2014 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team
American college football season
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The 2014 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by first-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They are a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 11–5, 7–1 in Southland play to finish in a share of the Southland Conference title. They received the Southland's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Southeastern Louisiana, Jacksonville State, and Villanova to advance to the Semifinals where they lost to North Dakota State. But, along the way they lost to eventual D-2 Champion CSU-Pueblo.
| 2014 Sam Houston State Bearkats football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Southland co-champion | |
FCS Playoffs Semifinals, L 3–35 vs. North Dakota State | |
| Conference | Southland Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Sports Network | No. 6 |
| FCS Coaches | No. 6 |
| Record | 11–5 (7–1 Southland) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Phil Longo (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Air raid |
| Defensive coordinator | Mike Collins (2nd season) |
| Co-defensive coordinator | Brad Sherrod (1st season) |
| Base defense | 3–4 |
| Home stadium | Bowers Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Sam Houston St +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 SE Louisiana +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lamar | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen F. Austin ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Arkansas | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| McNeese State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abilene Christian * | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Incarnate Word * | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Baptist | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nicholls State | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | – | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 23 | 2:30 pm | at No. 1 Eastern Washington* | No. 17 | ESPN | L 35–56 | 10,310 | ||
| August 30 | 6:30 pm | Alabama State* | No. 17 | W 51–20 | 7,595 | |||
| September 6 | 6:30 pm | at No. 12 (FBS) LSU* | No. 15 | SECN | L 0–56 | 100,338 | ||
| September 13 | 6:30 pm | No. 2 (D-II) CSU–Pueblo* | No. 15 |
| BSN | L 21–47 | 9,678 | |
| September 27 | 7:00 pm | at Lamar | W 42–10 | 9,308 | ||||
| October 11 | 3:00 pm | No. 5 McNeese State |
| SLCTV | W 38–22 | 8,418 | ||
| October 18 | 3:00 pm | at Northwestern State | No. 24 | SLCTV | L 27–31 | 7,895 | ||
| October 25 | 3:00 pm | Abilene Christian |
| BSN | W 38–21 | 7,073 | ||
| November 1 | 3:00 pm | vs. No. 24 Stephen F. Austin | SLCTV | W 42–28 | 26,788 | |||
| November 8 | 6:00 pm | at Incarnate Word | W 40–19 | 3,476 | ||||
| November 15 | 3:00 pm | at Houston Baptist |
| FSSW | W 76–0 | 3,124 | ||
| November 22 | 12:30 pm | Central Arkansas | No. 23 |
| SLCTV | W 38–31 | 5,717 | |
| November 29 | 1:00 pm | No. 11 Southeastern Louisiana* | No. 19 |
| ESPN3 | W 21–17 | 4,758 | [1] |
| December 6 | 1:00 pm | at No. 3 Jacksonville State* | No. 19 |
| ESPN3 | W 37–26 | 10,832 | [2] |
| December 13 | 12:00 pm | at No. 5 Villanova* | No. 19 |
| ESPN3 | W 34–31 | 2,333 | |
| December 19 | 7:00 pm | at No. 2 North Dakota State* | No. 19 | ESPN2 | L 3–35 | 18,025 | ||
| ||||||||
Game summaries
At No. 1 Eastern Washington
No. 17 Sam Houston State at No. 1 Eastern Washington
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 17 Bearkats | 0 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| • No. 1 Eagles | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 | 56 |
- Date: August 23
- Location: Roos Field
Cheney, WA - Game start: 12:35 PM PST
- Elapsed time: 3:57
- Game attendance: 10,310
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Sunny, winds NE at 8mph
- Referee: Gregg Wilson
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore, Colin Cowherd, & Jessica Mendoza
| 1 | 6:35 | EWU | Blair Bomber 3-yard touchdown reception from Vernon Adams, Roldan Alcobendas kick good | EWU 7–0 |
| 2 | 14:51 | SHSU | Keshawn Hill 79-yard touchdown run, Luc Swimberghe kick good | Tied 7–7 |
| 2 | 14:34 | SHSU | Interception returned 55 yards for touchdown by Trenier Orr, Swimberghe kick good | SHSU 14–7 |
| 2 | 12:04 | EWU | Kendrick Bourne 13-yard touchdown reception from Adams, Alcobendas kick good | Tied 14–14 |
| 2 | 10:53 | SHSU | Jared Johnson 53-yard touchdown run, Swimberghe kick good | SHSU 21–14 |
| 2 | 6:33 | EWU | Jalen Moore 34-yard touchdown run, Alcobendas kick good | Tied 21–21 |
| 3 | 9:28 | EWU | Bomber 3-yard touchdown reception from Adams, Alcobendas kick good | EWU 28–21 |
