2 FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES • 7 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS • 11 FCS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES SAM HOUSTON STATE BEARKAT FOOTBALL FB Contact: Ben Rikard • O: 936-294-1764 • C: 936-554-2077 • Email: [email protected] • Twitter: @BearkatsFB GAME at North Dakota State DATE: Dec. 15, 2017 TIME: 7:00 p.m. 14 WHERE: Fargo, N.D. STADIUM: Fargodome (18,700) WHERE TO WATCH WHERE TO LISTEN No. 6 SAM HOUSTON STATE BEARKATS No. 2 NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON OVERALL: 12-1 SOUTHLAND: 8-1 OVERALL: 12-1 MVFC: 7-1 Location ..................................................................... Huntsville, Texas Location: .............................................................................Fargo, N.D. Enrollment ....................................................................................20,477 Enrollment ..................................................................................14,358 Stadium ...................................................... Elliott T. Bowers Stadium Stadium ..............................................................................Fargodome Capacity .........................................................................................12,593 Capacity ......................................................................................18,700 Colors ............................................................................Orange & White Colors ...............................................................................Green & Gold ESPN3 BROADCAST INFO Head Coach .........................................................................K. C. Keeler Head Coach ..................................................................Chris Klieman Play By Play .............................................................Dave Neal Alma Mater ..................................................................Delaware, 1981 Alma Mater .................................................... Northern Iowa, 1990 Analysis ......................................................Matt Stinchcomb Ovearall Record .......................................................................220-84-1 Ovearll Record .............................................................................55-13 Record at SHSU .............................................................................46-11 Record at NDSU ............................................................................. 52-6 KSAM BROADCAST INFO Play By Play ............................................... Kooter Roberson TEAM STATS TEAM STATS Analysis ...............................................................Brian Adams Points per game ...............................................................................45.6 Points per game .............................................................................39.0 Yards per game.............................................................................. 552.4 Yards per game............................................................................ 444.6 LIVE STATS Yards passing per game ............................................................. 368.4 Yards passing per game ........................................................... 179.5 samhouston.statbroadcast.com Yards rushing per game ............................................................. 184.0 Yards rushing per game ........................................................... 265.1 Points allowed per game ..............................................................29.4 Points allowed per game ............................................................12.3 TWITTER UPDATES Yards allowed per game ............................................................. 438.8 Yards allowed per game ........................................................... 237.9 @BearkatsFB INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE STAT LEADERS INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE STAT LEADERS Rushing .....................................................................Corey Avery, 82.2 Rushing ..........................................................Bruce Anderson, 72.4 2017 BEARKAT SCHEDULE Passing ..........................................................Jeremiah Briscoe, 362.6 Passing .................................................................Easton Stick, 165.5 Sept. 1 No. 7 RICHMOND& Waco W, 48-34 Receiving ........................................................Nathan Stewart, 120.6 Receiving ....................................................Darrius Shepherd, 45.7 Sept. 7 at Prairie View Prairie View W, 44-31 Sept. 23 No. 23 NICHOLLS* Huntsville W, 66-17 BEARKAT BYTES Sept. 30 at No. 11 Central Ark.