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.
Bearkat Football “Feels” At Home With 2013 Schedule
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Highlighted by a rematch of last December’s NCAA Division I Championships semifinal with Eastern Washington, Sam Houston State has announced its 2013 football schedule.
Bearkat director of athletics Bobby Williams and head football coach Willie Fritz made the announcement of the 2013 schedule that includes three non-conference and three Southland home contests at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium, the “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry game at Reliant Stadium and a trip to College Station to face Cotton Bowl champion Texas A&M.
Williams and Fritz also indicated that efforts still are being made to add a 12th regular season game.
“Everyone involved in Bearkat athletics is thrilled about our exciting football schedule for 2013,” Williams said. “With six games in Huntsville and two more just one hour away in Houston and College Station, Sam Houston fans will have plenty of opportunities to come cheer for their nationally ranked Bearkats.”
The “crown jewel” of the home slate is a September 28 date matching the teams that stood No. 2 and No. 4 in last season’s final Football Championship Subdivision national rankings.
No. 2 Sam Houston defeated No. 4 Eastern Washington 45-42 in a contest that was an instant classic.
The Bearkats raced out to a 35-0 halftime lead only to see the Eagles roar back to score 42 second half points.
A 42-yard field goal by Miquel Antonio with 5:33 to play proved to be the difference that earned Sam Houston its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division I national championship game in Frisco.
Eastern Washington travels to Huntsville for a Sept. 28 date with a Sam Houston squad that is 5-0 against the Big Sky in the past two years.
EWU tied for the Big Sky Conference co-championship in 2012.
Sept. 28’s contest with EWU also will be the highlight of 2013 Sam Houston Parents / Family Weekend in Huntsville.
“As in the past, our athletic administration and football staff have worked diligently together to make this schedule possible,” Williams said. “We’ve had some amazing crowds for Bearkat football both here in Huntsville at Bowers and at Reliant Stadium in Houston. With the success of the past two seasons, we’re looking for even bigger things in 2013.”
Southwestern Athletic Conference member Texas Southern and future Southland Conference member, Incarnate Word of San Antonio are Sam Houston’s first two non-conference home foes on Sept. 14 and 21, respectively.
Sam Houston State will start its campaign for a third consecutive Southland Conference football championship by hosting Lamar Oct. 12.
Other Southland Bowers Stadium dates are Northwestern State Oct. 26 and Nicholls State Nov. 9.
The contest with the Lamar Cardinals Oct. 12 has been designated as Sam Houston’s 2013 Homecoming game.
“Six home games and the trip to Reliant Stadium make this a great schedule for us,” Fritz said. “The enthusiastic crowds we’ve had at Bowers Stadium and Reliant during the two championship seasons have been a big key to our success.
“We had to work hard to fill out the non-conference schedule after Alabama State did not honor their contract and never notified us,” Fritz added. “But the effort paid off and we’re looking forward to see even more orange in the stands both at home and on the road.”
Sam Houston will play three Southland Conference road games in 2013, traveling to McNeese State Oct. 19, Southeastern Louisiana Nov. 16 and Central Arkansas Nov. 23.
“Returning to Conway for the second year in a row to play Central Arkansas was a scheduling decision made by the Southland Conference,” Williams said. “Our appeal to change that decision was denied.”
The Bearkats stand 25-5 during the past two seasons with records of 14-1 and 11-4 during their Southland championship seasons in 2011 and 2012.
In the 50 years of Southland Conference football, only three programs (Arkansas State in 1968-70, Louisiana Tech in 1972-74 and McNeese State in 2001-03) have won three Southland football titles in a row.
The 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” will be played at Reliant Stadium in Houston Nov. 2.
The past three years, the annual rivalry battle has drawn crowds of more than 25,000 fans to the home of the Houston Texans.
Sam Houston State will be announcing season ticket packages shortly as renewal information will go out to Bearkat season ticket holders.
For more information about tickets, go to www.gobearkats.com or call the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at (936) 294-1729.
To see the schedule, click here
Bearkats Grounded The Eagles To Make A Return To FCS Title Game
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Cheney, Wash. – For the second year in a row, Sam Houston State and North Dakota State will meet in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game in Frisco, Texas, thanks to a 45-42 Bearkat victory over No. 2 seed Eastern Washington at Roos Field Saturday.
Sam Houston led 35-0 at halftime, but quarterback Vernon Adams engineered an Eagle comeback as the Bearkats had to run out the clock on their final possession to earn a win by the margin of Miquel Antonio’s 42-yard field goal.
Eastern Washington drove to the Sam Houston 15-yard line but was forced to settle for a field goal attempt.
Jimmy Pavel missed from 32 yards just 39 seconds into the second period.
Three plays later, on a third-and-two, Bell rolled left, kept on the quarterback option and dashed downed the left sideline for a 72-yard touchdown with 12:56 to play in the half.
The run was Bell’s longest as a Bearkat and the longest TD run for Sam Houston this season. His previously long was a 54-yard score in the 2011 NCAA quarterfinals against Montana State.
Six minutes later Keshawn Hill took a pitch from Sincere around left end and dashed 15 yards into the end zone to put the Kats up 28-0 with 6:44 before intermission.
The drive covered 48 yards in eight plays.
Shaw broke up a pass attempt on fourth down to give the ball to the Kats at the EWU 45.
The Kats needed only three plays to score again, this time on a six-yard run by Sincere with 3:48 remaining in the second quarter.
Flanders’ 39-yard run to the six on the second play of the drive set up the score.
Sam Houston went into the locker room with a 35-0 lead.
A different East Washington team came out in the third quarter.
First, Vernon Adams hit Greg Herd for a 31-yard touchdown to complete a seven play 79-yard drive.
Then Adams found Brandon Kaufman for a 22-yard score ending a six-play, 55-yard scoring march.
A successful onsides kick set up a third TD pass by Adams, this time for 43 yards to Aston Clark to make the score 35-21 with 1:05 in the period.
Kaufman was the target for a 43-yard score with 13:08 to go in the fourth and, in just 15 minutes, EWU had cut the lead to 35-28 with 9:48 to play.
Finally, the Bearkat offense got its mojo back, taking two minutes and 19 seconds to go 86 yards in five plays for a four-yard scoring pass from Bell to Shane Young to put them with a two touchdown lead at 42-28.
A 49-yard run by Flanders to the EWU three-yard line was the key play in the drive.
Adams picked up where he had left off, finding Kaufman for a 60-yard gain to the SHSU seven, then two plays later hitting Nicholas Edwards for a four-yard touchdown.
The Eagles were back within a touchdown 42-35 with 9:48 to play.
Miguel Antonio increased the Bearkats’ margin to 45-35 with a 42-yard field goal with 5:33 remaining.
Sam Houston drove 36 yards in eight plays.
Adams again struck, hitting Kaufman for a 33-yard touchdown as the margin now was 45-42 with 3:04 to play.
But the Bearkats stood their ground and made the plays when it was needed with Flanders’ key first down conversion run on 3 and 3 to ice the game.
They will now look to finish what they started as they face the No. 1 ranked and defending national champion NDSU Bison on Saturday, Jan. 5, at 12 noon at FC Dallas Stadium.