Central Arkansas, Sam Houston State Open Conference Play Saturday
It is only the third week of the season, but Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State will meet Saturday in the season's first conference game. It's the earliest Southland Conference opener since 1994 when Northwestern State beat Nicholls State 35-3 in Thibodaux on the same date. Central Arkansas is 1-1 this season having beaten Henderson State in its season opener before an upset bid of Louisiana Tech fell just short in overtime last Saturday. Sam Houston State has not played since opening its season Sept. 1 with a 20-6 win over Western Illinois. Kickoff for the Bears and Bearkats in Huntsville is at 6 p.m.
There are six other games in the Southland in week three and four of those come against the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A). Three of those games kick off at 6 p.m., including Nicholls State is at Louisiana-Lafayette, Southeastern Louisiana at Southern Miss and Stephen F. Austin at Baylor. Northwestern State visits SMU in Dallas at 7 p.m. Also Saturday, Lamar plays host to Incarnate Word and McNeese State welcomes Sioux Falls. Both of those games are also at 7 p.m.
Week Three Matchups
This will be the sixth all-time meeting between Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State. The Bears leads the series 3-2 though the Bearkats won 20-13 last year in Conway ... Nicholls State will meet Louisiana-Lafayette for the third time. The Ragin' Cajuns won both previous meetings, including in 2001 by a score of 20-0 ... Southeastern Louisiana visits Southern Miss for the 22nd meeting between the schools ... the Golden Eagles hold an 18-3 lead in the series and won the last meeting, 45-0, in 2006 ... Saturday will be the fourth meeting between Stephen F. Austin and Baylor, which has won all three previous meetings. The game will mark the first meeting between the schools since 1947 ... the other three games Saturday mark the first meeting between the schools: Incarnate Word at Lamar, Sioux Falls at McNeese State and Northwestern State at SMU.
Week Two Rewind
Southeastern Louisiana beat Savannah State 63-6 in its home opener last Saturday. The Lions improved to 1-1 with the FCS win over a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. In other games between FCS schools, Stephen F. Austin lost to No. 3/4 Northern Iowa, 34-23, and Lamar lost 30-8 to South Alabama. Central Arkansas had a late lead at Louisiana Tech before allowing the Bulldogs to tie the game in the final minute to force overtime, where it picked up a 48-42 win to keep the Bears from defeating an FBS team for the second time in three seasons. It was the league's 21st loss to an FBS team decided by 14 points or less since 2000. In other games against the FBS last Saturday, Nicholls State lost at Western Michigan, 38-7 and LSU beat Northwestern State, 49-3.
Eleven Southland Games Scheduled Against FBS in 2011
The Southland Conference has 11 games scheduled against teams from the FBS in 2011. The Southland was winless in 11 games against the FBS last year, but did register one win against that subdivision in 2009 when Central Arkansas beat Western Kentucky for the Southland's 16th win against the FBS since 2000. This year, the Southland will play teams from Conference USA as well as the Big 12, Mid-American, Mountain West, Southeastern, Sun Belt and Western Athletic conferences. The league is 0-5 in games against that subdivision this year.
SFA, UCA, McNeese Ranked in FCS Polls
Three Southland Conference football teams - Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas and McNeese State - are ranked in both The Sports Network and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches polls. The Lumberjacks are ranked 13th in the coaches' poll, followed by Central Arkansas, which is ranked 18th and McNeese State, which is ranked 22nd. In The Sports Network poll, Central Arkansas is ranked 18th, followed by Stephen F. Austin (19th) and McNeese State (23rd). Sam Houston State is receiving votes in this week's poll.
UCA Quarterback Named National Player of the Week by The Sports Network
Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Dick was named The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Louisiana Tech blocked a field goal and then scored a touchdown in overtime to defeat Central Arkansas, 48-42. The Bulldogs struggled to control the UCA signal caller, who passed for 372 yards and four touchdowns. Dick connected with three different receivers for touchdown strikes of 17, 3, 43 and 56 yards, putting the Bears in a position to pull the upset. He completed 29 of 55 attempts. Through two games this season, the University of Arkansas transfer and Allen, Texas, native, has impressed, throwing for 652 yards and seven touchdowns.
