Jalen Overstreet rushed 28 times for 202 yards including a 12-yard touchdown to lead Sam Houston to a 37-7 Southland Conference victory over Nicholls Saturday at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
Sam Houston never trailed as they upped their 2015 record to 5-2 and now stands 5-1 in Southland Conference action. Nicholls dropped to 1-6 for the year and 1-4 in Southland play.
With his performance, Overstreet became the 35th member of Sam Houston's 1,000-yard career rushing club. In his second season since transferring from the University of Texas, the Tatum product has now rushed for 1,101 yards in 22 games.
The No. 1 scoring offense in FCS football, Sam Houston rolled up 23 points in the first quarter on a safety on a bad snap from center on a Colonel punt, a Jared Johnson 13 yard pass to Deon Hutchinson, another Johnson pass for three yards to backup tight end Hayden Cagle and a 12-yard scoring run by Cory Avery.
Overstreet scored his touchdown in the second quarter. Ridgeway Frank added an 11-yard score in the third period.
Hampered by a constant rain, the Bearkats rushed for 310 yards and passes for 63 more.
“There was a lot of energy out there tonight,” head coach K. C. Keeler said. “We felt like we were locked in like we should have been. We've done a much better job of that. But, again, there was an effort to start early and start fast and be a dominate team from the first snap on.The team we wanted to be we're starting to become that team. We've been bringing it every single day. We get out there on Tuesday and we just get after it.”
Nicholls quarterback Tuskani Figaro rushed 13 times for 88 yards and passed for 35 yards. He scored the Colonels' only touchdown on an 80-yard scamper around left end in the third quarter.
The victory was the fifth in a row for the Bearkats who play host to A&M-Commerce next Saturday in a non-conference contest.
The Sam Houston defense limited Nicholls to 178 yards total offense, the lowest total given up by the Kats this year. Kiel Heidman and Luis Carreno led the Kats with six tackles apiece. P. J. Hall added five tackles including one for a loss and caused and recovered a fumble.
