Game 8 • Huntsville • Bowers Stadium
Wednesday, October 25 • 7:00 PM • vs UTEP
 
TV: ESPN2 (Clay Matvick, Aaron Murray)
RADIO: BSN • Listen Online
HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @BearkatsFB on X
PURCHASE TICKETS
GAME NOTES: Sam Houston • UTEP
 
Series vs the Miners: UTEP leads 2-0 • Full Series History
 
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats will go in search of their first FBS victory once again on Wednesday night when they host UTEP at Bowers Stadium.

It will be the third meeting between the programs, but the first trip to Huntsville for the Miners. The teams last met in the Sun Bowl in 2003. 

Kickoff of Wednesday's contest is set for 7 p.m. at Bowers Stadium. It will be aired on ESPN2 with Clay Matvick and former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray on the call.
 
GETTING STARTED
- Sam Houston is in its first year of transition to the FBS. The Kats officially became a member of Conference USA on July 1, 2023

- The Kats are still searching for their first win as a member of the FBS. The Kats' last win over an FBS team came in 2011 when they knocked off New Mexico in Albuquerque on their way to a 14-1 season and a berth in the first of three FCS Championship Games

- After scoring just 10 total points in the first 3 games of the year, the Kats have averaged 21.0 ppg since entering CUSA play

- Much of that success has come thanks to the passing game with SHSU ranking second in CUSA with an average of 286.3 yards per game through the air in 4 league games 

- Despite being winless in 7 tries in 2023, the Kats have either led or been within 1 score of its opponent in the fourth quarter in 5 of its 7 games entering this week vs UTEP

- The Kats will wrap up its stretch of October midweek games vs UTEP, the second of 3 straight games at Bowers Stadium. Next week Sam Houston will host future CUSA foe Kennesaw State in what will be the Kats' first Saturday home game of 2023

THE LAST TIME THE KATS FACED UTEP
UTEP 59, Sam Houston 14
Sun Bowl - El Paso - 9/27/2003
Six turnovers (4 fumbles, 2 interceptions) plus a blocked punt torpedoed the Bearkats in their second consecutive game against an NCAA 1-A opponent during the 2003 season. Stevie Smith rushed 13 times for 96 yards and a touchdown and returned four kickoffs for 94 yards to highlight play for Sam Houston. Howard Jackson led UTEP with 160 yards rushing.

The Miners scored the first four touchdowns of the game before a 32-yard run from Smith got SHSU on the board in the third quarter. UTEP finished with 226 yards on the ground while holding SHSU to just 263 yards of total offense.

 
LEFTOVERS FROM A 33-27 2OT LOSS TO FIU
- Victory slipped out of the Kats' grip once again against FIU as the Golden Panthers rallied to force extra periods and got a key stop in the second OT to snap an 8-game losing streak within CUSA play dating back to 2022

- It was the second OT game for the Kats in 2023, both coming since Conference USA play began and both happening at Bowers Stadium. It is the first time the Kats have played in multiple OT games in a single season since 2008 when they went 2-1 in 3 total OT games vs Stephen F. Austin (W), Southeastern Louisiana (L) and Texas State (L)

- Keegan Shoemaker led the way on offense for Kats with 306 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 306 yards was a season high for the transfer from Lafayette College and the second time in his Bearkat career he has surpassed 300 yards in the air

- Shoemaker had only attempted 40 or more passes 3 times in his Bearkat career enterng this season, but has done so in each of the past 3 contests, throwing for 6 touchdowns and ony 2 interceptions in that span

- His favorite target against FIU, once again, was Noah Smith, who finished with 9 grabs for 91 yards and a score. He also added 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground, giving him 131 all-purpose yards for the game. Since the start of CUSA play, Smith has averaged 10.0 catches per game with 4 total touchdowns, both marks which are tops in the league

- On the defensive side, the Kats held FIU to 331 yards of offense, but struggled on fourth down defense as the Golden Panthers converted 4 of 5 fourth-down tries. That included a touchdown in the first OT to force another extra period, and a key 4th & 18 conversion on their final drive of regulation to force a game-tying field goal within the game's final minute 

- Trevor Williams continued to show why he is one of the top defensive players in CUSA, finishing with 14 tackles. He has reached double-digits in tackles in every game this season and is averaging 12.1 tackles per game, a mark which is tops in CUSA and third best in the nation

- Sam Houston will need a win over the Miners to avoid dropping to 0-3 at Bowers Stadium in 2023. Since the stadium opened in 1986 the Kats have never fallen to 0-3 at home, and in fact have only dropped 3 games in a row on its home turf 4 times, the last time coming when they lost the final 2 games of 2008 to Southeastern Louisiana and Texas State and the opener of 2009 to Western Illinois.

QUICK HITTERS
- The last time the Kats lost 3 in a row at home in the same season came in 2000 when they fell to Troy, McNeese and Texas State to end the year. The last time the Kats started off 0-3 at home to open a season was in 1977 when the program still played at Pritchett Field.

- Trevor Williams has racked up 85 tackles through 7 games, which is only 3 tackles shy of his previous career high of 88 stops which he set in 10 games of the 2020 FCS championship season. He is only 15 tackles away from becoming the first Kat with 100 tackles in a season since Justin Johnson had 117 in 2017

- The Kats held leads in the final minute of games against both Jax State and FIU before falling in overtime. Incidentially, the Kats' 2 home games are the only 2 games in which SHSU has surpassed the 100-yard mark in rushing

- The Kats have 21.0 TFLs in their last 3 games, including a season-high 9.0 vs FIU

- Sam Houston had just 2 combined penetrations inside the opponent red zone in games vs BYU, Air Force and Houston, but have 12 in the 4 games since, coming away with points 11 times. The lone time the Kats did not score in CUSA play when entering the red zone was the final series of the game at Liberty