Flanders Earned “SLC Player of The Week” After Performance Against A&M
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston’s all-time leading rusher, has been named as Southland Conference Offensive “Player of the Week” after a record-breaking performance against FBS No. 7 Texas A&M in College Station last Saturday.
The honor marks the sixth time in his Bearkat career Flanders has earned “Player-of-the-Week” honors.
Flanders is the league’s two-time football “Player-of-the-Year”.
The Walter Payton Award candidate is a two-time All-America selection as well.
Flanders ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries and added a 33-yard touchdown reception against Texas A&M.
The Aggies had not allowed a back to gain 170 or more yards in 42 consecutive games.
The last player to achieve the feat was Colt McCoy of Texas who rushed for 175 yards in 2009.
Flanders, a senior from Midwest City, Okla. (Midwest City H.S.), became the Southland’s No. 2 career rushing leader and tied league record for career touchdowns with 170 yards rushing and three scores.
Now with 4,455 career yards, he trails only Claude Mathis (4,694 for Texas State in 1994-97) in the Southland career standings.
His career touchdown total (59 – 55 rushing, four receiving) puts him in a tie with Brent Grimes, who played at UCA from 2006-09.
Flanders’ 170 yards rushing are the second best total by a Bearkat in Sam Houston’s 29 meetings against FBS opponents.
He posted 194 yards at New Mexico in 2011 overtime win.
Against the Aggies, Flanders had touchdown runs of 11 and 68 yards, which was the third longest of his career.
The Bearkats play host to Texas Southern Saturday at 2 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium as Sam Houston begins a four-game home stand.
Tickets for all six remaining home games at Bowers plus the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” at Reliant Stadium on Nov. 2 remain on sale online at www.gobearkats.com .
Fans also may stop by the SHSU Athletic Ticket office at Bowers Stadium.
Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
Flanders’ Heroics Not Enough Against A&M
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
College Station – Walter Payton Award candidate Timothy Flanders moved into second place in all-time Southland Conference rushing Saturday in a 65-28 Sam Houston loss to FBS No. 7 Texas A&M.
Flanders’ 166-yard total on 18 carries marks only the third 100 yards-plus rushing performance by a Bearkat against an FBS opponent.
Flanders rushed for 194 yards in a victory at New Mexico in 2011.
Charles Harris netted 117 yards again Rice in 1990.
The performance marked the 26th 100-yard rushing game of Flanders career.
The senior running back ran for touchdowns of 11 and 68 yards.
He also caught a 33-yard scoring pass to tie the Southland record for career touchdowns (59 set by Brent Grimes of Central Arkansas).
Flanders’ career rushing total now stands at 4,451 yards.
He passed Henry Field of McNeese (4,358 yards in 1992-95) to move into second place all-time in Southland annals.
Claude Mathis (Southwest Texas 1994-97) holds the conference career mark of 4,694 yards.
Quarterback Johnny Manziel showed why he is a Heisman trophy winner, throwing for 426 yards (including 326 in the first half alone).
A crowd of 86,800 attended, the third largest gathering ever to see Sam Houston play football.
Bearkat quarterback Brian Bell completed six passes for 137 yards.
Wide receiver Torrance Williams caught three passes for 86 yards.
Bell and Williams connected for a 75-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Johntel Franklin led the Bearkat defense with 11 tackles.
Eric Fieilo totaled 10 stops and intercepted a Manziel pass.
Bookie Sneed added nine tackles.
The Aggies and the Bearkats traded touchdowns on the game’s opening drives.
A&M went 81 yards in 11 plays for a one-yard Trey Carson TD run at the 10:52 mark.
Then, Sam Houston went 71 yards in 11 plays as Flanders scored from the 11 to tie the game 7-7 at 7:51.
Keshawn Hill’s 36-yard run was the big play on the drive.
A&M scored 20 unanswered points on Manziel TD passes to Sabian Holmes for 27 yards and Ja’Quay Williams for 20 yards.
Ben Malena scored on a one-yard run.
Bell hit Flanders over the middle for a 33-yard TD pass with 1:59 to play in the half.
The five-play, 75-yard scoring drive cut the Aggie margin to 27-14.
A 35-yard field goal by Taylor Bertolet on the final play of the half gave A&M an 30-14 lead.
Flanders broke for a 68-yard touchdown run on the third play of the second half to put SHSU within nine, 30-21.
The score was the play that moved Flanders into second place in all-time Southland Conference rushing.
Carson scored on another one-yard run and Manziel passed to Brandon Williams for a 10-yard tally to put A&M up 44-21.
Bell passed to Williams for a 75-yard scoring strike on the next play to put the score at 44-28.
The pass was the third longest pass in Bell’s four-year career at Sam Houston.
A&M added three more touchdowns on a Manziel six-yard run, a Nate Askew 30-yard interception return and a 14-yard pass from Kenny Hill to Travis Labhart.
Sam Houston begins a four-game home stand next Saturday, hosting Texas Southern at 2 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
Bearkats Are No.4 In Both National Polls
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston State is ranked No. 4 in both the Sports Network and NCAA Coaches FCA national polls this week.
North Dakota State remains the top team in both polls after stunning defending Big 12 champion Kansas State on the road 24-21.
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Eastern Washington moved No. 2 in both boths after its 49-46 upset win over No. 25 Oregon State. The Eagles used 518 total yards from quarterback Vernon Adams to become first FCS team to knock off a ranked FBS opponent since James Madison defeated Virginia Tech 21-16 in 2010.
Sam Houston and Eastern Washington will meet in a showdown at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium on Saturday Sept. 28.
Montana State stands No. 3 in both ratings.
Sam Houston has been ranked among the FCS top 25 for 26 consecutive polls since debuting in the national rankings on Sept. 9, 2011. During an 11-0 regular season in 2011, the Kats rose all the way to No. 1 at the end of the regular season.
The Bearkats have finished No. 2 in the past two final FCS national rankings after consecutive Southland Conference championships and trips to the NCAA Division I National Championship game in Frisco.
The No. 4 ranking this week after a 74-0 victory over Houston Baptist in SHSU’s season opener Saturday marks the 22nd consecutive week Sam Houston has stood among the nation’s Top 10 FCS programs.
Two other Southland Conference teams are rated among the top 25 this week.
Central Arkansas is No. 5 in the coaches’ poll and No. 7 in the Sports Network rating. McNeese tabbed at No. 18 by Sports Network and No. 20 by the coaches.
Sam Houston travels to College Station to face Cotton Bowl champion Texas A&M this Saturday at 6 p.m.
“Johnny” Go Lucky
By Cheval John
So after months of all the hoopla on whether Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel “allegedly” received any payments for signing autographs during the BCS National Championship game, the NCAA decided to suspend Mr. Manziel for half a game when Texas A&M faces Rice on Saturday.
Really, half a game?
It’s asinine because it seems like Mr. Manziel got away with a violation that many others wouldn’t have been able to do.
This is really pale compared to a year suspension that Dez Bryant, now wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, got while he was a college player for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
No pun added.
Bryant’s violation? Lying to NCAA investigators, who questioned him about whether he had dinner with Deion Sanders.
That shouldn’t have constituted a year suspension.
What this says to me is that the NCAA will go after players ruthlessly who aren’t producing their bottom line: TV ratings and making money.
They also proved that getting student-athletes through the door to graduation is only secondary and their mission statement is only in words.
So congratulations, NCAA, you just gave the critics more amo to blast and criticize you even more.
With Manziel having the opportunity to play this season, everybody will forget about his “alleged” transgressions and maybe, lead the Aggies to win the National Championship.
They already won with this ruling.
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