Tuesday, October 27
Springfield, Mo.
7:00 PM
at
Missouri State
Photo by: Danny Salas
10/25/2026 8:43:00 PM | Football
Game 8 • at Missouri State
Springfield, Mo. • Plaster Stadium (17,500)
Sam Houston (1-6, 0-3 CUSA) at Missouri State (2-5, 1-2 CUSA)
Tuesday, October 27 • 7:00 PM CT
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TV: ESPN2 (Jason Ross Jr., Tyoka Jackson)
RADIO: BSN (Jason Barfield, Brian Adams); KSHU 90.5 FM
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HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @BearkatsFB on X
GAME NOTES: Sam Houston • Missouri State
Series vs the Bears: Tied 1-1
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Sam Houston looks to get into the win column in CUSA play on Tuesday night when it closes out midweek play at Missouri State.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN2. Jason Ross Jr. and Tyoka Jackson will have the call from Plaster Stadium.
The game can also be heard on the Bearkat Sports Network with Jason Barfield and Brian Adams on the call. The BSN broadcast can be heard online on GoBearkats.com, the Bearkat Sports app and locally on KSHU 90.5 FM.
KATS SEEK FIRST CUSA WIN IN SPRINGFIELD
- Tuesday marks the first conference meeting between Sam Houston and Missouri State, and the first meeting between the programs since 2006. The Kats and Bears previously faced off twice as non-conference opponents when both programs were at the FCS level
- Sam Houston leads the nation in year-to-year improvement in total defense, allowing 141.8 fewer yards per game than in 2025. The Kats have limited opponents to 341.7 yards per game through seven contests after surrendering 483.5 a year ago, with Georgia Southern showing the next-largest improvement at 131.8 yards per game
- The Kats have limited opponents to a 30.5 percent conversion rate on third down, allowing just 29 conversions in 95 attempts. Sam Houston has faced 13.6 third downs per game while allowing an average of just 4.1 conversions
- Landyn Locke was one of 15 quarterbacks added to the Manning Award Watch List on Friday. The sophomore leads CUSA with 236.1 passing yards per game and is tied for the league lead with 12 touchdown passes, and his scoring tosses have averaged 38.4 yards, including seven covering at least 30 yards — already more than double the Kats' team total from the entire 2025 season
- Railyn Adams turned in a performance for the record books against NM State, becoming the first FBS player since Buffalo's Devin Grant in 2023 to intercept a pass, recover a fumble and recover a blocked kick in the same game. Adams recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown to go along with his interception and fumble recovery
- Sam Houston has scored a touchdown off a blocked punt in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2016 and 2017. Adams recovered Terrence Guillory II's block in the end zone against NM State, a season after Brody Henderson returned a Lyric Smith block 31 yards for the winning touchdown at Oregon State
SAM HOUSTON vs THE BEARS
- The series is tied 1-1 through two meetings, both played in Springfield and decided by a combined five points
- The Bears won the first meeting, 33-31, on Sept. 11, 2004, when the school competed as Southwest Missouri State
- Missouri State's scheduled visit to Bowers Stadium on Sept. 24, 2005, was canceled due to Hurricane Rita, leaving the Bears yet to play a game in Huntsville
- The Bears are led by first-year head coach Casey Woods and enter Tuesday with a 2-5 overall record and a 1-2 mark in CUSA play
PREGAME NOTES
- Opposing quarterbacks have completed just 52.4 percent of their passes against Sam Houston, producing 987 yards on 185 attempts through seven games. The Kats are allowing just 5.3 yards per pass attempt and have recorded six interceptions
- Sam Houston leads CUSA with 34 pass breakups, with 14 different Bearkats contributing to that total
- The Kats have totaled 38 tackles for loss and 12 sacks through seven games
- Dean Ford leads Sam Houston and ranks tied for ninth in CUSA with 44 tackles, averaging 6.3 stops per game. His team-high 24 solo tackles accompany 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. He recorded a career-high 12 tackles against WKU, the first double-digit tackle performance by a Bearkat this season
- Tim Burns Jr. caught four passes for a career-high 117 yards against NM State, snapping a 28-game streak without a Bearkat wide receiver reaching the century mark. The performance was highlighted by an 81-yard touchdown reception, Locke's second scoring toss of more than 80 yards this season
- True freshman MJ Dowdy has led Sam Houston in rushing in three straight games, totaling 114 yards on 29 carries against Liberty, WKU and NM State. Dowdy is the first Bearkat freshman to lead the team in rushing in three consecutive games since redshirt freshman Timothy Flanders in 2010
- After moving into a starting role this season, Railyn Adams leads the Kats with two interceptions. He is the first Bearkat with an interception and a fumble recovery in the same game since Royce See against Stephen F. Austin in 2019, and the first with an interception and a blocked-punt recovery since Robert Shaw against Southeastern Louisiana in 2010
- Landyn Locke moved into 23rd on Sam Houston's career passing yardage list with his 235-yard performance against NM State. Locke has thrown for 2,418 yards as a Bearkat and needs just 23 more to surpass Blake Joseph
- Grady O'Neill leads the Kats with 30 catches this season. O'Neill has caught 51 passes over his last 10 games dating to Nov. 15, 2025
Springfield, Mo. • Plaster Stadium (17,500)
Sam Houston (1-6, 0-3 CUSA) at Missouri State (2-5, 1-2 CUSA)
Tuesday, October 27 • 7:00 PM CT
Â
TV: ESPN2 (Jason Ross Jr., Tyoka Jackson)
RADIO: BSN (Jason Barfield, Brian Adams); KSHU 90.5 FM
Â
HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @BearkatsFB on X
GAME NOTES: Sam Houston • Missouri State
Series vs the Bears: Tied 1-1
Â
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Sam Houston looks to get into the win column in CUSA play on Tuesday night when it closes out midweek play at Missouri State.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN2. Jason Ross Jr. and Tyoka Jackson will have the call from Plaster Stadium.
