Game 8 • Miami, Fla. • Pitbull Stadium
Sam Houston (5-2, 2-1 CUSA) at FIU (2-5, 0-2 CUSA)
Tuesday, October 22 • 6:30 PM CT
TV: ESPNU (Matt Shumacker, Dustin Fox)
RADIO: BSN (Carlos Zimmermann, Brian Adams)
HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @BearkatsFB on X
GAME NOTES: Sam Houston • FIU
Series vs the Panthers: FIU leads 1-0
MIAMI, Fla.– The Sam Houston Bearkats will look to rebound from their first loss in Conference USA play on Tuesday when they travel to South Beach to take on FIU.
Kickoff of Tuesday's contest is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Pitbull Stadium. It will be aired on ESPNU with Matt Shumacker and Dustin Fox on the call. The game can be heard online on the Bearkat Sports Network, the Bearkat Athletics app with Carlos Zimmermann and Brian Adams on the call from the radio booth.
KATS HEAD TO SOUTH BEACH FOR VICE NIGHT vs FIU
- The Bearkats have won 8 of their last 11 games overall after starting their venture into FBS with an 0-8 start in 2023
- Sam Houston is the first FBS program to start a season 0-6 and win at least 5 of its first 6 games the following year since Georgia Southern in 2017 an 2018. The Eagles went 0-9 to start the 2017 season and started 7-1 in 2018 on their way to a 10-3 year and a win in the Camelia Bowl
- Sam Houston is playing the third of 4 consecutive midweek games. In all, the Kats will play 5 non-Saturday games. The 5 non-Saturday games are tied with Jax State for the most in the nation
- Sam Houston is 17-13 under KC Keeler after a loss and 4-6 in midweek games; however, the Kats are 14-4 after a loss and 4-1 in midweek games under Keeler in years excluding Sam Houston's FBS transition (2022 & 2023)
- Sam Houston is averaging 35.4 points per game in its 5 wins. Each win is over a G5 team
- Sam Houston averaged 282.0 yards per game on the ground in its 4-game win streak before falling to WKU, becoming the first team in CUSA to rush for 250+ yards in 4 straight games since FAU did so during the 2018 season
- The Kats have outrushed their opponents in each of their 5 wins, holding their opponent under 100 yards in 4 of those games. In the 5 victories, the Kats are averaging 261.2 yards on the ground to just 78.2 for their opponents
- The Bearkats need 1 more victory for bowl eligibility in their first season following the 2-year transition to the FBS. Should the Kats become bowl eligible, they would become the fourth consecutive program to make the transition up and become bowl eligible within the first 2 seasons of being at the FBS (Jax State 2023, James Madison 2023, Liberty 2018)
SERIES HISTORY
- The Bearkats and Panthers have met once previously, with FIU winning last season in Huntsville
- Sam Houston looked poised to claim its first win of 2023, taking the lead with less than 2 minutes to play; however, FIU kicked a game-tying field goal with only 5 seconds to play to tie it before eventually winning in double overtime
- The Kats entered the 4th quarter trailing 17-10 before a Noah Smith touchdown catch tied things at 17-17 and a 32-yard field goal by Colby Sessums put SHSU ahead with 1:24 to play
- FIU followed by tying it up just before the buzzer on a 45-yard boot by Lucas Matias; the key play of the drive came when quarterback Keyone Jenkins scrambled 23 yards to convert a 4th & 18 and keep the drive alive
QUICK HITTERS AFTER THE LOSS to WKU
- After finishing 2023 last in Conference USA in rushing, the ground game has been a major strength for the Bearkats in 2024. The Kats newfound balance has them yet to throw for 250 yards in a game this year, or to complete more than 19 passes in a contest. They are currently 1 of 4 teams in the FBS with at least 5 wins to their credit to not have a single game with at least 20 or more pass completions or at least 250 passing yards
- The Kats finished with 165 yards on the ground, snapping a streak of 4 straight games with 250+ rushing yards
- Ife Adeyi went without a catch, snapping a streak of 30 consecutive games with a reception. Teammate Noah Smith did not suit out and still maintains a streak of catching a pass in 25 straight
- Sam Houston threw for a season-high 235 yards against the Tops. It was the second straight game with 200+ yards passing for the Kats, the first time since the opening 2 games of the year for SHSU to throw for 200+ yards in consecutive games
- The Kats' 2 scores came on explosive touchdown passes of 37 yards and 50 yards. Of the 12 passing touchdowns for the Kats in 2024, 8 have been from 30 yards or longer
- Sam Houston had totaled just 7.0 sacks in its first 5 games of the season, but got home for 3.0 sacks at UTEP and followed that with a season-high 4.0 sacks last week vs WKU
- Sam Houston did not face a 4th-down situation vs WKU, but enters this week having stopped 6 of 12 4th-down tries by its opponents this year
- Caleb Weaver forced and recovered a fumble late in the game vs the Hilltoppers, extending the Kats' streak to 13 consecutive games with a takeaway
- The fumble recovery was the Kats' sixth of the year, which leads CUSA and ranks 13th in the nation
