Sam Houston State Football
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SAM HOUSTON STATE FOOTBALL FCS QUARTERFINALS PLAYOFF NOTES SAM HOUSTON BEARKATS Location ...................................................Huntsville, Texas No. 19 Sam Houston (10-4) vs. No. 5 Villanova (11-2) Enrollment ................................................................. 19,719 FCS National Playoffs Quarterfinals Stadium ..................................................... Elliott T. Bowers Saturday - December 13, 2014 -12:04 p.m. (Central Time) Capacity .........................................12,593 / RealGrassPro Villanova Stadium - Villanova, Pennsylvania Colors .........................................................Orange & White Head Coach ...................................................... K. C. Keeler Alma Mater ...............................................Delaware, 1981 BEARKATS IN FCS QUARTERFINALS FOR THIRD TIME IN FOUR YEARS Record ....................................................First year at SHSU With a 37-26 road victory over No. 3 Jacksonville State Saturday, Sam Houston has advanced 184-76-1 overall record to the FCS quarterfinals for the third time in four years and the fifth time in program history. in 21 seasons as head coach Champions of the Southland Conference, the Bearkats will face CAA runner-up and No. 5 ranked Villanova Saturday at 12:04 p.m. (Central) at Villanova Stadium in Pennsylvania. 2014 SAM HOUSTON SCHEDULE The Wildcats own an 11-2 overall record and are making their 11th appearance in FCS post- Aug. 23 at Eastern Washington L 35-56 ESPN season play. Villanova defeated Montana in the 2009 NCAA National Championship game. Aug. 30 ALABAMA STATE W 51-20 Sept. 6 at LSU L 0-56 SEC-TV Villanova’s two losses each came by only one point (27-26 in two overtimes at Syracuse and Sept. 13 COLORADO ST.-PUEBLO L 21-47 10-9 at Richmond). The Wildcats own victories over four FCS top 25 foes. Sept. 27 at Lamar* W 42-10 Oct. 11 McNEESE* W 38-22 SLC TV BEARKATS’ FIRST MEETING WITH CAA OPPONENT Oct. 18 at Northwestern St.* L 27-31 SLC TV Saturday marks SHSU’s first meeting with a CAA opponent. The Kats defeated Stony Brook, a Oct. 25 ABILENE CHRISTIAN* W 38-21 current league member, in the second round of the NCAA in 2011 before they joined the CAA. Nov. 1 vs. Stephen F. Austin*^ W 42-28 SLC TV Nov. 8 at Incarnate Word* W 40-19 SAM HOUSTON’S FCS PLAYOFF RECORD Nov. 15 at Houston Baptist* W 76-0 Sam Houston, New Hampshire and North Dakota State stand as the only programs to earn Nov. 22 CENTRAL ARKANSAS* W 38-31 SLC-TV berths in FCS post-season play each of the past four seasons. The Bearkats reached the NCAA Nov. 29 SOUTHEASTERN LA. W 21-17 ESPN3 National Championship game in Frisco in 2011 and 2012 (one of only eight universities to play Dec. 6 at Jacksonville State W 37-26 ESPN3 *Southland Conference ^NRG Stadium in Houston in the finals in consecutive seasons) and reached the second round last year. With this year’s FCS appearance, Sam Houston becomes only the second team in Southland Conference history to earn four consecutive playoff berths. McNeese made five consecutive VILLANOVA post-season appearances in 1991 through 1995 and four from 2000 to 2003. The Bearkats and the Cowboys hold the league’s top two FCS playoff records. Sam Houston Location .....................................Villanova, Pennsylvania now stands 12-7 in post-season play while McNeese is 11-15. Enrollment ................................................................. 10,697 Stadium ................................................ Villanova Stadium This year marks Sam Houston’s eighth FCS post season appearance after berths in 1986, Capacity ...................................................................... 12,000 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Kats reached the National Championship Game in Colors ...............................................................Blue & White 2011 and 2012, the FCS semifinals in 2004, the quarterfinals in 2001, the second round in 2013 Head Coach ......................................................Andy Talley and lost in the opening round in 1986 and 1991. Alma Mater ......................Southern Connecticut State Record at Villanova .......................................... 215-127-1 DEFENSE SHUTS OUT JSU IN 2ND HALF OF 2ND ROUND VICTORY Sam Houston held Jacksonville State scoreless in the second half as the Bearkats rallied to 2014 WILDCATS SCHEDULE beat the Gamecocks 37-26 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Aug. 29 at Syracuse L 26-27 (2OT) Quarterback Jared Johnson passed for 161 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 85 Sept. 6 FORDHAM (#11) W 50-6 yards and another score. His 49-yard TD pass to LaDarius Brown in the third quarter proved to Sept. 20 JAMES MADISON* W 49-31 be the game-winner. Brown finished with 88 receiving yards and two scores on four catches. Sept. 27 at Penn W 41-7 Keshawn Hill scored the Kats’ opening TD on a 10-yard throw from Johnson. Oct. 4 at Maine* W 41-20 Running back Jalen