Kats tabbed third in preseason coaches' poll
7/23/2014 9:25:00 AM | Football
Defending champion Southeastern Louisiana has been tabbed as the favorite to win the 2014 Southland Conference football title while McNeese and Sam Houston are picked to finish second and third, respectively, according to this year's prediction poll of the league's head coaches.
The announcement of the preseason head coaches' poll comes at the annual Southland Conference Football Media Day event Wednesday at L'Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, La.
The Lions, Cowboys and Bearkats all earned NCAA Division I FCS playoff berths last year.
Sam Houston is one of only three FCS programs that have earned playoff invitations each of the past three years. The Bearkats won the Southland championship in both 2011 and 2012.
Following Southeastern Louisiana, McNeese and Sam Houston in the head coaches' preseason forecast are Central Arkansas and Northwestern State in fourth and fifth place and Stephen F. Austin and Lamar tied for sixth. Abilene Christian, Nicholls, Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist round out the field.
With only seven players who started 10 or more games returning from the 9-5 squad in 2013, Sam Houston's 15th head coach K. C. Keeler knows there are lots of question marks about this year's Bearkat squad. While expections about the 2014 Bearkats may be lowered around the league, Keeler sees many positives and urges his players to “dream big.”
Forty-six lettermen who saw action in reserve roles last year plus an exciting group of newcomers are ready to pick up where the departed stars left off.
“Yes, this team will look different from past groups,” Keeler said. “We've thrown a lot of new things at the players during the spring and preseason camp. But there's an old term I've told the kids. If we play clean, we win. We have enough talent here that if we play clean, we'll win a lot of football games. That's going to be the challenge.”
“The Southland Conference is an outstanding league and we know every game is going to be important,” Keeler said. “We want our kids to have big dreams. The key thing, however, is for them to wake up in the morning and do the things you need to do to reach those dreams.”
2014 Southland Conference Preseason Head Coaches' Poll
|
Pl. |
School (First-place votes) |
Pts. |
|
1. |
Southeastern Louisiana (9) |
99 |
|
2. |
McNeese State (2) |
92 |
|
3. |
Sam Houston State |
79 |
|
4. |
Central Arkansas |
70 |
|
5. |
Northwestern State |
59 |
|
T6. |
Stephen F. Austin |
52 |
|
T6. |
Lamar |
52 |
|
8. |
Abilene Christian |
36 |
|
9. |
Nicholls |
35 |
|
10. |
UIW |
21 |
|
11. |
Houston Baptist |
10 |