Week Two Conference Honors
Nicholls State cornerback Chiku Madu was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week after he forced a fumble and had a 36-yard interception return in the Colonels loss at Western Michigan. He added four tackles to go with his first career touchdown. His teammate, punter Cory Kemps, was named the league's special teams player of the week. He totaled 353 yards on eight punts for an average of 44.1 yards per boot. Three of Kemps' punts landed inside the 20-yard line. Central Arkansas receiver Jesse Grandy was the conference offensive player of the week for his efforts in the Bears' upset bid at Louisiana Tech. He caught seven passes for 148 yards and two scores. He finished with 226 all-purpose yards, adding a pair of punt returns for 11 yards and three kick returns for 67 yards.
Other Notable Performances in Week Two
• Southeastern Louisiana wide receiver Brandon Collins caught a game-high six passes for 54 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the team's 63-6 rout of Savannah State. He added 73 punt return yards for 127 all-purpose yards in helping the Lions to their largest margin of victory (57) over an FCS opponent since reinstating football in 2003. It was also the largest margin of victory since a 62-0 win over Stetson in 1964.
• Stephen F. Austin receiver Cordell Roberson caught seven passes for 115 yards in the team's 34-23 loss to Northern Iowa.
• Lamar linebacker Asim Hicks logged nine tackles, including one of South Alabama running back Demetre Baker for a 2-yard loss and a safety in the Cardinals' 30-8 road loss last Saturday.
• Southeastern Louisiana linebacker Avery Crooks recorded a team-high six tackles with a pair of pass breakups in Southeastern's win over Savannah State. The Lions' defense limited the Tigers to a pair of field goals, 211 yards of total offense and 11 first downs.
• Stephen F. Austin safety Jordan Aubrey led the Lumberjacks with 14 tackles against Northern Iowa.
•Southeastern Louisiana kicker made all nine PATs in the Lions win over Savannah State.• Stephen F. Austin kicker Jordan Wiggs converted both PATs and connected on three field goals from distances of 35, 36 and 32 yards in the loss to Northern Iowa.
NCAA Stat Leaders
• Stephen F. Austin leads the nation in scoring offense, averaging 52.5 points per game through two games this season. Southeastern Louisiana is ranked fourth, averaging 48.0 points per game in its two games this fall. Central Arkansas (40.0) is ranked 12th and Lamar (33.0) is ranked 23rd.
• Stephen F. Austin ranks second in the Football Championship Subdivision in pass efficiency defense, limiting opposing teams to a rating of 64.37. Lamar ranks ninth (89.45) and Nicholls State ranks 16th (95.29).
• Sam Houston State ranks third in net punting, with a net average of 41.60 yards per punt. Nicholls State ranks 12th (39.83).
• Two Southland teams are in the top 10 nationally against the pass. Lamar lead the conference and ranks third nationally, limiting opposing offenses to just 81.5 passing yards per game. Stephen F. Austin allows 129.5 to rank ninth. Nicholls State and McNeese State are ranked in the top 20. The Colonels are ranked 14th (135.5) and McNeese State is 20th (146.0).
• Sam Houston State ranks third in both rush defense and scoring defense. The Bearkats are limiting opponents to just 37 rushing yards and six points per game. Lamar is ranked 11th in scoring defense, having allowed 15.0 points per game in its two games this year. Nicholls State is ranked 24th (19.0).
• Lamar is third nationally in total defense, limiting its opposition to just 206.5 total yards. Sam Houston State (216.0) ranks fifth and Stephen F. Austin (245.0) ranks eighth, while Nicholls State is ranked 13th, allowing 273.0 total yards per game.
• Stephen F. Austin ranks third in the FCS in total offense, posting 537.5 total yards per game against McMurry and Northern Iowa. Southeastern Louisiana is also in the top 10, averaging 483.0 yards per game against Tulane and Savannah State. Central Arkansas (437.0) is third in the Southland and 20th nationally, while McNeese State is 23rd in the FCS after totaling 420 yards in its loss at Kansas the opening week of the season.
