Sam Houston - Villanova Playoff Game Notes
12/9/2014 1:56:00 PM | Football
BEARKATS IN FCS QUARTERFINALS FOR THIRD TIME IN FOUR YEARS
With a 37-26 road victory over No. 3 Jacksonville State Saturday, Sam Houston has advanced to the FCS quarterfinals for the third time in four years and the fifth time in program history. Champions of the Southland Conference, the Bearkats will face CAA runner-up and No. 5 ranked Villanova Saturday at 12:03 p.m. (Central) at Villanova Stadium in Pennsylvania.
The Wildcats own an 11-2 overall record and are making their 11th appearance in FCS post-season play. Villanova defeated Montana in the 2009 NCAA National Championship game. Villanova's two losses each came by only one point (27-26 in two overtimes at Syracuse and 10-9 at Richmond). The Wildcats own victories over four FCS top 25 foes.
BEARKATS' FIRST MEETING WITH CAA OPPONENT
Saturday marks SHSU's first meeting with a CAA opponent. The Kats defeated Stony Brook, a current league member, in the second round of the NCAA in 2011 before they joined the CAA.
SAM HOUSTON'S FCS PLAYOFF RECORD
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 becomes only the second team in Southland Conference history to earn four consecutive playoff berths. McNeese made five consecutive post-season appearances in 1991 through 1995 and four from 2000 to 2003.
The Bearkats and the Cowboys hold the league's top two FCS playoff records. Sam Houston now stands 12-7 in post-season play while McNeese is 11-15.
This year marks Sam Houston's eighth FCS post season appearance after berths in 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Kats 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.
DEFENSE SHUTS OUT JSU IN 2ND HALF OF 2ND ROUND VICTORY
Sam Houston held Jacksonville State scoreless in the second half as the Bearkats rallied to beat the Gamecocks 37-26 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
Quarterback Jared Johnson passed for 161 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 85 yards and another score. His 49-yard TD pass to LaDarius Brown in the third quarter proved to be the game-winner. Brown finished with 88 receiving yards and two scores on four catches. Keshawn Hill scored the Kats' opening TD on a 10-yard throw from Johnson. Running back Jalen Overstreet gave the Bearkats some breathing room with a 33-yard touchdown run to make the score 37-26. He finished with 83 yards on 10 carries.
The SHSU defense came up with two key interceptions. Linebacker Tristan Eche, who finished with six tackles and one sack, picked off a pass in the first quarter to set up a short touchdown drive. Cornerback Mikel Everette intercepted a pass in the end zone to end a JSU scoring threat late in the fourth quarter. P. J. Hall finished the game with six total tackles and one tackle for loss. For the third consecutive game Hall blocked a kick. After the Gamecocks third touchdown Hall broke through the line and knocked down the extra-point attempt.
PLAYING CLEAN PAYS OFF
From day one of practice, head coach K. C. Keeler has preached to his team about “playing clean” (without mental miscues and penalties) as the key to success. While going 1-3 in non-conference action, the Kats led the Southland with 38 penalties for 375 yards, an average of more than 9 flags per contest. In Sam Houston's last six games (all victories), the Bearkats have been penalized only 21 times for 194 yards (only 3.5 flags per game).
KATS WIN BATTLE OF SOUTHLAND CO-CHAMPIONS 21-17
Sam Houston defeated No. 9 Southeastern Louisiana 21-17 November 29 in the FCS opening round in a match-up that featured the Southland Conference's 2014 co-champions. The Kats and the Lions posted identical 7-1 league records but did not play during the regular season. Saturday's victory avenged a 30-29 defeat in the second round of the FCS playoffs last year at the hands of Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La.
A muffed punt and a blocked field goal set up two Donavan Williams touchdowns as Sam Houston scored 14 fourth quarter points to come from behind twice to win. The Kat offense struggled against an outstanding Southeastern Louisiana defense. The Lions limited SHSU to a season low 13 first downs and 269 yards total offense (second low behind only the 206 given up by LSU). But outstanding defensive and special teams play kept the Kats in the contest.
The muffed punt recovered by Demartie Allen at the Lion four-yard line set up a one-yard scoring dive by Williams that gave SHSU its first lead, 14-10, with three seconds in the final period. The Lions retook the lead 17-14 with 11:11 remaining. A 42-yard field goal attempt blocked by P.J. Hall was the turning point, setting up a 65-yard, six play drive for a five-yard touchdown on an option play by Williams for what proved the game-winning touchdown.
“GET BETTER” WEEKS BRING AMAZING TURNAROUND IN 2014
After beginning the season with a 1-3 non-conference record, many wrote off the young 2014 Bearkat squad. Head coach K. C. Keeler believes the open date prior to SHSU's Southland opener at Lamar was the turning point for his first Bearkat squad.
“There are defining moments in every season and that third loss was ours,” Keeler said. “As men, our team decided that we were going to fix this thing. We weren't going to point fingers. We weren't going to go around the corner and cry about it. We were going to get it fixed.”
