Kats face experienced Lamar squad Saturday
9/26/2014 12:00:00 PM | Football
The matchup Saturday night in Beaumont between Sam Houston State and Lamar features a contrast not seen in the Kats-Cards series in several years.
The difference between the two squads is experience.
Since Lamar restarted its football program in 2010 after more than 20 years without the sport, inexperience has been a problem.
At the same time, in their meetings the past few seasons, the Bearkats have fielded veteran teams with players that had led Sam Houston to consecutive FCS national championship games.
The results were resounding Bearkat victories of 38-10 in 2010, 66-0 in 2011 and 56-7 in 2012. With more veteran players, Lamar lost by a slimmer 14-3 last year at SHSU homecoming.
This year, however, the tables have turned.
Lamar is the experienced team with more than half their starters back from their 2013 squad. Meanwhile, Sam Houston has only five players in its starting lineup for Saturday that were first-teamers on last year's NCAA playoff team.
“We've got more pieces of the puzzle returning this year,” Lamar head coach Ray Woodard said. “We've got a bunch of kids who have started two full years. That includes our quarterback. There's just so much more you can do when you have experienced players.”
Lamar brings a 3-1 non-conference record into Saturday's tilt with the Bearkats. The Cardinals lead the Southland Conference in both scoring offense (43.2 points per game) and total offense (497.5 yards per contest). Lamar also is tops in the Southland in total defense, giving up only 311.8 yards per game.
The Bearkats bring a 1-3 mark into the Southland Conference opener for both teams. Unlike Lamar, the SHSU football squad still is a work in progress.
“Sam Houston is a good team,” Woodard said. “They have a lot of new faces who are very talented. They've been inconsistent, playing well sometimes and making mistakes other times. That comes with new faces. They've had two weeks to prepare for us. All that new talent is going to jell sometime this season. We're hoping this isn't the week that happens.”
Quarterback Caleb Berry, running back Carl Harris and wide receiver Reggi Begelton are the offensive leaders for a Lamar squad that set a school record with 661 total offense yards in last week's victory over Misssippi College.
Harris is the Southland's second-leading rusher with 69 carries for 393 yards (98.2 per game) and four touchdowns. Berry is averaging 258 yards passing per game and has thrown 10 scoring passes. Begelton has 21 receptions for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
With an open date last Saturday, Sam Houston has had two weeks to prepare for the Southland opener.
“The first week, we focused on ourselves rather than Lamar,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “It wasn't an open week. It was a 'get better' week. The kids worked hard. We got back to the basics. We are not a veteran team. We needed to focus on the details and strive to get better.”
Quarterback Jared Johnson runs the Bearkat offense. The sophomore ranks fourth in the Southland in passing yards, averaging 229.2 per game with five touchdowns. His favorite target is Vedidiah Louis who has caught 21 passes for 229 yards.
Senior running back Keshawn Hill, who ranks eighth in Southland rushing this fall, has carried 49 times for 248 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, senior safety Michael Wade is the team's leading tackler with 30 stops. Wade is the only returning senior among the Bearkat starting defensive eleven. Linebacker Myke Chatman has added 26 stops.
Sam Houston leads the all-time series with Lamar with 25 victories to the Cardinals' nine. There has been one tie.
Kickoff Saturday is at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast in the Walker County area on KSAM 101.7 FM. The broadcast also can be heard live on Sam Houston's athletic web site www.gobearkats.com .
Sam Houston will have another open date next Saturday before hosting nationally-ranked McNeese State Saturday, October 11, at 3 p.m. for the annual Bearkat Homecoming game.
