McNeese Rematch Saturday Presents Challenges
12/3/2015 2:29:00 AM | Football
Both coaches involved in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff rematch between Sam Houston and McNeese State know that they face tough challenges this weekend.
Four weeks after the Cowboys clinched the Southland Conference championship with a 27-10 victory over the Bearkats in Lake Charles on Nov. 7, the two teams meet again Saturday at 6 p.m.
“We're so excited to be going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “We left Lake Charles feeling like we didn't play our best. A rematch this quickly is unique. Really, you get to the playoffs for a reason. You are who you are. Your team has confidence in what you do. You always have a few wrinkles you throw in every game, but basically you're going to stick to what got you here.”
With their perfect 10-0 record and league title, McNeese is the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. Cowboy head coach Matt Viator echoes Keeler's feelings.
“Sam Houston is a really talented team. We have a lot of respect for their program,” Viator said. “We're excited to be hosting but we understand the challenge that is going to be ahead of us. The first game with Sam Houston was an extremely competitive game. The outcome was in the balance throughout the whole game. Just a couple of plays really decided it.
“The biggest challenge our kids have is understanding that we are going to have to play extremely well. In our previous game, we played really well. I think the players know they have to have that kind of effort again to win.”
Saturday's rematch scenario mirrors the Kats' 2013 playoff experience. Southeastern Louisiana downed the Kats 34-21 in Hammond on November 16 then went on to win the league title. After a third place finish in the Southland, Sam Houston dispatched Southern Utah 51-20 in Huntsville in the opening round. In the rematch with the Lions, the Kats lost a 30-29 heartbreaker.
In this year'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 fourth-and-one attempt at the Cowboys 36-yard line. Cowboy 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 Bearkats' head coach points to some basic issues that need to be addressed in the rematch. In the No.v 7 loss, the inability to convert third and fourth downs (six of 17 third downs, one of four fourth downs) and miscues on special teams overshadowed a strong performance by the Kat defense with include a second half goal line stand. Sam Houston was penalized 11 times for 136 yards in the tilt.
“We didn't play clean as clean as we needed to,” Keeler said. “Our hats are off to McNeese State. We tell the kids all the time that no one gives you a championship. You have to go out and take it. McNeese went out and took it. We have a saying – 'Know you job, do you job.' That's what we have to do.”
The rematch pits the Southland Conference's top offense against the league's best defense. Sam Houston leads the league in scoring (43.7) and total yards (547.4). McNeese leads the Southland in fewest points given up (11.1) and yards surrendered (280.6).
“Sam Houston is a really talented team. We have a lot of respect for their program,” Viator said. “Starting with their offense, they have a great scheme and do a great job of executing. They obviously have really good players too. Defensively they play extremely well. They certainly played extremely well against us. Their defense can be really dominant. They do a lot of different things and we're going to have to be ready for all their pressures.
Another big factor in this game is that, with us and Sam Houston, we'll have the Southland's two best punters on the field. The kicking game obviously will play a huge part in the outcome.”
Both teams have plenty of experience with success in the playoffs. Sam Houston and McNeese are the only Southland schools to earn playoff berths in five consecutive seasons. The Bearkats' 14-8 record in FCS post-season action is tops in the league. McNeese's 11-15 record is second.
“This is a one-game season. Next Sunday one team will be preparing for either James Madison or Colgate and the other will be collecting their equipment,” Keeler said. “Games like this are why you practice all spring, summer and fall. We know we're going to have a great crowd at one of the best venues in the FCS. Our team seems to thrive on pressure situations like this. We're looking forward to the challenge.”
Saturday's game will be telecast live on the internet on ESPN3. KSAM 101.7 FM will broadcast live play-by-play in the Walker County area. The Sam Houston ticket office, located on the west side of Elliott T. Bower Stadium, still has playoff tickets on sale. The ticket office number is (936) 294-1729.
