2-0 , 2-0
Nicholls
3-1 , 2-1
Kats dominate No. 7 Nicholls
3/13/2021 5:17:00 PM | Football
The Kats (2-0, 2-0 SLC) scored 30 unanswered points in the first half to take control of the game and never let off the gas against the Colonels (3-1, 2-1 SLC), forcing four turnovers and scoring twice on the defensive side in posting its largest margin of victory against a ranked team since 2017 and its largest against a top-10 team since 2011.
Eric Schmid backed up his strong Week 1 performance with another, completing 21 of his 32 passes to nine different receivers for 366 yards and six touchdowns, one shy of a single-game school record. His main target was newcomer Jequez Ezzard who had just three grabs, but turned heads with each one as two went for scores and another for 70 yards to set up Bearkat points. He finished with 139 yards receiving on the day, while Ife Adeyi had 89 and Noah Smith had five grabs for 42 yards and a pair of scores.
Jequez Ezzard..... AGAIN! @eschmid5 finds him for the 70 yard completion!! #EatEmUpKats
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 13, 2021
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Defensively, Sam Houston gave Colonel quarterback Lindsey Scott fits all day long, holding hinm to just 14-for-35 passing and 186 yards and racking up four sacks. Jahari Kay turned in a huge day with five tackles, 2.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and a pick-six in the second quarter that put the Bearkats up 24-7.
The defense says don't forget about us! Kameryn Alexander forces the ball out right into Jahari Kay's hands who takes it in for the TD!!
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 13, 2021
Kats have come to play in the second quarter ??#EatEmUpKats
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Sam Houston finished with 556 yards of total offense, averaging 7.9 yards per play despite only running nine plays with no total yards on its first three drives of the game. Nicholls was able to take advantage of Schmid's first interception of the season in the first quarter, converting a short field into a 14-yard touchdown grab from Scott to Dai'Jean Dixon to go up 7-0 and had a chance to up that even more one drive later when Gavin Lasseigne missed a 28-yard field goal.
The Kats then got going marching 70 yards on seven plays that ended in a 14-yard pass from Schmid to Ezzard to tie it up. One drive later the Kats went up 10-7 on a 24-yard field goal by Seth Morgan early in the second quarter.
TOUCHDOWN BEARKATS!
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 13, 2021
The Schmid to Ezzard connection lives on as the QB finds Jequez Ezzard for the TD. We are tied up at 7 in Huntsville!#EatEmUpKats#SuddenLinkScore
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Schmid found Noah Smith on the ensuing drive for a 29-yard score up the right sideline and one play later Kameryn Alexander dislodged a pass from Scott that landed in the hands of Kay who sprinted 24 yards into the left corner of the end zone for the defensive score.
TOUCHDOWN BEARKATS!!
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 13, 2021
Schmid finds Noah Smith who sneaks out of the backfield for the 29 yard TD and puts the Bearkats up 17-7#EatEmUpKats
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The onslaught continued for the Kats on the next drive as Schmid found Ezzard on a spectacular catch in front of the Nicholls bench for a 55-yard touchdown, helping the Kats take a commanding 30-10 lead into the break.
TOUCHDOWN BEARKATS!!
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 13, 2021
Jequez Ezzard can NOT be stopped today! His 2nd TD of the day goes for 55 yards#EatEmUpKats
?? https://t.co/NDncK01D7C
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They would go on to add three more scores in the third quarter on a 5-yard pass to Ingram, a 6-yard pass to Smith and a 79-yard fumble recovery by Trevor Williams after Kay forced a fumble deep in Sam Houston territory that made it a 50-10 score.
Bearkats defense is swarming!
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 13, 2021
Jahari Kay with the sack and forced fumble and Trevor Williams takes care of the rest returning it 79 yards for a TD!!#EatEmUpKats
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Schmid would find the end zone one more time early in the fourth quarter when he connected with Dee Bowens from 10 yards out. The Kats went on to score two more times in the quarter on rushes by Kyran Jackson and Mike Dare.
Senior QB Mike Dare takes it in for 6!#EatEmUpKats
— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 13, 2021
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Sam Houston will now hit the road for the first time this season on March 20 when they travel to Lamar to battle the Cardinals.
Team Stats
NICH 7, SHSU 0
NICH - Dixon, Dai'Jean 14 yd pass from Scott, Lindsey (Lasseigne, Gav kick) 2 plays, 21 yards, TOP 0:40
NICH 7, SHSU 7
SHSU - Ezzard, Jequez 14 yd pass from Schmid, Eric (Morgan, Seth kick) 7 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:01
NICH 7, SHSU 10
SHSU - Morgan, Seth 24 yd field goal 5 plays, 74 yards, TOP 2:28
NICH 7, SHSU 17
SHSU - Smith, Noah 29 yd pass from Schmid, Eric (Morgan, Seth kick) 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:14
NICH 7, SHSU 24
SHSU - Kay, Jahari 24 yd interception (Morgan, Seth kick)
NICH 7, SHSU 30
SHSU - Ezzard, Jequez 55 yd pass from Schmid, Eric (Humphries, Ryan passfailed) 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:02
NICH 10, SHSU 30
NICH - Lasseigne, Gav 29 yd field goal 7 plays, 55 yards, TOP 0:36
NICH 10, SHSU 36
SHSU - Ingram, Dewaylo 5 yd pass from Schmid, Eric (Morgan, Seth kickfailed) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:26
NICH 10, SHSU 43
SHSU - Smith, Noah 6 yd pass from Schmid, Eric (Morgan, Seth kick) 4 plays, 18 yards, TOP 0:44
NICH 10, SHSU 50
SHSU - Williams, Trevo 79 yd fumble recovery (Morgan, Seth kick)
NICH 17, SHSU 50
NICH - Dixon, Dai'Jean 5 yd run (Lasseigne, Gav kick), 6 plays, 32 yards, TOP 2:13
NICH 17, SHSU 57
SHSU - Bowens, Dee 10 yd pass from Schmid, Eric (Morgan, Seth kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:40
NICH 17, SHSU 64
SHSU - Jackson, Kyran 2 yd run (Morgan, Seth kick), 6 plays, 24 yards, TOP 2:51
NICH 17, SHSU 71
SHSU - Dare, Mike 4 yd run (Morgan, Seth kick), 7 plays, 67 yards, TOP 4:12