| 4 | 14:50 | EWU | Zach Wimberly 1-yard touchdown run, Alcobendas kick good | EWU 35–21 |
| 4 | 12:21 | SHSU | Derreck Edwards 6-yard touchdown reception from Johnson, Swimberghe kick good | EWU 35–28 |
| 4 | 8:44 | EWU | Cooper Kupp 5-yard touchdown reception from Jordan West, Alcobendas kick good | EWU 42–28 |
| 4 | 5:14 | SHSU | Shane Young 1-yard touchdown reception from Johnson, Swimberghe kick good | EWU 42–35 |
| 4 | 3:13 | EWU | Bourne 13-yard touchdown reception from Adams, Alcobendas kick good | EWU 49–35 |
| 4 | 0:31 | EWU | Moore 1-yard touchdown run, Alcobendas kick good | EWU 56–35 |
| Statistics | SHSU | EWU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 37 |
| Total yards | 542 | 624 |
| Rushing yards | 225 | 317 |
| Passing yards | 317 | 307 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 24:12 | 35:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 31/53, 317 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Keshawn Hill | 17 rushes, 133 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 10 receptions, 89 yards | |
| Eastern Washington | Passing | Vernon Adams | 26/48, 302 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Quincy Forte | 23 rushes, 152 yards | |
| Receiving | Shaq Hill | 4 receptions, 77 yards |
Alabama State
Alabama State at No. 17 Sam Houston State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornets | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| • No. 17 Bearkats | 14 | 24 | 10 | 3 | 51 |
- Date: August 30
- Location: Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - Game attendance: 7,595
| Statistics | ALST | SHSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 34 |
| Total yards | 402 | 685 |
| Rushing yards | 141 | 289 |
| Passing yards | 261 | 396 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 19:52 | 40:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State | Passing | Daniel Duhart | 17/32, 259 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Malcolm Cyrus | 13 rushes, 83 yards | |
| Receiving | DeMario Bell | 4 receptions, 134 yards, TD | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 31/46, 386 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Donavan Williams | 12 rushes, 83 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Keshawn Hill | 3 receptions, 126 yards, TD |
At No. 12 (FBS) LSU
No. 15 Sam Houston State at No. 12 (FBS) LSU
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 15 Bearkats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 12 (FBS) Tigers | 20 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
- Date: September 6
- Location: Tiger Stadium
Baton Rouge, LA - Game attendance: 100,338
- Television network: SECN
| Statistics | SHSU | LSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 14 | 27 |
| Total yards | 206 | 584 |
| Rushing yards | 50 | 334 |
| Passing yards | 156 | 250 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 24:57 | 35:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 8/25, 142 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Donavan Williams | 9 rushes, 29 yards | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 4 receptions, 102 yards | |
| LSU | Passing | Anthony Jennings | 7/13, 188 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Leonard Fournette | 13 rushes, 92 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Travin Dural | 3 receptions, 140 yards, 3 TD |
No. 2 (D-II) CSU Pueblo
No. 2 (D-II) CSU Pueblo at No. 15 Sam Houston State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 2 (D-II) ThunderWolves | 14 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 47 |
| No. 15 Bearkats | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Statistics | CSUP | SHSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 17 |
| Total yards | 446 | 231 |
| Rushing yards | 187 | 85 |
| Passing yards | 259 | 146 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 36:54 | 23:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSU Pueblo | Passing | Chris Bonner | 20/32, 255 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Cameron McDondle | 14 rushes, 116 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Paul Browning | 7 receptions, 98 yards, TD | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Don King III | 5/7, 74 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Keshawn Hill | 12 rushes, 55 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | LaDarius Brown | 3 receptions, 47 yards |
At Lamar
Sam Houston State at Lamar
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bearkats | 13 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 42 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
