Sam Houston versus McNeese Playoff Game Notes
12/2/2015 8:33:00 AM | Football
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE REMATCH IN LAKE CHARLES
For the second time in the past three seasons, Sam Houston faces an NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff rematch in Louisiana with a Southland Conference foe.
Undefeated McNeese State, the 2015 Southland champion, will play host to the Bearkats (2015 league runners-up) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles. The Cowboys defeated Sam Houston 27-10 three weeks ago. The No. 4 seed in the FCS playoffs, McNeese drew a bye last weekend while the Kats rallied for a 42-39 win over Southern Utah in a thriller in Huntsville.
The scenario is similar to Sam Houston's 2013 playoff experience. Southeastern Louisiana downed the Kats 34-21 in Hammond on November 16 and went on to win the league title. After a third place finish in the Southland, Sam Houston dispatched Southern Utah 51-20 in Huntsville as an at-large team. In the rematch with the Lions, the Kats lost a 30-29 heartbreaker.
In Sam Houston's regular season game with McNeese, the Bearkats jumped out to a 10-0 lead and were driving for another score when stopped on a 4th-and-one attempt at the Cowboy 36. Quarterback Daniel Sams scored on a 64-yard run with 1:40 before intermission and added a six-yard scoring pass with four seconds on the clock to give the Cowboys a 14-10 lead at half. Forty-three of the 70 yards on the second drive came on penalties.
The inability to convert third and fourth downs (6 of 17 third downs, 1 of 4 fourth downs) and miscues on special teams overshadowed a strong performance by the Kat defense which included a second half goal line stand. Sam Houston was penalized 11 times for 136 yards in the tilt.
Sams ended the night with 164 yards rushing and 168 yards passing. Wide receiver Kent Shelby, who caught Sams' TD throw, was the game's leading receiver. Corey Avery led the Bearkat running game with 22 carries for 107 yards. Jared Johnson passed for 200 yards. P. J. Hall led a Sam Houston defense with 11 tackles including five solo stops and two tackles for losses. Darion Flowers returned an early interception 90 yards for the Kats' only touchdown.
Sam Houston and McNeese State stand as the only two Southland Conference members to advance to the FCS playoffs five consecutive seasons. McNeese State made five straight appearances from 1991 to 1995. Four-time defending national champion North Dakota State, Sam Houston and New Hampshire stand as the only teams to appear in each of the last five FCS playoffs.
The Bearkats and the Cowboys rank first and second in all-time playoff victories. Sam Houston owns a 14-8 record in FCS post-season play while McNeese is 11-15. Sam Houston has advanced to the national championship game twice (2011 and 2012) and the semi-finals three of the last four years. McNeese reached the FCS finals in 1997 and 2002.
This year marks Sam Houston's ninth post-season playoff appearance (1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015).
MCNEESE STATE VERSUS SAM HOUSTON SERIES
McNeese State leads the all-time series with 26 victories to Sam Houston's 10. There has been one tie. The Bearkats own a 5-14 record in Lake Charles. Only two of those victories have come in FCS Southland Conference play. Sam Houston won in Lake Charles in 1999 (20-3) and 2011 (38-14). The other victories came in 1956, 1958 and 1970.
TEXAS' WINNINGEST TEAM IN LAST FIVE SEASONS
Sam Houston leads all Texas Division I football teams in victories during the last five seasons (since 2011). The Kats have won 54 games followed by Baylor 49; Houston 45; TCU 44; Texas A&M 42 Texas 35; Texas Tech 32; Rice 31 and Lamar 27.
LEAGUE'S TOP OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE TEAMS DUEL
Saturday's Sam Houston versus McNeese State rematch is a classic offense versus defense duel. The Bearkats lead the Southland Conference in scoring offense (43.7 points per game), total offense (547.4 average yards), rushing offense (271.1) and passing offense (216.3). The Cowboys lead the league in scoring defense (11.1), total defense (280.6) and rushing defense (78.4).
The Bearkats rank No. 1 nationally in first downs (336), No. 2 in total offense (547.4), No. 3 in scoring (43.7), No. 8 in rushing (271.1), No. 11 in third down conversions (.298), No. 13 in punt returns (14.0) and No. 16 in passing (276.3).
RESERVES SPARK OPENING ROUND VICTORY
With two running backs, the starting quarterback and two offensive tackles sidelined and having seen a 14-point lead turn into a 13-point deficit, Sam Houston turned to its reserve players to power the Bearkats to the game's last 16 points in a 42-39 FCS playoff opening round victory over No. 16 Southern Utah (the Big Sky Conference champion) Saturday in Huntsville.
