Southland's Top Teams Battle Saturday On ESPN3
11/5/2015 9:03:00 AM | Football
There is no question that the top two football programs in the Southland Conference meet head on Saturday night in Lake Charles, La., in a battle for league supremacy.
In the 28 years since Sam Houston joined the Southland, the Bearkats or McNeese State have won the league championship 19 times. McNeese boasts 13 titles. Sam Houston has six including three in the last four years.
In NCAA post-season play, 24 of the league's 37 playoff victories by current members belong to either Sam Houston (13 FCS playoff wins) or McNeese (11). Both teams have made appearances in the FCS national championship game.
This year, McNeese comes into Saturday's 6 p.m. game at Cowboys Stadium with a perfect 8-0 record and ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Coaches national poll. The team stands in first place in the league with a 7-0 mark. Sam Houston is ranked No. 7 nationally in the STATS FCS media poll and ranks second in the Southland standings with a 5-1 mark.
“This is definitely the game of the year in the Southland Conference,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “McNeese is special. There is a reason why they're undefeated. They're one of the top defenses in the nation. They're very physical and athletic and hard to run the ball against. They will chase you down. Offensively they're quarterback is dangerous and the offensive line is big and physical as well.”
Cowboy head coach Matt Viator knows his McNeese squad faces a challenge in Sam Houston as well.
“This is a big one,” Viator said. “Sam Houston is extremely talented in all three phases of the game. They've improved every game and really hit their stride. Our kids are excited about the challenge and know we have to play well.”
Saturday's game will make the second time in the last three years the two teams will face off with both being ranked in the FCS top 10. Two years ago, No. 9 McNeese defeated Sam Houston 31-23 in the Cowboy's 2013 homecoming game in Lake Charles. Last season in Huntsville, Sam Houston knocked off No. 4 ranked McNeese 38-22.
“This is going to be a heavy-weight kind of battle,” Keeler said. “We've gotten dramatically better from the start of the season and we're going to have to play our best Saturday.”
McNeese can clinch a league-record 14th conference championship and its first title since 2009 with a win Saturday. A Bearkat victory would keep the race alive with both teams with one conference loss. Sam Houston finishes the season with a home game next Saturday (November 14) against Northwestern State and the regular season finale on the road at third place Central Arkansas Saturday November 21. McNeese has an open date next week and ends the regular season at Lamar November 21.
“Our defense has a lot of pride in what they're doing,” Viator said. “As long as our offense can avoid turnovers and not put the defense in a tough position, it's a big factor for us. Our biggest challenge with Sam Houston will be when they spread us out with four wide receivers. With their quarterback and their running back, they have six legit threats that can hurt you. You have to be able to account for all six guys on every play.”
Sam Houston brings a six-game winning streak into the contest after starting the year with losses to Texas Tech and Lamar.
“A matchup like Saturday's with McNeese State is why you play the game,” Keeler said. “We've faced some big games last year, fighting our way back from 1-3 to win a title and reach the FCS semifinals. Both teams are looking forward to the challenge.”
Saturday's game will be televised live on ESPN3. Kooter Roberson and Leroy Wilkinson will broadcast the contest on KSAM 101.7 FM in the Walker County area.
Tickets for the Northwestern State regular season finale at 2:30 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium November 14 are available online at www.gobearkats.com or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located on the west side of the stadium. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