Overstreet gave the Bearkats some breathing room with a 33-yard Oct. 11 RHODE ISLAND* W 44-21 touchdown run to make the score 37-26. He finished with 83 yards on 10 carries. Oct. 18 at William & Mary* (#15) W 35-31 Oct. 25 MORGAN STATE W 48-28 The SHSU defense came up with two key interceptions. Linebacker Tristan Eche, who Nov. 1 at Richmond* (#13) L 9-10 finished with six tackles and one sack, picked off a pass in the first quarter to set up a short Nov. 8 TOWSON* W 42-14 touchdown drive. Cornerback Mikel Everette intercepted a pass in the end zone to end a JSU Nov. 15 ALBANY* W 48-31 scoring threat late in the fourth quarter. Nov. 22 at Delaware* W 35-28 P. J. Hall finished the game with six total tackles and one tackle for loss. For the third con- Dec. 6 LIBERTY W 29-22 secutive game Hall blocked a kick. After the Gamecocks third touchdown Hall broke through *CAA Game the line and knocked down the extra-point attempt. For more information please contact Paul Ridings, Jason Barfield, Kevin Rodriguez -- Sam Houston State University Sports Information Office (936) 294-1764, 294-3533 Fax (936) 294-3538 Press Box (936) 294-1838 Web site: www.gobearkats.com Emails: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] SAM HOUSTON FOOTBALL GAME NOTES 2 PLAYING CLEAN PAYS OFF From day one of practice, head coach K. C. Keeler has preached to his team about “playing Southland Conference clean” (without mental miscues and penalties) as the key to success. While going 1-3 in non- Team Conference Season Sam Houston.............................................7-1 10-4 conference action, the Kats led the Southland with 38 penalties for 375 yards, an average of Southeastern Louisiana.........................7-1 9-4 more than 9 flags per contest. In Sam Houston’s last six games (all victories), the Bearkats have Lamar ...........................................................5-3 8-4 been penalized only 21 times for 194 yards (only 3.5 flags per game). Stephen F. Austin .....................................5-3 8-5 Central Arkansas ......................................5-3 6-6 McNeese State ..........................................4-4 6-5 KATS WIN BATTLE OF SOUTHLAND CO-CHAMPIONS 21-17 Abilene Christian .....................................4-4 6-6 Sam Houston defeated No. 9 Southeastern Louisiana 21-17 November 29 in the FCS opening Northwestern State ................................4-4 6-6 round in a match-up that featured the Southland Conference’s 2014 co-champions. The Kats Incarnate Word .........................................2-6 2-9 and the Lions posted identical 7-1 league records but did not play during the regular season. Houston Baptist .......................................1-7 2-9 Saturday’s victory avenged a 30-29 defeat in the second round of the FCS playoffs last year at Nicholls........................................................0-8 0-12 the hands of Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La. A muffed punt and a blocked field goal set up two Donavan Williams touchdowns as Sam Houston scored 14 fourth quarter points to come from behind twice to win. The Kat offense TV / RADIO/ INTERNET struggled against an outstanding Southeastern Louisiana defense. The Lions limited SHSU to a Sam Houston’s quarterfinal match-up Saturday season low 13 first downs and 269 yards total offense (second low behind only the 206 given with Villanova will be telecast live on ESPN3. up by LSU). But outstanding defensive and special teams play kept the Kats in the contest. Bob Picozzi will call the play-by-play and Rocky The muffed punt recovered by Demartie Allen at the Lion four-yard line set up a one-yard Boiman will handle color for the telecast of the scoring dive by Williams that gave SHSU its first lead, 14-10, with three seconds in the final peri- Bearkats versus Wildcats game. Since the 2011 season, Sam Houston football od. The Lions retook the lead 17-14 with 11:11 remaining. A 42-yard field goal attempt blocked games have been televised 37 times regionally by P.J. Hall was the turning point, setting up a 65-yard, six play drive for a five-yard touchdown and/or nationally. The Bearkats are 24-13 in those on an option play by Williams for what proved the game-winning touchdown. telecasts. Kooter Roberson, Leroy Wilkinson and Jason “GET BETTER” WEEKS BRING AMAZING TURNAROUND IN 2014 Barfield will call the game locally on KSAM 101.7 After beginning the season with a 1-3 non-conference record, many wrote off the young FM. The broadcast also will be streamed live on the 2014 Bearkat squad. Head coach K. C. Keeler believes the open date prior to SHSU’s Southland internet at www.gobearkats.com . opener at Lamar was the turning point for his first Bearkat squad. “There are defining moments in every season and that third loss was ours,” Keeler said. “As Southland All-Time Playoff Marks men, our team decided that we were going to fix this thing. We weren’t going to point fingers. We weren’t going to go around the corner and cry about it. We were going to get it fixed.” Active Members Years Won Lost Pct.