Jeremiah Briscoe took over on the final series of the second quarter to pass for 211 yards including a 55-yard pass to Yedidiah Louis for the game's winning tally with 3:44 left to play.
Ridgeway Frank (a sixth-year senior) and Remus Bulmer (a freshman) came off the bench to mark only the tenth time in Sam Houston's 100 seasons of football two backs rushed for 100 or more yards in the same game. Frank carried 29 times for 137 yards including two scores. Bulmer added 111 yards on 16 carries.
With Sam Houston leading 19-12, Southern Utah scored four consecutive touchdowns to take a 39-26 lead just two minutes into the third quarter. Frank's one-yard touchdown with seven minutes left in the third and a safety on a tackle by Adrian Conteras with 8:36 left in the game accounted for the other points in the Bearkat comeback.
All-Southland defensive end P. J. Hall was a beast on defense chalking up four tackles for losses including a quarterback sack, blocking two extra point attempts and intercepting a pass. One of the blocked PATs was returned for a defensive two-point conversion by Alfonzo McMillian (only the third such plays in Bearkat annals).
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE STATISTICS LEADERS
As a team, Sam Houston leads the Southland in scoring offense (43.7), total offense (547.4), rushing offense (271.1), passing offense (276.3), first downs (336), fewest interceptions thrown (4), third down conversion percentage (.467), blocked kicks (4) and passing efficiency (141.72).
Defensive end P. J. Hall leads the league in kick blocks (3).
Quarterback Jared Johnson stands tops in touchdown passes (18), passing yards (2,200) and passing yards per game (183.3) and is ranked third in total offense (220.9).
Sam Houston wide receivers LaDarius Brown and Gerald Thomas rank first and second in receiving touchdowns with six and five, respectively. Yedidiah Louis is seventh in the league with four. The three also rank among the top 10 receiviers in the Southland in both receiving yards per game and catches per game.
Corey Avery is second in the Southland in rushing (88.2) and total yards (1,058).
SOUTHLAND'S OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Junior quarterback Jared Johnson is the 2015 Southland Conference “Offensive Player of the Year.” The first team all-league quarterback is the fourth Bearkat to earn the award in Sam Houston's 29 years in the league. Previous Kats to be voted the award include quarterback Chris Chaloupka (1999), running back D. D. Terry (2006) and wide receiver/ Wild Kat Richard Sincere (2011).
The South Grand Prairie product ranks second in Sam Houston career total offense (6,918 yards), third in all-time passing (5,336) and 24th in career rushing (1,582). This season Johnson as thrown for 2,200 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 451 yards and five more scores.
Johnson started all 16 games during last year's championship campaign, setting a school record for the most yards passing by a sophomore (3,054) and the second highest single season total offense production in program history (4,053 yards).
CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Donald Jackson III, a three-time all-conference selection as an offensive tackle, is the 2015 Southland Conference “Offensive Lineman of the Year.”
A starter in each game this year, Jackson has been a key part of a Sam Houston offense that ranks number two nationally in total offense. The senior from Kilgore, Texas, is a four-year starter for the Bearkats and earned All-America honors last year.
SAM HOUSTON ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Special award winners Donald Jackson III and Jared Johnson are two of Sam Houston's five first-team all-league honorees. Also voted to the first team are running back Corey Avery from Dallas, defensive end P. J. Hall of Seguin and cornerback Trenier Orr from Orlando, Florida.
Second team selections from Sam Houston include wide receivers Gerald Thomas from The Colony and Yedidiah Louis from New Orleans, La.; cornerback Mikell Everette from Kent, Washington and punter Lachlan Edwards from Hastings, Victoria in Australia. Louis also was named second team all-purpose player. Honorable mention selections include linemen Zach Stevens and Bridge Blount, defensive linemen James DeLaRosa and Jacobi Hunter and linebacker Myke Chatman.
SIX CONSECUTIVE 100-YARD RUSHING PERFORMANCES
A Sam Houston running back has carried for more than 100 yards in each of the past six Bearkat games. Sophomore Corey Avery accounted for four of those performances with 13 carries for 109 yards at UCA, 197 yards on 15 carries including TD runs of 78 and 27 yards versus Northwestern State. 24 carries for 125 yards and three touchdowns against A&M-Commerce and 22 rushes for 107 yards at McNeese. Avery is a transfer from Kansas where he rushed for 631 yards and five TDs as a freshman last year.
Sixth-year senior Ridgeway Frank and freshman Remus Bulmer became the 10th backfield duo to post 100-yard rushing performances in the same game Saturday in the win over Southern Utah.. Frank rushed 29 times for 137 yards while Bullmer added 111 yards on 16 carries.
