached the National Championship Game in 2011 and 2012, the FCS semifinals in 2004, the quarterfinals in 2001, the second round in 2013 and lost in the opening round in 1986 and 1991.
Head coach K. C. Keeler's Bearkats rolled 7-1 through the Southland Conference to earn the program's sixth league championship. Previous titles came in 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011 and 2012. Sam Houston's eight-game winning streak going into the semifinals stands as the longest since a 16-game string from the close of the 2010 season to the National Championship Game in Frisco at the end of the 2011 campaign.
The 2014 team saw record-setting performances in all three areas of football – offense, defense and special teams.
Sam Houston ranked fourth in the Southland and 24th nationally with 447.1 yards total offense per game. The Bearkats led the Southland and stood sixth nationally in rushing (241.6) and stand third in the league and 17th nationally in scoring offense (33.9). Sam Houston has four backs with more than 600 yards rushing this season.
Individually senior Keshawn Hill completed his career ranked second in total touchdowns (41), third in career rushing touchdowns (34) and fourth in total yards (2,546), all-purpose yards (3,934) and scoring (246 points).
With 1,150 yards rushing during 2014, Hill became the ninth Bearkat running back to run for more than 1,000 yards in a single fall.
Sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson compiled the second highest total offense yardage total in school history. A true dual threat, Johnson rushed for 999 yards and passes for 3,054. Only the 4,588 yards by Dustin Long, quarterback for Sam Houston's 2004 Southland championship and FCS semifinalist team, stands atop Johnson's 2014 performance.
Yedidiah Louis totaled 803 yards on 71 catches to roll up the second highest single season receiving total by a Bearkat freshman. Matt Dominguez, who went on to play in the NFL for the Broncos, rolled up 818 yards receiving as a freshman in 1997.
On defense freshman defensive end P. J. Hall and senior safety Michael Wade wrote their names in the SHSU record book in 2014.
Hall finished third in the voting for the 2014 Jerry Rice award presented annually by The Sports Network to the FCS “Freshman of the Year.” Hall was the top defensive player on the Rice award voter getters.
Also the Southland Conference's “Freshman of the Year,” Hall was one of the leaders in FCS tackles for losses with 30 for 118 yards. The total stands one sack short of Andre Finley's school record for most tackles for losses set in 1988.
Hill also tied the school mark for most kick blocks in one year with five.
Wade is the only senior who started on defense for the Bearkats in 2014. He led the Bearkats with 120 tackles to complete his career ranked eighth in SHSU career defensive annals with 282 stops.
Two Bearkats stood out on special teams.
Junior Lachlan Edwards from Hastings, Victoria in Australia ranked No. 6 in FCS and led the Southland in punting with a 44.1 average. He had 25 punts of more than 50 yards this season with a long of 59. The average ranks as the third best season average in Kat history. Edwards completed the year ranked second in SHSU career punting with a 43.8 two-year average. Ryan Klaus holds the school mark of 44.8 set in 1995 through 1998.
Kicker Luc Swimberghe totaled 121 points in 2014, the second highest kick scoring total by a Bearkat behind Miguel Antonio's total of 133 in 2011. A sophomore, Swimberghe stands second in SHSU career points after touchdown (PAT) with 140 and third in kick scoring points with 218.
A total of 15 Bearkats earned All-Southland Conference honors in 2014. Six were named as first team members, three on the second team and five were honorable mention selections.
Hill and offensive lineman Donald Jackson III were voted to the All-Southland offensive first team. Hall, Wade and cornerback Trenier Orr made the all-league defensive first team. Edwards was the conference's first-team punter.
Offensive lineman Brandon DeWitt, linebacker Myke Chatman and Swimberghe were second team selections.
Honorable mention players on the all-league squad for Sam Houston are cornerback Mikell Everette, defensive end Mouf Adebo, defensive tackle Jacobi Hunter, wide receiver Yedidiah Louis, offensive lineman Bridge Blount and quarterback Jared Johnson.
Five Bearkats were selected to FCS All-America squads.
Jackson was named to the Associated Press, BeyondSportsNetwork and CollegeSportsMadness teams. Hall was selected to both the Sports Network and BeyondSportsNetwork squads. Edwards also was a Sports Network selection. Orr and Swimberghe were picked on the BeyondSportsNetwork honor teams.
