SHSU’s Victory Over Villanova Sets Up Rematch With North Dakota State

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Villanova, Penn. – Quarterback Jared Johnson passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns and the Bearkat defense held off a late Wildcat charge as No. 19 Sam Houston defeated No. 5 Villanova 34-31 to advance to the FCS semifinals.

The Kats will face their old nemesis No. 2 North Dakota State next week at the Fargo Dome. Sam Houston has defeated three top 10 FCS foes to reach the semifinals.

Johnson completed 22 of 27 passes including TD throws of two and 66 yards to LaDarius Brown and a four-yard score to Gerald Thomas.

With Walter Payton award candidate John Robertson sidelined by a concussion, backup quarterback Chris Polony took over to accounted for 288 yards in the aid and 87 yards on the ground.

“This a great game between two good football teams,” SHSU head coach K. C. Keeler said. “We’re excited to be in the final four. My hats off to Villanova and (head coach) Andy Talley. They found out right before the game their best player and team leader wasn’t going to play. But they fought hard and their backup quarterback did a great job.”

The Wildcats looked on the verge of at least forcing overtime with a first down at the Sam Houston 26 with less than a minute to play. But a quarterback sack by Mouf Adebo, an incomplete pass and a delay of game penalty had kicker Chris Gough attempting a field goal from 51 yards out. The attempt was wide and the Kats head to the FCS semifinals for the third time in four years.

“Jared Johnson did a great job for us today as he’s been fighting the flu the past two days,” Keeler said. “We had him wearing a mask and staying in his own room and got him out of the infirmary when we left Thursday morning.”

Brown caught six passes for Sam Houston for 174 yards. Yedidiah Louis led the Kats with seven receptions for 64 yards.

Keshawn Hill led a Bearkat rushing game that accounted for 151 yards on 46 attempts. Hill carried 20 times for 75 yards. Johnson added 32 yards on 12 carries and Jalen Overstreet rushed nine times for 30 yards including the game winning one-yard TD with 4:03 to play.

Linebacker Tristan Eche led the Kat defense with 11 tackles (10 solos). P. J. Hall accounted for nine stops including two for losses to run his season total TFLs to 29.

Three-time defending national champion North Dakota State and Sam Houston met in the FCS national championship game in both 2011 and 2012.

Johnson and Brown started the show for Sam Houston early as the pair teamed up for a two-yard touchdown pass just 3:39 into the game. A blocked punt by Josh Lyons set up the five-play, 17-yard drive. Cory Hamlett recovered the punt block for Sam Houston.

Villanova struck back immediately. A 54-yard touchdown pass from Chris Polony to Poppy Livers completed a six-play, 90-yard scoring drive with 9:31 to play in the first quarter.

After Sam Houston’s first punt was downed on the Wildcat one-yard-line, Villanova drove 99 yards in 13 plays as Polony faked a handoff on fourth-and-two at the SHSU 36 then dashed around left end untouched into the end zone. Villanova took a 13-7 lead with 23 seconds left in the opening period.

Johnson opened the second quarter by leading the Bearkats on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive. The sophomore quarterback hit Gerald Thomas for a four-yard score with 9:54 left in the period. The drive started with a 51-yard pass from Johnson to Brown to put the Kats on the Villanova 29-yard line.

With 29 seconds left before halftime, Luc Swimberghe kicked a 32-yard field goal to complete a 10-play, 54-yard drive. A 30-yard scramble by Johnson to the VU 39-yard-line was the drive’s big play3w.

The Kats’ 17-13 margin was brief as Villanova drove 36 yards in four plays after the kickoff to set up a career-long 46-yard field goal by Chris Gough as the first half ended with SHSU up 17-16.

Johnson and Brown hooked up again to start the second half, this time for a 66-yard scoring pass to put SHSU up 24-16 only 18 seconds into the period.

Kevin Monangai broke loose for a 58-yard scoring run and Polony found Kevin Gulyas in the back of the end zone for a successful two-point conversion to tie the game 24-24 with 9:36 remaining in third.

Swimberghe broke the tie five minutes into the fourth period with a 30-yard field goal as SHSU went up 27-24 after an eight-play, 39-yard drive. The score was set up by a short Wildcats punt.

Polony answered by leading Villanova on a nine-play 67-yard scoring drive. The quarterback gained the final yard himself on a roll-out to the right as the Wildcats took a 31-27 lead with 7:15 to play.

The Kats responded with a 10-play 75-yard drive to surge back in front 34-31 after an one-yard Overstreet touchdown with 4:03 to play. Yedidiah Louis’s 18-yard reception to the Wildcats 17 was a key play for SHSU.