Jalen Overstreet became the 35th member of Sam Houston's 1,000-yard career rushing club with a career best 28 carries for 202 yards in the 37-7 win over Nicholls. He just missed a second century mark with 23 carries for 99 yards and a score versus A&M-Commerce. Since transferring from Texas, the Tatum High School product has rushed for 1,582 yards to rank 29th in SHSU rushing.
P. J. HALL RACKING UP BIG DEFENSIVE NUMBERS
Sophomore P. J. Hall, last year's Southland Conference “Freshman of the Year” and a third place finisher in the 2014 voting for the Jerry Rice award as the top freshman nationally, made his presence known with a string of impressive performances during the second half of the season.
Listed on the 2015 STATS FCS “Defensive Player of the Year” watch list, Hall is the Bearkats' leader in total tackles (52 with 37 solo stops), tackles for loss (17 for 69 yards), sacks (8 for 43 yards) and blocked kicks (3). He also has two interceptions, 10 pass break-ups, a fumble recovery and a caused fumble to his credit.
In only his second season as a Bearkat, Hall ranks second in both Sam Houston career tackles for loss (47) and sacks (20). Andre Finley, who earned All-Southland honors in 1986-89, holds both career marks with 49 tackles for losses and 36 quarterback sacks. Last year Hall totaled 30 tackles for losses, one short of the school record.
OTHER BEARKAT DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Other big names in the Sam Houston defense this year include junior linebacker Myke Chatman (51 tackles, eight for lossses), cornerbacks Adrian Contreras (50 tackles and a safety) and Mikell Everette (team leader in interceptions with three) and linebacker A. J. Davis (47 stops).
Sam Houston has totaled 96 tackles for 281 yards in losses in 12 games. The Bearkats have created 28 turnovers with 16 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. The defensive unit also has picked up a pair of safeties and had a defensive two point conversion after a blocked extra point.
The defense has provided points on three interceptions for touchdown with cornerback Darion Flowers' 90-yard return at McNeese, linebacker Collins Okotcha's 60-yard run-back versus Incarnate Word and Tyrel Stokes' 25-yard return against Houston Baptist.
In 12 games this year, the defense has forced 55 three-and-out series ending with a punt.
TRIO OF WIDE RECEIVERS SPARKING OFFENSE
Three wide receivers are piling up impressive career totals in the Sam Houston record book.
Yedidiah Louis stands No. 11 in the all-time standings with 1,496 career yards. A New Orleans native who moved to the Dallas area after Hurricane Katrina, he walked on at Sam Houston after playing at Richardson Berkner High School.
LaDarius Brown has climbed to No. 13 in Sam Houston career receiving annals with 1,441 yards. The TCU transfer's standout performances this season include four catches for 115 yards and a pair of 35-yard touchdowns in the victory over Incarnate Word and six grabs for 108 yards including a 64-yard score at Abilene Christian.
Gerald Thomas moved up to the No. 16 spot in the career receiving club with 1,387 yards. His 164 yards on eight receptions in the HBU victory included an 86-yard touchdown, the ninth longest passing play in Kat annals. Thomas is a transfer from the University of Colorado. Thomas made 18 receptions for 171 yards as a true freshman at Colorado in 2012.
NATIONAL STATISTICS RANKINGS
Sam Houston ranks No. 2 in the Southland and No. 13 in the nation in punt returns with a 13.0 average per return. The Bearkats set a school record with 195 yards and two touchdowns on punt returns in the 34-28 victory over Stephen F. Austin Oct. 3.
Gerald Thomas and Yedidiah Louis both returned punts for touchdowns in the come-from-behind win against the Jacks. Thomas' runback was for 78 yards and Louis' scoring dash was for 53.
SCHOOL MARKS IN PLAYOFF VICTORY
Sam Houston ran 118 plays in the victory over Southern Utah Saturday, the most in any game in the Bearkats' 100 seasons for football. The old record was 105 against Alabama State last year.
Defensive end P. J. Hall tied a school record held by five other players with his two kick blocks (both PAT attempts). Hall now has eight career kick blocks to rank second in Bearkat annals. The all-time record is 12 by Trey Woods (1992-95) who was inducted into the Sam Houston athletic Hall of Honor this month.
With his eight catches for 138 yards and the game-winning 55-yard reception, Yedidiah Louis now holds the school record for career catches in FCS playoff action. In five playoff games the past two seasons, Louis has 27 catches forr 308 yards.
PUNTER LACHLAN EDWARDS ALL-TIME LEADER
Australian punter Lachlan Edwards earned FCS All-America and All-Southland Conference honors last year after leading the league and ranking No. 15 nationally with a 43.1 average. Edwards stands as Sam Houston's all-time punting leader with an average of 43.05 yards per punt.