- Date: September 27
- Location: Provost Umphrey Stadium
Beaumont, TX - Game start: 7:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 9,308
| Statistics | SHSU | LAM |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 18 |
| Total yards | 441 | 345 |
| Rushing yards | 268 | 101 |
| Passing yards | 173 | 244 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 29:48 | 30:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 18/34, 164 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Jalen Overstreet | 9 rushes, 132 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Derreck Edwards | 4 receptions, 52 yards | |
| Lamar | Passing | Caleb Berry | 21/36, 244 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Carl Harris | 9 rushes, 76 yards | |
| Receiving | Devonn Brown | 5 receptions, 88 yards |
No. 5 McNeese State
No. 5 McNeese State at Sam Houston State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
| • Bearkats | 14 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
| Statistics | MCNS | SHSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 18 |
| Total yards | 298 | 486 |
| Rushing yards | 209 | 294 |
| Passing yards | 89 | 192 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 32:38 | 27:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| McNeese State | Passing | Daniel Sams | 11/25, 84 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Daniel Sams | 20 rushes, 130 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | David Bush | 2 receptions, 21 yards | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 15/29, 192 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Jared Johnson | 11 rushes, 190 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 5 receptions, 65 yards, TD |
At Northwestern State
No. 24 Sam Houston State at Northwestern State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 24 Bearkats | 14 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| • Demons | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
- Date: October 18
- Location: Harry Turpin Stadium
Natchitoches, LA - Game start: 3:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 7,895
- Television network: SLCTV
| Statistics | SHSU | NWST |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 30 |
| Total yards | 432 | 482 |
| Rushing yards | 347 | 186 |
| Passing yards | 85 | 296 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 24:41 | 35:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 8/22, 85 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Keshawn Hill | 17 rushes, 198 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 2 receptions, 25 yards | |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Zach Adkins | 22/35, 296 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Garrett Atzenweiler | 18 rushes, 68 yards | |
| Receiving | Tuff McClain | 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD |
Abilene Christian
Abilene Christian at Sam Houston State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| • Bearkats | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Statistics | ACU | SHSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 20 |
| Total yards | 445 | 452 |
| Rushing yards | 31 | 175 |
| Passing yards | 414 | 277 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 29:05 | 30:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | Passing | Parker McKenzie | 29/44, 385 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | De'Andre Brown | 9 rushes, 20 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Cedric Gilbert | 8 receptions, 98 yards | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 26/34, 277 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Jared Johnson | 15 rushes, 86 yards | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 8 receptions, 82 yards |
Vs. No. 24 Stephen F. Austin
No. 24 Stephen F. Austin vs. Sam Houston State (Battle of the Piney Woods)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 24 Lumberjacks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| • Bearkats | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
- Date: November 1
- Location: Reliant Stadium
Houston, TX - Game start: 3:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 26,788
- Television network: SLCTV
| Statistics | SFA | SHSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 28 | 17 |
| Total yards | 516 | 486 |
| Rushing yards | 250 | 357 |
| Passing yards | 266 | 129 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 41:26 | 18:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen F. Austin | Passing | Zach Conque | 34/51, 266 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Gus Johnson | 24 rushes, 148 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | D. J. Ward | 12 receptions, 80 yards | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 6/17, 129 yards |