The game can also be heard on the Bearkat Sports Network with Jason Barfield and Brian Adams on the call. The BSN broadcast can be heard online on GoBearkats.com, the Bearkat Sports app and locally on KSHU 90.5 FM.
KATS SEEK FIRST CUSA WIN IN SPRINGFIELD
- Tuesday marks the first conference meeting between Sam Houston and Missouri State, and the first meeting between the programs since 2006. The Kats and Bears previously faced off twice as non-conference opponents when both programs were at the FCS level
- Sam Houston leads the nation in year-to-year improvement in total defense, allowing 141.8 fewer yards per game than in 2025. The Kats have limited opponents to 341.7 yards per game through seven contests after surrendering 483.5 a year ago, with Georgia Southern showing the next-largest improvement at 131.8 yards per game
- The Kats have limited opponents to a 30.5 percent conversion rate on third down, allowing just 29 conversions in 95 attempts. Sam Houston has faced 13.6 third downs per game while allowing an average of just 4.1 conversions
- Landyn Locke was one of 15 quarterbacks added to the Manning Award Watch List on Friday. The sophomore leads CUSA with 236.1 passing yards per game and is tied for the league lead with 12 touchdown passes, and his scoring tosses have averaged 38.4 yards, including seven covering at least 30 yards — already more than double the Kats' team total from the entire 2025 season
- Railyn Adams turned in a performance for the record books against NM State, becoming the first FBS player since Buffalo's Devin Grant in 2023 to intercept a pass, recover a fumble and recover a blocked kick in the same game. Adams recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown to go along with his interception and fumble recovery
- Sam Houston has scored a touchdown off a blocked punt in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2016 and 2017. Adams recovered Terrence Guillory II's block in the end zone against NM State, a season after Brody Henderson returned a Lyric Smith block 31 yards for the winning touchdown at Oregon State
SAM HOUSTON vs THE BEARS
- The series is tied 1-1 through two meetings, both played in Springfield and decided by a combined five points
- The Bears won the first meeting, 33-31, on Sept. 11, 2004, when the school competed as Southwest Missouri State
- Missouri State's scheduled visit to Bowers Stadium on Sept. 24, 2005, was canceled due to Hurricane Rita, leaving the Bears yet to play a game in Huntsville
- The Bears are led by first-year head coach Casey Woods and enter Tuesday with a 2-5 overall record and a 1-2 mark in CUSA play
PREGAME NOTES
- Opposing quarterbacks have completed just 52.4 percent of their passes against Sam Houston, producing 987 yards on 185 attempts through seven games. The Kats are allowing just 5.3 yards per pass attempt and have recorded six interceptions
- Sam Houston leads CUSA with 34 pass breakups, with 14 different Bearkats contributing to that total
- The Kats have totaled 38 tackles for loss and 12 sacks through seven games
- Dean Ford leads Sam Houston and ranks tied for ninth in CUSA with 44 tackles, averaging 6.3 stops per game. His team-high 24 solo tackles accompany 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. He recorded a career-high 12 tackles against WKU, the first double-digit tackle performance by a Bearkat this season
- Tim Burns Jr. caught four passes for a career-high 117 yards against NM State, snapping a 28-game streak without a Bearkat wide receiver reaching the century mark. The performance was highlighted by an 81-yard touchdown reception, Locke's second scoring toss of more than 80 yards this season
- True freshman MJ Dowdy has led Sam Houston in rushing in three straight games, totaling 114 yards on 29 carries against Liberty, WKU and NM State. Dowdy is the first Bearkat freshman to lead the team in rushing in three consecutive games since redshirt freshman Timothy Flanders in 2010
- After moving into a starting role this season, Railyn Adams leads the Kats with two interceptions. He is the first Bearkat with an interception and a fumble recovery in the same game since Royce See against Stephen F. Austin in 2019, and the first with an interception and a blocked-punt recovery since Robert Shaw against Southeastern Louisiana in 2010
- Landyn Locke moved into 23rd on Sam Houston's career passing yardage list with his 235-yard performance against NM State. Locke has thrown for 2,418 yards as a Bearkat and needs just 23 more to surpass Blake Joseph
- Grady O'Neill leads the Kats with 30 catches this season. O'Neill has caught 51 passes over his last 10 games dating to Nov. 15, 2025
Players Mentioned
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QB
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DB
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