Head Coaches Talk About SHSU-LSU Matchup
9/4/2014 1:43:00 PM | Football
BEARKATS FOOTBALL YOUTUBE REPORT
A lot of people were amazed by Sam Houston's school record 105 plays in the Bearkats' 51-20 victory over Alabama State last Saturday.
One of them is LSU head coach Les Miles.
“The last time that we did that (105 plays), it in was an overtime game,” Miles said. “I think we were at about 107 in the four overtime game against Arkansas in our stadium.
“Considering that was with about four or five more minutes on the clock with the old clock rules, that's a lot of snaps. It's legitimately a concern how fast they go, something that our defense must be prepared for.”
Coming from behind to defeat Wisconsin 28-24 last weekend at NRG Stadium in Houston, LSU has moved up to No. 12 in the FBS national rankings.
Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler knows his Bearkat team faces a big challenge in the talented Tigers.
“One of the most interesting things about this game will be the athletic match-up on the perimeter,” Keeler said. “LSU has phenomenal skill kids out there. We need to make the game a little bit easier for our offensive line. We know we can't go right up against their defensive line, but if we're creative and our line doesn't have to hold them for five or six seconds, we can make some things happen.”
Keeler also knows his team needs a strong defensive effort.
“Defensively, it's about playing sound football,” Keeler said. “LSU doesn't do a lot offensively, but what they do, they do it really well. They come right at you. We need to keep things simple.”
Saturday's game marks the 30th time Sam Houston has played an FBS opponent. The Bearkats have won three of those meetings. In several of the other games with FBS foes, the Kats have come within a touchdown of programs like Houston, Baylor, UTEP and Rice.
“Sam Houston has a very good football team,” Miles said. “They have one of the top offenses in FCS. They are very, very capable. Their quarterback can throw it and he can move his feet as well. They're averaging 43 points per game. That's just really pretty dang special.”
Coach Keeler is not giving his squad David versus Goliath lectures.
“There's not going to be a lot of underdog stories and stuff in the locker room,” Keeler said. “LSU is a good football team. But we think we're a good team too. We just need to line up and play.
“A lot of times in these kind of games, the home team may not be paying that much attention to you. If you can get them on their heels early and take the crowd out of the game, something could happen. Our goal is to be in range in the fourth quarter. Then, maybe the home team starts looking around asking 'what's going on?' and you've got a chance.”
Miles says has seen a lot of things on video that impress him about Sam Houston.
“Their special teams are good. They have some quality young players but also a number of experienced transfers,” Miles said. “They have guys from Baylor and TCU and programs like that who really help them. They're capable. They can go up and down the field.”
A crowd of more than 102,000 fans will fill the newly expanded Tiger Stadium Saturday. The largest crowd ever to see Sam Houston play football was 89,913 at Austin's Memorial Stadium in 2006.
“With the home opener and the expanded stadium, there's going to be a lot of excitement,” Keeler said. “We got Brent Musburger, one of the best play-by-play announcers of all time, calling the game. We've had two national TV games in three weeks. Sam Houston certainly is getting a lot of exposure and notoriety on television right now. That's going to help the university and the athletic program.”
Kickoff Saturday at Tiger Stadium is 6:39 p.m.
The game will be televised live on the new SEC Network.
KSAM 101.7 FM will broadcast the contest in the Walker County area and the audio of that broadcast will be available on www.gobearkats.com .