| Rushing | Keshawn Hill | 14 rushes, 154 yards, 4 TD | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 1 reception, 44 yards |
At Incarnate Word
Sam Houston State at Incarnate Word
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bearkats | 23 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 40 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
- Date: November 8
- Location: Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium
San Antonio, TX - Game start: 6:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 3,476
| Statistics | SHSU | UIW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 18 |
| Total yards | 377 | 271 |
| Rushing yards | 189 | 58 |
| Passing yards | 188 | 213 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 31:34 | 28:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 13/20, 188 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Keshawn Hill | 15 rushes, 79 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 3 receptions, 59 yards | |
| Incarnate Word | Passing | Jordon Scelfo | 21/38, 213 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Junior Sessions | 15 rushes, 52 yards | |
| Receiving | Jordan Hicks | 5 receptions, 59 yards |
At Houston Baptist
Sam Houston State at Houston Baptist
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bearkats | 35 | 20 | 7 | 14 | 76 |
| Huskies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: November 15
- Location: Husky Stadium
Houston, TX - Game start: 3:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 3,124
- Television network: SLCTV
| Statistics | SHSU | HBU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 34 | 10 |
| Total yards | 823 | 177 |
| Rushing yards | 601 | 135 |
| Passing yards | 222 | 42 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 30:01 | 29:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Don King III | 8/12, 121 yards |
| Rushing | Donavan Williams | 13 rushes, 212 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Grant Finney | 2 receptions, 48 yards | |
| Houston Baptist | Passing | Ka'Darius Baker | 7/22, 42 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | B. J. Kelly | 12 rushes, 70 yards | |
| Receiving | Darian Lazard | 3 receptions, 17 yards |
Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas at No. 23 Sam Houston State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
| • No. 23 Bearkats | 14 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
- Date: November 22
- Location: Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - Game start: 12:30 PM CST
- Game attendance: 5,717
- Television network: SLCTV
| Statistics | UCA | SHSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 29 |
| Total yards | 450 | 527 |
| Rushing yards | 107 | 336 |
| Passing yards | 343 | 191 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 26:40 | 33:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Arkansas | Passing | Ryan Howard | 26/44, 324 yards, 4 TD |
| Rushing | Willie Mathews | 8 rushes, 59 yards | |
| Receiving | Dezmin Lewis | 8 receptions, 105 yards, TD | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 17/28, 191 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Keshawn Hill | 32 rushes, 242 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | LaDarius Brown | 4 receptions, 106 yards, TD |
FCS Playoffs
No. 11 Southeastern Louisiana (FCS Playoffs First Round)
No. 11 Southeastern Louisiana at No. 19 Sam Houston State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 11 Lions | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| • No. 19 Bearkats | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
- Date: November 29
- Location: Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - Game start: 1:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 4,758
- Television network: ESPN3
| 1 | 13:40 | SELA | Ryan Adams 25-yard field goal | SELA 3–0 |
| 2 | 14:19 | SELA | Bryan Bennett 9-yard run (Ryan Adams kick) | SELA 10–0 |
| 3 | 7:14 | SHSU | Jalen Overstreet 3-yard run (Luc Swimberghe kick) | SELA 10–7 |
| 4 | 14:57 | SHSU | Donavan Williams 1-yard run (Luc Swimberghe kick) | SHSU 14–10 |
| 4 | 11:11 | SELA | Bryan Bennett 2-yard run (Ryan Adams kick) | SELA 17–14 |
| 4 | 7:10 | SHSU | Donavan Williams 5-yard run (Luc Swimberghe kick) | SHSU 21–17 |
| Statistics | SELA | SHSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 13 |
| Total yards | 305 | 269 |
| Rushing yards | 124 | 150 |
| Passing yards | 181 | 119 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 34:36 | 25:24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Louisiana | Passing | Bryan Bennett | 17/48, 181 yards |
