Bearkats Are Back In The NCAA FCS Playoffs

by Cheval John

The Sam Houston State Bearkat football team knew that it was not going to be easy to make it back to Frisco.

After starting the season at 1-2, they won seven straight games to get consideration for the NCAA FCS playoffs and in the process clinched a share of the Southland Conference title with the Central Arkansas Bears.

The Bears received the automatic bid and will have a bye as well before they go on the road against No.5 Georgia Southern on Dec.1.

The 47-28 loss to Texas A&M yesterday didn’t hurt them as they were one of the final ten to be selected for the 20-team field in the FCS playoffs that’s set to begin this weekend.

The Bearkats finished the season overall at 8-3 and will have a bye before hosting Cal Poly Mustangs on Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. central on ESPN3.

“We’re very proud of being in the field of 20,” head coach Willie Fritz said.

“We wanted to be a team that is in national contention year after year. … .We’d liked to have been higher, but that’s just the way it is.”

This marks the second year in a row that the Bearkats have made the playoffs in their 26 years at the NCAA Division I level.

What’s more impressive is the fact that they only had three home games for the entire season.

“It’s a very hard thing to do and we’re just happy that we came out on top in all of those games,” senior running back Vincent Dotson said.

Last year, they went to the FCS National Championship Game in Frisco, Texas at 14-0 before losing to the North Dakota State Bison in the finals.

The Bison finished the season at 10-1 and were selected as the No.1 seed for the playoffs.

The Bearkats are just content that they will have a chance to host a playoff game and will use the time to get ready for the Mustangs.

“They’re a triple option team and run it quite different than we do,” Fritz said.

“It’s going to be good for us to have the extra days to prepare.”

“I’m just happy that we have a home game,” Dotson said.

“It will be a great advantage for us and will be a great crowd.”

Tickets goes on sale tonight at 6 p.m. and can be purchase online at gobearkats.com/tickets.