Best of 2016-17: No. 5
7/24/2017 4:57:00 PM | Football
The 2016-17 season was filled with highlights and headlines for the Sam Houston State Bearkats. Awards were won, records were broken and five Southland Conference titles made their way back to Huntsville.
With the upcoming 2017-18 athletic season nearing its start, Bearkat Athletics will take a look back at the 2016-17 season throughout the summer months, highlighting the best of the past year.
Continue to keep tabs on GoBearkats.com and follow @BearkatSports on Twitter to catch the top stories of 2016-17 as they are unveiled.
Game Story: Kats Win Wild One, Topple Chattanooga 41-36 (12/3)
HUNTSVILLE – Throughout the 2016 the Bearkat offense stole the spotlight with its quick-strike approach and gaudy numbers. But in Sam Houston's win over Chattanooga in the second round of the FCS Playoffs, it was the defense who came up big when it mattered most.
It was the first game of the playoffs for the Kats, who had earned the No. 5 overall seed in the bracket and a first-round bye after rolling through the regular season to an 11-0 mark and a Southland Conference crown. Meanwhile, the Mocs entered Huntsville on the heels of a 45-14 win over Weber State in the opening round.
As was the case for the majority of the season, Sam Houston struck early and often on the offensive side of things. A highlight-worthy touchdown grab by Yedidiah Louis within the game's first minute opened the scoring. Quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe connected with the junior slot man less than three minutes later for another score and Corey Avery found the end zone himself early in the second period, giving the Kats a 21-0 lead.
The Bearkats bookended this week's FCS Top 10 plays from the NCAA. #EatEmUpKats https://t.co/Gx1T20sEu8 pic.twitter.com/vsO4gQQKBn
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) December 6, 2016
With that early push from the offense, it looked as though the Kats would put the game away before halftime; however, the Mocs were far from done. A botched snap on a punt attempt set up Chattanooga's first score and one drive later a pick-six cut the Bearkat lead back to 21-14, which is where the score would stand at the half.
The Mocs would then complete their comeback with a score on the first drive of the second half, going 75 yards on six plays to knot it up at 21-21. But the Kats answered with touchdowns by Davion Davis and Louis on the next two drives, and the defense managed to hold the Mocs to a field goal, keeping the advantage at 35-24 going to the final quarter.
UTC got six back, going 75 yards in just three plays to cut the lead to 35-30, but missed on a 2-point try that would have brought them to within a field goal. That missed try proved to be costly as the Mocs got three points one drive later, but then saw the Bearkat lead go back to eight when the Kats raced 79 yards in just two plays. Louis set it up with a 53-yard run down to the UTC 26-yard line, and Briscoe connected with Nathan Stewart one play later to up the lead back to 41-33 with just 9:02 to play.
Chattanooga would chew up 4:31 of the clock on its next drive, but again the Bearkat defense held the Mocs to just a field goal. Sam Houston was only able to run off less than two minutes before giving the ball back to the Mocs, who took over on their own 38 with 2:38 on the clock.
After seven plays Chattanooga had moved deep into Bearkat territory, converting a third down to get to the Sam Houston 25. But down 41-36, Chattanooga was forced to go for the end zone with under a minute to go. After three straight incompletions, including one batted down by defensive end P.J. Hall, the game came down to one final fourth-down play. UTC quarterback Antonio Bennifield kept the play alive by rolling to his right, but the Bearkat defense held firm, forcing its fourth consecutive incompletion to turn the ball over on downs and seal the Bearkat victory, sending Sam Houston to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE.
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) December 3, 2016
Sam Houston moves on to the #FCSPlayoffs Quarterfinals to face James Madison. #EatEmUpKats pic.twitter.com/WajQtulAsq
Best of 2016-17 in Bearkat Athletics Schedule
No. 20 – Softball Sweeps HBU To Clinch SLC Tournament Berth
No. 19 – Football Clinches Southland Conference Title
No. 18 – Baseball Opens SLC Play With 13 Straight Wins
No. 17 – Men's Golf Takes Second At Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational
No. 16 – Briscoe Throws 7 TD As Kats Blast 'Jacks In Battle Of The Piney Woods
No. 15 – Gettwart Leads Women's Tennis To Win At First-Place Lamar
No. 14 – Three Bearkats Reach 1,000-Point Mark For Careers
No. 13 – Women's golf wins school-record five tournaments
No. 12 – Offensive outburst leads Women's Basketball to win over Demons
No. 11 – Women's Tennis Clinches First Tourney Berth Since 2013
No. 10 – Bowling Earns Berth In NCAA Championships
No. 9 – Volleyball Makes Run To SLC Tournament Finals
No. 8 – Softball Walks Off With Win Over UCA In SLC Tournament
No. 7 – Men's Basketball Runs Streak To 8, Defeats SFA
No. 6 – Baseball Claims SLC Tournament Title
No. 5 – July 24
No. 4 – July 26
No. 3 – July 28
No. 2 – July 31
No. 1 – Aug. 2
