Game 8 • at Louisiana Tech
Ruston, La. • Joe Aillet Stadium (28,562)
Sam Houston (0-7, 0-4 CUSA) at Louisiana Tech (4-3, 2-2 CUSA)
Friday, October 31 • 7:00 PM
TV: CBS Sports Network (Jack Gordon, Ben DiNucci)
RADIO: BSN (Carlos Zimmermann, Brian Adams); Sirius XM; KSHU 90.5 FM
HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @BearkatsFB on X
GAME NOTES: Sam Houston • LA Tech
Series vs the Bulldogs: Series tied 2-2-1
RUSTON, La. – Weekday CUSA action concludes on Friday when Sam Houston travels to Louisiana Tech, looking for its third win in as many seasons over the Bulldogs.
Kickoff for Friday's game is set for 7:00 p.m. and will air on CBS Sports Network. Jack Gordon and Ben DiNucci will call the action in the booth.
The game can also be heard online on the Bearkat Sports Network and the Bearkat Athletics app with Carlos Zimmermann and Brian Adams on the call from the radio booth. The BSN broadcast can also be heard online on GoBearkats.com, the Bearkat Sports app and Sirius XM online. Additionally, all Bearkat Football games have returned to the airwaves in 2025, aired locally on KSHU 90.5 FM.
The broadcast will begin at 6:15 p.m. with the kickoff show, hosted by Jason Barfield.
KATS TO TAKE #SPOOKYSZN STAGE AT LOUISIANA TECH
- Sam Houston is playing the final of four consecutive midweek games in the month of October. In all, the Kats are scheduled to play five non-Saturday games in 2025, having also opened the season on a Friday at WKU
- The Kats went 3-1 in October midweek games and 5-1 overall in non-Saturday games in 2024. In all, SHSU is 5-10 in non-Saturday games since joining FBS in 2023
- The game will be the 14th time in program history the Kats have hit the gridiron on All Hallow's Eve. They've seen more treats than tricks on October 31, holding an 8-5 record with its last Halloween game coming in 2015 when Sam Houston defeated A&M-Commerce (now East Texas A&M) by a 38-24 margin
- Sam Houston will be looking to avoid starting 0-8 for the second time in three seasons. Prior to its 0-8 start in 2023, the Kats had not started at least 0-6 since opening the 1977 season with seven straight defeats
- Friday will mark the sixth meeting all-time between the Kats and Dogs with SHSU winning each of the last 2 seasons. LA Tech is the only school the Kats have multiple CUSA wins over since joining the FBS in 2023
- The Bearkats have blocked a field goal in each of the last two games with Emon Allen (Jax State) and Cecil Powell (UTEP) doing the honors. It's the first time since 2021 that the Kats have blocked field goals in consecutive games, doing so that season vs Tarleton and Dixie State
- When the Bearkats kick of at LA Tech it will mark the end of a 16-day layoff for the team, following the team's third bye week of the year. That 16-day layoff is the second longest of any school in CUSA, second only behind an 18-day layoff by Liberty from October 14 to November 1
- Emon Allen entered the year without an INT in his Bearkat career, but has all three of the Kats' picks in 2025 after taking away another in the game vs UTEP. He ranks third on the team in both tackles (30) and TFLs (3.5), and has been involved in 6 of the Kats 9 impact plays (INT, FF/FR, BLK) this year
- CUSA play has been much kinder to Hunter Watson than the 2 non-conference games he has played. He was just a combined 24-for-47 passing for 187 yards and an INT in games vs UNLV and Texas. Meanwhile, Watson has completed 66 of 102 passes for 730 yards with 5 TDs and only 2 INT in 4 games of action vs CUSA opponents
SAM HOUSTON vs THE BULLDOGS
- Sam Houston and LA Tech are tied in the all-time series with the Bulldogs holding a 2-1-1 edge in Ruston; however the Kats are 2-0 against LA Tech since joining CUSA for the 2023 season
- Sam Houston's first win in CUSA and at the FBS level came in its last trip to Ruston, downing the Dogs 42-27 late in the 2023 season. The Kats entered the game 0-8 for the year before the win, a victory which springboarded SHSU to wins in 3 of its last 4 games of that season and a 10-3 campaign in 2024
THE LAST TIME
- In a game that featured more turnovers, Spooky Season came early for both offenses in the Bearkats' 9-3 win in 2024 at Bowers Stadium
- LA Tech coughed the ball up 4 times in the game, 3 coming within the Bearkat 7-yard line as the Bulldogs were in position to score. Of the 4 fumbles, the Kats did not have a defensive forced fumble with the miscues coming on botched handoffs and center/QB exchanges
- The win was the lowest-scoring game in the country in 2024 and came on the immediate heels of a 10-7 Bearkat win at FIU
- Sam Houston pulled off the win despite being outgained 312-268 in total offense and throwing for just 163 yards
