No.4 Bearkats Knocks Off No.2 Eagles 49-33
Courtesy: Brandon K. Scott/SHSU Athletics
In a meeting between two of the top-ranked Football Championship Subdivision teams in the country Saturday, No. 4 Sam Houston State beat No. 2 Eastern Washington, 49-34.
SHSU running back Timothy Flanders ran for 280 yards, two touchdowns and became just the 22nd back in FCS history to record 5,000 career yards on the ground.
Brian Bell completed just four of eight pass attempts, but two of those went for touchdowns of 18 and 50 yards, respectively.
Both offenses jumped out to strong starts with each scoring a touchdown in the first three offensive plays.
Richard Sincere, lined up in the read option set, faked the handoff to running back Timothy Flanders and took a 51-yard run to the end zone.
Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams responded with a pass in the middle of the field to Cory Mitchell, who went for a 48-yard reception down to the SHSU 2-yard line.
The Eagles took the lead with a 33-yard pass play to Ashton Clark.
But the Kats dominated the second quarter.
Bell kept the ball on a read option play to score from eight yards out.
De’Antrey Loche intercepted a pass by Adams and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown.
Bell and Williams connected for an 18-yard touchdown pass with just 21 seconds to play in the second quarter.
Cooper Kupp caught a 59-yard pass from Adams earlier in the quarter and the Kats took a 28-20 into halftime.
SHSU picked up where it left off after intermission.
Flanders scored on a 60-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.
After Eastern Washington running back Demitrius Bronson rushed for a three-yard touchdown, Bell and Williams connected for another score, this time on a 50-yard pass.
Flanders ran for his second touchdown of the day in the fourth quarter, taking it from 12 yards out.
The win improves the Kats record to 4-1. For the Eagles (2-2), it’s the first loss of the season against a non-FBS opponent.
SHSU Dismantles Incarnate Word 52-21
Courtesy: Paul Ridings,Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Timothy Flanders became the all-time Southland Conference rushing leader in Sam Houston State’s 52-21 win against Incarnate Word on Saturday.
Flanders, who ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, passed Claude Mathis of Southwest Texas with a 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before setting the new league record at 4,720 yards.
SHSU senior quarterback Brian Bell also had a career night, throwing four touchdown passes.
Bell tied his previous career best in the first half alone with three touchdown tosses.
Incarnate Word took an early lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Trent Brittain to Casey Jennings in the first quarter.
The Bearkats responded with a 19-yard field goal to cut the Cardinals lead to 7-3.
Bell connected with wide receiver Chance Nelson late in the first quarter and Nelson made two Cardinal defenders miss to work his way to the end zone.
Incarnate Word regained the lead in the second quarter with a 1-yard score by running back Junior Sessions.
Then, SHSU took over by outscoring Incarnate Word 42-7 the rest of the way.
Flanders scored on a 7-yard run with 8:52 to go in the second quarter and the Bearkats did not trail from there.
Bell came back with touchdown passes to Richard Sincere and Torrance Williams for 26 and 39 yards, respectively.
The Kats took a 31-14 lead into halftime.
Bell and Williams connected again in the third quarter for a 16-yard touchdown play.
The 41-yard record breaking run by Flanders led to a 45-14 lead for the Kats.
Brittain threw for a 19-yard touchdown to tight end Cole Wick with 3:08 to go in the third quarter.
Bell ran from one yard out in the fourth quarter to score his only rushing touchdown.
SHSU improved to 3-1 on the season.
Incarnate Word dropped to 2-2 and 0-2 against Southland Conference opponents this season.
Homer “Transitioned” Into SLC Defensive Player of the Week
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
True freshman Breanna Homer has been named as Southland Conference volleyball “Defensive Player of the Week” after leading Sam Houston to a victory in its Southland Conference opener and a runner-up finish in the SHSU Invitational this weekend.
Moving to the libero position, Homer led the Bearkats with 51 digs in three matches, an average of 5.7 digs per set. The LaGrange, Texas, native also posted 55 successful service receptions in 56 attempts during the tournament.
Sam Houston defeated Lamar in three sets in the Bearkats’ Southland opener which also doubled as the team’s opening match in the tournament Friday night. SHSU also blanked Jackson State in three sets Saturday afternoon. Washington State won the event, defeating the Kats in the final match.
She totaled 19 digs in the Jackson State match and 18 against Washington State.
Homer was a four-year varsity player who earned All-District honors in volleyball, softball and basketball at LaGrande. She earned All-State honors in both volleyball and as third baseman in softball.
Sam Houston continues Southland Conference action Thursday and Saturday with road matches at Nicholls State and McNeese State. The next Bearkat home volleyball match is Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
Brock Earns “SLC” Honors
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston linebacker Tanner Brock has been named as Southland Conference “Defensive Player of the Week.”
The award comes after the Bearkats’ 55-17 victory over Texas Southern last Saturday in Huntsville.
Brock recorded seven tackles and two tackles for loss in leading the defense against the Texas Southern Tigers.
The senior from Copperas Cove, Texas (Copperas Cove H.S.), sacked the quarterback twice for losses totaling 10 yards.
In the first half, Sam Houston limited Texas Southern to minus-23 yards rushing and 29 yards passing.
The Bearkats caused four fumbles and recovered three with each turnover setting up the team’s first three touchdowns.
The victory upped the Kats’ season record to 2-1 and set a school record, extending SHSU’s string of consecutive home wins to 16.
The 16-game home winning streak also is the longest current string of wins in FCS play.
Sam Houston’s Timothy Flanders and Torrance Williams both were honorable mention selections this week’s Southland voting for offensive and special teams players of the week.
The Kats play the second in a series of four consecutive home games this Saturday, Sept. 21, when UIW (Incarnate Word) comes to Elliott T. Bowers Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
Tickets for all remaining five home games at Bowers Stadium this season plus the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” vs. SFA in Reliant Stadium Nov. 2 are available now online at www.gobearkats.com .
Fans also can purchase tickets by visiting or calling the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
To Return Or Not To Return?
By Cheval John
It seems as if everyone is so fascinated with whether Brett Favre is going to make a return to the National Football League (NFL).
According to a report by Gabe Zaldivar of the Bleacher Reporter, Favre’s agent Bus Cook commented that the future Hall-of-Famer can make a comeback to the NFL.
Favre, who retired officially three years ago, seems like a person who loves the limelight.
Cook says that he is not trying to start any rumors about Favre’s possible return.
Really? And I’m not trying to say that pigs can fly.
Could it be that Mr. Favre, who also does the Wrangler Jeans commercials, is a little envious of the attention that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is receiving after he dissected the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football?
Or is it the fact that Manning became the first quarterback to throw for an NFL-record 12 scores and no interceptions by week 3 and has the possibility to break Favre’s career touchdown record?
I don’t know.
But the only thing I can say is that I don’t want a guy, who purposely held the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings hostage, to make a return to the NFL.
Mr. Cook’s announcement shows that Favre is willing to step over people to bring attention to himself.
If it was anyone else, you would hear an outcry on how selfish they are to get their agent to put out a report in the middle of one of the greatest accomplishments by Manning.
I understand that he is a future Hall-of-Famer and has passed for over 70,000 yards, 500 touchdowns, won a SuperBowl and is considered the “Iron Man” because of his consecutive games played.
Because it was Favre, he gets a pass and that will encourage him to continue doing what he does best:Grabbing as much attention as he can possibly get.
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