Game 10 • Kennesaw, Ga. • Fifth Third Stadium
Sam Houston (7-2, 4-1 CUSA) at Kennesaw State (1-8, 1-4 CUSA)
Saturday, November 16 • 2:00 PM CT
TV: ESPN+ (Nolan Alexander, Barclay Miller)
RADIO: BSN (Carlos Zimmermann, Brian Adams), Sirius XM 992
HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @BearkatsFB on X
GAME NOTES: Sam Houston • Kennesaw State
Series vs the Owls: SHSU leads 2-0
KENNESAW, Ga. – With three weeks remaining in the regular season the Sam Houston Bearkats control their own destiny on the road to the Conference USA Championship Game with the final three-game stretch beginning Saturday afternoon when they battle Kennesaw State at Fifth Third Stadium.
Kickoff of Saturday's contest is set for 2:00 p.m. CT at Fifth Third Stadium. It will be streamed on ESPN+ with Nolan Alexander and Barclay Miller on the call from the box and Lauren Hoffman on the sidelines. The game can be heard online on the Bearkat Sports Network and Sirius XM Radio 992, the Bearkat Athletics app with Carlos Zimmermann and Brian Adams on the call from the radio booth.
KATS RETURN TO PLAY AFTER 18-DAY LAYOFF
- Sam Houston controls its own destiny for a berth in the CUSA Championship Game, which is set for December 6 on CBS Sports Network. Currently both WKU and Jax State sit atop the standings with unblemished league records. But with wins in each of the Kats' final three games – at Kennesaw State, at Jax State and vs Liberty - Sam Houston would secure a berth in the title game
- The Kats have not taken the field since their 9-3 win over Louisiana Tech on October 29. They will return to the field on November 16 vs Kennesaw State, ending an 18-day layoff. That stretch of time away from play is the longest of any team in the FBS between games in 2024
- Saturday's matchup is of two of Conference USA's newest members with Sam Houston joining the league a year ago and Kennesaw State hopping on board for the 2024 season. The Kats finished their two-year transition to the FBS prior to the start of play in 2024, while the Owls will be at the same stage prior to the opening of the 2025 season
- The Kats are the first CUSA team in 2024 to secure bowl eligibility and the fourth consecutive program in the NCAA to make the transition up and become bowl eligible within the first two seasons of being at the FBS level (Jax State 2023, James Madison 2023, Liberty 2018)
- The Bearkats have won 10 of their last 13 games overall after starting their venture into FBS with an 0-8 start in 2023
- The win over Louisiana Tech was the 95th victory at Sam Houston for head coach KC Keeler, pushing him past Paul Pierce for second place all-time at the school. Keeler and Pierce are the only Bearkat head coaches to claim national championships. Only longtime SHSU head coach and former AD Ron Randleman's 131 career victories are more
- Sam Houston is the first FBS program to start a season 0-8 and win at least seven of its first nine games the following year since Georgia Southern in 2017 and 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's win over LA Tech was its seventh of the season, securing its first winning season at the FBS level and 14th in the last 15 seasons overall. The Kats have not had a season with a losing record since 2009 and finished its run at the FCS level with 13 consecutive winning seasons
- After finishing 2023 last in Conference USA in rushing, the ground game has been a major strength for the Bearkats in 2024. The Kats' balance has them yet to throw for 250 yards in a game this year, or to complete more than 19 passes in a contest. Sam Houston, Army and Navy are the only three teams in the FBS with at least seven wins to their credit without having a single game with at least 20 or more pass completions or at least 250 passing yards
- Bearkat opponents are just 2-for-10 on 4th-down conversions over the past four games. In the Kats' win vs LA Tech, the Bulldogs were 0-for-4 on 4th down with three turnovers
- The Kats have not allowed an offensive touchdown since the third quarter of its win at FIU
- The Kats are one of three teams (WKU, Jax State) with a league-high 18 takeaways. Sam Houston has 10 takeaways over its last four games, including four apiece in wins over UTEP and LA Tech
- The first points of the game for Sam Houston came via the defense when Kendrick DuJour sacked Bulldog quarterback Evan Bullock in the end zone for a safety, the first safety recorded by the Bearkat defense since 2022 at Utah Tech. It was the first of two sacks for DuJour in the game as he joined teammate Chris Murray as the only Bearkats with multiple sacks in a game in 2024
- Sam Houston had totaled just 7.0 sacks in its first five games of the season, but has 14.0 sacks over its last 4 games to move into second place in total sacks among teams in Conference USA
SERIES HISTORY
- The Bearkats and Kennesaw State will be battling for the third time in series history, but the first time on the Owls' home turf in Georgia
- The teams first met in the 2017 FCS playoffs and again in 2023 with both teams in transitional years to the FBS; both games finished as Bearkat wins in Bowers Stadium in Huntsville
- The trip to Fifth Third Stadium is the final of three first-time venues on the 2024 slate for the Kats
- Although KSU interim head coach Chandler Burks may be new to the Kats on the sidelines, Sam Houston has dealt with him before on the football field. Burks was the Owls' quarterback the first time the programs met in 2017 when the Kats won 34-27 in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. Burks rushed for 43 yards and a score in the game, while throwing for another 120 yards and a touchdown
