Reserves step up in win over A&M-Commerce
11/3/2015 8:47:00 AM | Football
While the running backs, quarterback and defensive linemen got the headlines after Sam Houston's 38-24 victory over NCAA Division II No. 8 ranked A&M-Commerce, the Bearkats had an unsung hero they saluted after the game.
He was Parker Murry, Sam Houston's backup center.
The 6-2, 285-pound junior from Plano filled in for starting center Zachary Stephens and helped pave the way for 555 yards of total offense.
“Parker did a phenomenal job for us,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “He played 101 snaps and did a really great job. He went from normally playing 10 to 15 snaps a game to 101. That's a lot. It was a great testament to the young man.”
Stevens, who missed the game with the Lions due to illness, was one of several starters absent from the lineup Saturday. Murry, a finance major who lettered as a backup offensive guard during the 2014 championship season, filled in as a starter as the Bearkats totaled 288 yards rushing and 267 in the air.
“Nobody was happier for Parker than the rest of the offensive linemen,” Keeler said. “That's a close group. Parker prepared hard all week long. He didn't want to let his teammates down. He stepped up to the plate and gave us a lot of confidence.”
A&M-Commerce gave the Bearkats a strong non-conference test, rallying from a 21-3 deficit in the second quarter to tie the contest 24-24 with 5:07 left in the third quarter.
“Looking back, it was good for us to be tested this way,” Keeler said. “We hadn't played in a second half ball game for the last four weeks. We had a lot of respect for A&M-Commerce. They're a good ball club. To see a tie ball game where our defense had to make some big stops was a real confidence booster.”
Perhaps the moment where Murry and his offensive teammates shined the most was in the final minutes of the game.
“We get the ball back with 6:43 to pay and the offense takes the ball down the field and runs the clock down to zero,” Keeler said. “That's a long time to have the ball. It has to be a confidence builder to face a good team without all your key guys and step up for a big win.”
The victory upped the Bearkats' current winning streak to six games.
Sam Houston faces a stern test this week as the Bearkats travel to Lake Charles, La., to take on undefeated Southland Conference leader McNeese State.
“Obviously, this is a huge game. It's the game of the year in the conference,” Keeler said. “It looks like all the guys that missed last week will be play. It's going to be a great game with our offense that's ranked No. 1 in the Southland going up against their defense that's No. 1 in the league.”
Kickoff Saturday in Lake Charles, La., is 6 p.m. The game will be telecast by ESPN3. Sam Houston will return to Elliott T. Bowers Stadium on November 14 to host Northwestern State in the final regular season home game at Bowers.