A twist of fate helped the Bearkats. When Sam Houston's September contest with Eastern Washington was moved to August 23 for an ESPN national telecast, the 2014 schedule now had two open dates surrounding the Southland Conference opener with Lamar in Beaumont.
“The opportunity to have two weeks before the Lamar game and then two more weeks before McNeese gave us a chance to fix things that were broken,” Keeler said. “Instead of 'open dates' we had 'Get Better' weeks. And we got better.”
Eighteen players who are now starters did not participate in spring ball last April (either because of injury or because they were transfers or freshmen).
“Our two 'Get Better' weeks became spring ball for a lot of the players,” Keeler said. “We tweaked a lot of little things and simplified what we were trying to do defensively. And the result was we began playing with a lot of confidence.”
The 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 current 7-game winning streak is 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.
FOUR VICTORIES THIS SEASON OVER FCS TOP 25 OPPONENTS
The Bearkats have four wins this season over FCS top 25 teams. Two have come in the playoffs over No. 3 Jacksonville State and No. 9 Southeastern Louisiana. The Bearkats also defeated McNeese when the Cowboys were No. 4 on Oct. 11 and No. 23 Stephen F. Austin Nov. 1 at the 89th “Battle of the Piney Woods” at NRG Stadium, the home of the NFL Houston Texans.
THE BEARKAT OFFENSE
Sam Houston ranks 4th in the Southland and 24th nationally with 454.4 yards total offense per game. The Bearkats lead the Southland and are 6th nationally in rushing (257.8) and stand 3rd in the league and 17th nationally in scoring offense (36.1). Sam Houston has four backs with more than 600 yards rushing this season.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE'S RUSHING LEADERS
During the team's 7-1 run to the league title, Sam Houston averaged 320.9 yards rushing. The Bearkats out-gained their Southland foes 503.0 total yards to 367.6 and out-scored league foes 341 points to 162. The Bearkats led the Southland in rushing offense in 2014.
RUNNING BACK KESHAWN HILL SHSU'S OFFENSIVE SENIOR LEADER
For a senior running back who has started only 12 games in his four years, Keshawn Hill has amassed an amazing number of career marks in the Sam Houston football record book. Hill's SHSU career rankings include No. 2 in touchdowns (41), No. 3 in rushing TDs (34), No. 4 in all-time rushing (2,445) and scoring (246 points) and No. 5 in all-purpose yards (3,781). Looking at Bearkat season records, this year Hill stands No. 2 in single season TDs (21) and No. 3 in points (126) and rushing touchdowns (18).
Twice this year, Hill has posted career bests. First, he gained 198 yards on 17 carries with TD runs of 74, 66 and 3 yards at Northwestern State. Then, in the regular season finale against Central Arkansas, he carried 32 times for 244 yards and a pair of scores (the seventh best single game performance in 99 years of Bearkat football). In the victory over SFA, Hill rushed 14 times for 154 yards. He became only the fourth SHSU running back to score four TDs in a game.
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' Southland Conference games, only two seniors have started -- running back Keshawn Hill on offense and safety Michael Wade on defense. In the Kats' 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).
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 5th in the Southland Conference in total offense with 3,425 yards (244.6 average). He stands as the league's No. 5 passer (218 of 395 passes for 2,524 yards, 18 TDs) and is SHSU's second-leading rusher (64.4 yards per game, 6 TDs).
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 96 rushes for 693 yards and 6 TDs. Overstreet is averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Donavan Williams from ASA College has 118 rushes for 640 yards and 9 TDs (including an 80-yard TD run). Williams accounted for two of SHSU's three scores in the FCS opening round win over the Lions Saturday in Huntsville. He averages 5.1 yards per carry LaDarius Brown, a transfer from TCU, has 37 catches for 606 yards and 5 TDs including a 52-yard touchdown reception. He caught two scoring passes in Saturday's win at JSU.
TWO KAT FRESHMEN EARN JERRY RICE AWARD LOOKS THIS YEAR
Two Kat redshirt freshmen - defensive lineman P. J. Hall and wide receiver Yedidiah Louis were included on the “watch list” for the Jerry Rice Award presented annually to the top FCS freshman by The Sports Network.
Hall is now a finalist for the award. The Southland Conference's “Freshman of the Year,” is one of the leaders in FCS tackles for losses with 27 for 102 yards. The Seguin product has 77 total tackles including 9 sacks. His 27 TFLs rank as SHSU's 2nd highest single season total. With a blocked PAT attempt Saturday at JSU, Hall has tied the school record for most kick blocks in a season with five. His field goal block in the fourth quarter of the opening round game vs. Southeastern Louisiana was the game-changer for the Kats in a come-from-behind win.
Hall intercepted a pass at Northwestern State. He is a three-time Southland “Defensive Player of the Week” winner. He earned the honor for his play in Sam Houston's league victories at Lamar, McNeese State and Central Arkansas. He has won national weekly honors twice. Louis, a walk-on, leads the Bearkats with 57 catches for 660 yards. The New Orleans native is one of only three freshmen in the FCS national top 80 with 4.3 receptions per game.