| Rushing | Kody Sutton | 13 rushes, 42 yards | |
| Receiving | Devante Scott | 5 receptions, 53 yards | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 12/32, 119 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Jared Johnson | 17 rushes, 63 yards | |
| Receiving | LaDarius Brown | 3 receptions, 51 yards |
At No. 3 Jacksonville State (FCS Playoffs Second Round)
No. 19 Sam Houston State at No. 3 Jacksonville State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 19 Bearkats | 7 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 37 |
| No. 3 Gamecocks | 14 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
- Date: December 6
- Location: JSU Stadium
Jacksonville, AL - Game start: 1:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 10,832
- Television network: ESPN3
| Statistics | SHSU | JVST |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 25 | 22 |
| Total yards | 402 | 513 |
| Rushing yards | 241 | 260 |
| Passing yards | 161 | 253 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 31:24 | 28:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 13/19, 161 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Jared Johnson | 18 rushes, 85 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | LaDarius Brown | 4 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD | |
| Jacksonville State | Passing | Eli Jenkins | 12/24, 253 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | DaMarcus James | 19 rushes, 128 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Anthony Johnson | 4 receptions, 74 yards |
At No. 5 Villanova (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)
No. 19 Sam Houston State at No. 5 Villanova
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 19 Bearkats | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| No. 5 Wildcats | 13 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 31 |
- Date: December 13
- Location: Villanova Stadium
Villanova, PA - Game start: 12:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 2,333
- Television network: ESPN3
| Statistics | SHSU | NOVA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 23 |
| Total yards | 454 | 514 |
| Rushing yards | 151 | 286 |
| Passing yards | 303 | 228 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 30:30 | 29:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 22/27, 303 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Keshawn Hill | 20 rushes, 75 yards | |
| Receiving | LaDarius Brown | 6 receptions, 174 yards, 2 TD | |
| Villanova | Passing | Chris Polony | 13/24, 228 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Kevin Monangai | 27 rushes, 166 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Poppy Livers | 4 receptions, 96 yards, TD |
At No. 2 North Dakota State (FCS Playoffs Semifinal)
No. 19 Sam Houston State at No. 2 North Dakota State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 19 Bearkats | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • No. 2 Bison | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 35 |
- Date: December 19
- Location: Fargodome
Fargo, ND - Game start: 7:00 PM CST
- Game attendance: 18,025
- Television network: ESPN2
| 1 | 3:52 | NDSU | John Crockett 3-yard run (Adam Keller kick) | NDSU 7–0 |
| 2 | 13:37 | SHSU | Luc Swimberghe 22-yard field goal | NDSU 7–3 |
| 3 | 7:34 | NDSU | King Frazier 33-yard run (Adam Keller kick) | NDSU 14–3 |
| 3 | 6:32 | NDSU | John Crockett 55-yard run (Adam Keller kick) | NDSU 21–3 |
| 4 | 11:37 | NDSU | John Crockett 10-yard run (Adam Keller kick) | NDSU 28–3 |
| 4 | 3:38 | NDSU | R. J. Urzendowski 14-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Adam Keller kick) | NDSU 35–3 |
| Statistics | SHSU | NDSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 18 |
| Total yards | 338 | 398 |
| Rushing yards | 106 | 219 |
| Passing yards | 232 | 179 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 28:01 | 31:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Jared Johnson | 20/31, 227 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Jared Johnson | 25 rushes, 66 yards | |
| Receiving | Yedidiah Louis | 6 receptions, 62 yards | |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Carson Wentz | 13/19, 179 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | John Crockett | 26 rushes, 166 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | John Crockett | 2 receptions, 66 yards |
Ranking movements
| Week | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
| Sports Network | 17 | 15 | 15 | 25 | RV | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 19 | 6 |
| Coaches | 14 | 13 | 15 | 25 | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | — | RV | RV | RV | 19 | 6 |