Team looking for another "Get Better" week
9/8/2015 5:00:00 PM | Football
After a 1-3 start in 2014, a pair of open dates that book-ended Sam Houston's road game with Lamar made a major difference in a turnaround that saw the Bearkats win 10 of their next 11 games on the way to a Southland Conference championship and the FCS playoff semifinals.
Now Sam Houston looks forward to the only open weekend on its 2015 schedule and Bearkat head coach K. C. Keeler looks to use the time as a “get better” period again.
“Last year, the best thing we did was take advantage of our by-weeks to get us where we needed to be,” Keeler said. “We need to take advantage of this bye week because the talent is here. We thought we matched up very well with Texas Tech last Saturday. But we lost the turnover battle.”
The Big 12's Red Raiders handed Sam Houston a 59-45 loss in Lubbock despite Sam Houston chalking up 671 yards total offense and 34 first downs.
“We didn't play clean enough,” Keeler said. “We threw two interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown and one in the end zone. We lost two fumbles. There was a big swing on the turnovers alone that really cost us. We left tremendously disappointed. It was a game that we felt we should have won. At the same time, if we lose the turnover battle 4-1 against any of the teams left on our schedule we're not going to win those games either.”
Next up for Sam Houston is the team's Southland Conference opener with Lamar on Saturday, Sept. 19. The contest is also the squad's first home game at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium, the program's 30th year of play in the facility.
With senior running back Donavan Williams earning recognition as Southland “Offensive Player of the Week” and quarterbacks Jared Johnson and Jeremiah Briscoe combining for 320 yards passing, Keeler is confident about his team's abilities.
“The good news is, we are really talented,” Keeler said. “The bad news is the turnovers really killed us. We have to get that corrected if we are going to have the season we want to have. We need to clean up some of the details. We consider this a get better week now. We have some things to work on. Ball security, for one, will be a big theme in practice.”
Williams, who led the Bearkats with 99 yards rushing and four touchdowns, was one of five running backs who carried the ball Saturday. Ten players caught passes. Thirty-one defensive players made tackles.
The Lamar game Sept. 19 is the first of six home games for Sam Houston during the university's 100th season of football. The Kats follow up by hosting Houston Baptist Saturday Sept. 26 before taking on Stephen F. Austin in the 90th “Battle of the Piney Woods” presented by H-E-B Saturday Oct. 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Tickets for all six home games at Bowers plus “The Battle of the Piney Woods” are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office at (936) 294-1729.