THE BEARKAT DEFENSE
Senior safety Michael Wade and sophomore tackle Sione Latu are the only two 2014 starters who were in the starting line-up last year. Wade is the only senior starting on defense for the Bearkats.He leads the Bearkats with 111 tackles (seven solo) and has two interceptions this season and five in his career. He ranks 8th in SHSU career annals with 273 stops in four years. Wade led the Kats with 13 tackles in the victory over Southeastern Louisiana.
Latu has 36 tackles this year including seven for losses and five sacks. Linebackers Tristan Eche and Myke Chatman have made 84 and 80 tackles, respectively. Eche set up a Bearkat first half TD with a pass interception at Jacksonville State. Cornerback Trenier Orr, a transfer from Cincinnati, ranks No. 4 in the Southland with 4 interceptions this year. He returned his first pick 55 yards for a touchdown in the Eastern Washington game. Freshman linebacker A. J. Davis has 67 stops this year. In his first collegiate start against Abilene Christian he returned a fumble 27 yards for a TD.
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
In Sam Houston's Southland Conference games, the Kat defense has created 17 turnovers (8 fumble recoveries, 9 interceptions) while the SHSU offense has given up only 12.
PUNTERS PROVING STRONG SPECIAL TEAMS PLAY
Junior Lachlan Edwards from Hastings, Victoria in Australia ranks No. 6 in FCS and leads the Southland in punting with a 44.1 average. He has 25 punts of more than 50 yards this season with a long of 59. Edwards was lost to an injury late in the game against Southeastern Louisiana, but his backup, senior Brad Dunavant stepped in and is averaging 44.5 yards on eight punts this season including a long of 61. The two split time as punters in 2013, both averaging more than 40 yards per punt.
SOPHOMORE KICKER LUC SWIMBERGHE
All-Southland Conference kicker Luc Swimberghe is 15-of-17 kicking field goals and has totaled 108 points, going 63 of 65 on his PATs. 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. Swimberghe is climbing in the SHSU career scoring standings. He now ranks No. 3 all-time with 205 career kicking points and No. 2 in PATs (136).
15 BEARKATS NAMED ALL-SOUTHLAND IN 2014
Freshman defensive end P. J. Hall was named as the league's “Freshman of the Year” and joined 14 other Bearkats on the 2014 All-Southland Conference football team.
Six Sam Houston players were named as first team members, three on the second team and five were honorable mention selections.
Running back Keshawn Hill and offensive lineman Donald Jackson III were voted to the All-Southland offensive first team. Hall, cornerback Trenier Orr and safety Michael Wade made the all-league defensive first team. Lachlan Edwards was the conference's first-team punter.
Offensive lineman Brandon DeWitt, linebacker Myke Chatman and kicking specialist Luc 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.
FCS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
OPENING ROUND RESULTS (November 29)
Fordham 44, Sacred Heart 22 at Fordham, New York
Indiana State 36, Eastern Kentucky 16 at Richmond, Ky
Northern Illinois 44, Stephen F. Austin 10 at Cedar Falls, Iowa
Montana 52, San Diego 14 at Missoula, Montana
Sam Houston 21, Southeastern Louisiana 17 at Huntsville, Texas
Liberty 26, James Madison 21 at Harrisonburg, Virginia
Richmond 46, Morgan State 24 at Richmond, Virginia
South Dakota St. 47, Montana State 40 at Bozeman, Montana
SECOND-ROUND SCHEDULE (December 6 - All-Times Central)
#1 New Hampshire 44, Fordham 19 at Durham, New Hampshire
#8 Chattanooga 35, Indiana St. 14 at Chattanooga, Tennessee
#5 Illinois State 41, Northern Iowa 21 at Normal, Illinois
#4 Eastern Washington 37, Montana 20 at Cheney, Washington
Sam Houston 37, #3 Jacksonville State 26 at Jacksonville, Alabama
#6 Villanova 29, Liberty 22 at Villanova, Pennsylvania
#7 Coastal Carolina 36, Richmond 15 at Conway, ,South Carolina
#2 North Dakota St. 27, South Dakota St. 24 at Fargo, North Dakota
QUARTERFINAL GAMES
Friday, December 12
#1 New Hampshire (11-1) vs. #8 Chattanooga (10-3)
at Durham, New Hampshire (ESPN2) - 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, December 13
#4 Eastern Washington (11-2) vs. #5 Illinois State (11-1)
at Cheney, Washington (ESPN3) - 3 p.m. CT
#8 Villanova (11-2) vs. Sam Houston State (10-4)
at Villanova, Pennsylvania (ESPN3) - 12 noon CT
#2 North Dakota State (12-1) vs. #7 Coastal Carolina (12-1)
at Fargo, North Dakota (ESPN) - 11 a.m. CT
SEMIFINAL GAMES
Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20
New Hampshire/Chattanooga winner vs. Illinois St/Eastern Wash. Winner
Villanova/SHSU winner vs. North Dakota State/Coastal Carolina winner
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Saturday, January 10, 2015 - Frisco, Texas