* Conway, Ark. L, 41-30 - Sam Houston is 1 of just 3 teams in the FCS, along with North Dakota State and New Hampshire, to reach the Oct. 7 vs Stephen F. Austin*^ Houston W, 27-16 FCS playoffs each of the last 7 seasons. In that time the Kats have posted an impressive 16-6 mark, trailing only Oct. 14 NORTHWESTERN ST.* Huntsville W, 40-36 the Bison in playoff wins during that span. Sam Houston has reached at least the semifinals in 5 of those 7 sea- sons, including back-to-back trips to the FCS championship game in both 2011 and 2012. Oct. 21 LAMAR* Huntsville W, 63-27 Oct. 28 at Southeastern La.* Hammond, La. W, 33-23 - The Kats are 19-10 all-time in the FCS playoffs and own the country’s third-best winning percentage (.655) in Nov. 4 UIW* Huntsville W, 57-20 the playoffs. This is Sam Houston’s seventh straight appearance in the FCS playoffs and 11th overall. Nov. 11 at Abilene Christian* Abilene W, 44-35 Nov. 18 HOUSTON BAPTIST* Huntsville W, 53-33 - Offense has not been a problem under K.C. Keeler. In 56 games since 2014, the Kats have scored 30 or more Dec. 2 No. 16 SOUTH DAKOTA$ Huntsville W, 54-42 points 46 times, going 42-4 in those games. They have reached the 40-point mark 33 times, going 31-2 in those Dec. 9 No. 18 KENNESAW STATE$ Huntsville W, 34-27 games. They have exceeded the 50-point plateau at Bowers Stadium 12 times under Keeler and 15 times overall. Dec. 15 at North Dakota State$ Fargo, N.D. 7:00 pm * Southland Conference game - Sam Houston is in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs for the third time in the last 4 seasons under Keeler, and & Denotes game played at McLane Stadium (Waco) the fifth time in the last 7 seasons overall. The Bearkats have posted 16 playoff wins this decade, bested only by ^ NRG Stadium (Houston) NDSU’s 26. $ FCS Playoffs - Sam Houston has won 80 games since the beginning of the 2011 season and is going for its 20th all-time play- off win. The Kats and North Dakota State are the only two teams in the FCS with 80 victories since the beginning ALL-TIME FACTS of the 2011 campaign. Total Games Played......................................................................1,020 All-Time Record .....................................Won 526 Lost 461 Tied 35 NCAA Division I Record ........................Won 210 Lost 155 Tied 3 Southland Conference Record..............Won 117 Lost 89 Tied 2 SLC Titles ...................1991, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 FCS Playofs ..................................................1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 11 FCS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES 1986 • 1991 • 2001 • 2004 •2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 2017 SAM HOUSTON STATE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES BEARKAT MEDIA RELATIONS WITH A BEARKAT WIN ... Ben Rikard, Assistant Athletic Director (FB) - K.C. Keeler would win his 221st career game. He is currently 16th all-time among FCS head coaches, 1 win ahead of Wofford’s Mike Ayers. Next up on the list is former Wagner head coach Walt Hameline who is 15th with Telephone: (936) 294-1764 223 wins from 1981-2014. Cell: (936) 554-2077 Email: [email protected] - Sam Houston would get its first road win over a Missouri Valley Football Conference School since 2006. That Jason Barfield, Associate Athletic Director year the Kats knocked off Missouri State, 20-17, on Sept. 23 in Springfield. The Kats are 1-3 all-time against the MVFC in the FCS playoffs after its second-round win over South Dakota. All 3 losses have come at the hands of Telephone: (936) 294-3533 North Dakota State, including the 2011 and 2012 FCS Championship games. Email: [email protected] Andrew Pate, Media Services Coordinator - Sam Houston would advance to its third FCS Championship game in its history, all coming since 2011. The Telephone (936) 294-2692 game, held in Frisco, Texas, is hosted by the Southland Conference and the Kats are the only SLC school to qualify Email: [email protected] for the championship since the game made the move to the Lone Star State in 2010. Web Site: www.gobearkats.com - The Kats would still be alive in its quest for the school’s first ever FCS national championship. Teams from the Fax: (936) 294-3538 Southland Conference are officially 0-4 all-time in FCS Championship games with Sam Houston having gone Press Box: (936) 294-1838 twice, McNeese twice (1997 & 2002) and SFA officially vacating its national runner-up season in 1989. Facebook: Bearkat Athletics Twitter: @BearkatSports & @BearkatsFB FCS NATIONAL POLLS STATS FCS POLL NCAA COACHES POLL 1 James Madison (153) 1 James Madison (26) 2 Jacksonville State 2 Jacksonville State 3 Central Arkansas 3 Central Arkansas 4 North Dakota State 4 North Dakota State 5 Sam Houston State 5 Sam Houston State 6 South Dakota State 6 South Dakota State 7 North Carolina A&T 7 North Carolina A&T LEFTOVER KATNIP FROM 34-27 WIN OVER KENNESAW STATE ... 8 Wofford 8 Weber State - The Kats moved to 13-0 all-time in playoff games played in Huntsville. The Kats have played, and won,