• Three Southland Conference teams rank among the top-10 FCS teams in passing offense. Stephen F. Austin ranks fourth, averaging 394.0 yards per game, while Central Arkansas ranks sixth, averaging 346.5 yards per game. McNeese State is ranked ninth with 325.0 passing yards per game. Southeastern Louisiana ranks 14th (286.0).
• Four Southland teams rank in the top 25 of the FCS in passing efficiency. Sam Houston State leads the Southland and fourth nationally with a 178.3 rating. McNeese State ranks 15th (158.28), while Stephen F. Austin (153.68) and Central Arkansas (149.23) rank 19th and 22nd, respectively.• Nicholls State leads the Southland in rushing offense, averaging 225.5 yards per game, a figure that ranks 12th in the FCS. Southeastern Louisiana is also among the top-25 teams in the FCS in the category, averaging 197.0 yards per game.
A Different Eight Southland Teams in 2011
There is a change in the Southland Conference alignment for the 2011 season. The league welcomes back Lamar to the conference gridiron. The Cardinals were an original Southland member in 1964, but became an independent in the Football Championship Subdivision following the 1986 season before they discontinued the program in 1989. Lamar reinstated football last year and played as an independent, going 5-6. While Lamar joins the league, Texas State departs. The Bobcats began their transition into the Football Bowl Subdivision in the offseason and as a result became ineligible for the NCAA Division I Championship and also for the Southland Conference championship. Texas State will play the 2011 season as an FCS Independent, and, while it stays on the schedule for the eight Southland teams, it will count as a non-conference game.
Northwestern State Nearing Milestone
Demon football is one win shy of 500 all-time victories since its first season in 1907. Northwestern is 499-417-22 after it opened the season with a 24-23 victory over Delta State.
Stephen F. Austin Going for Three-Peat
Stephen F. Austin claimed an outright Southland Conference championship in 2010 to give the school its first back-to-back conference titles. The last Southland team to win three consecutive titles was McNeese State, which shared the 2001 title with Sam Houston State before winning the league outright in 2002 and 2003. Arkansas State won three consecutive Southland titles from 1968-70 and Louisiana Tech won three in a row from 1972-74
McNeese State, SFA Picked as Favorites
Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State, which finished as the top two teams in the Southland Conference last season, were again picked as the favorites heading into the 2011 season as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors. McNeese State was the coaches' preseason pick, receiving three out of a possible eight first-place votes and 44 points to edge defending champion SFA by just one point. In the SID poll, the Lumberjacks garnered four first-place votes and tallied 44 points to edge the Cowboys by just one point
Southland TV Entering Fourth Season
As one of the nation's most innovative broadcast opportunities, the award-winning Southland Conference Television Network became a reality in 2008 and has broadcast nearly 100 events during its first three years. The network, which reaches homes in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, has earned a College Sports Media Award (2009) and an honorable mention (2010) at the College Sports Video Summit as well as four prestigious Telly Awards. The conference will feature 11 football telecasts in 2011. The next game will be Sept. 24 when Northwestern State visits Nicholls State at 3 p.m
New Announce Team for Southland TV
The Southland Conference Television Network has announced its primary football broadcast crew for its 2011 schedule of telecasts. Randy McIlvoy, sports director at KPRC-TV in Houston, will handle football play-by-play duties this fall, and will be joined in the booth by color analyst Shea Walker, a former Texas A&M standout and veteran broadcaster for the last 17 years. Jane Slater, a reporter for WFAA-TV in Dallas, will serve as the network's sideline reporter
Northwestern State's Rose Named to Buchanan Watch List
Northwestern State junior linebacker Derek Rose has been named to the watch list for the 2011 Buck Buchanan Award sponsored by Fathead.com. The Buchanan Award is in its 17th season and will be presented to the Football Championship Subdivision's outstanding defensive player at the national awards banquet Jan. 6, 2012, in Frisco, Texas. Rose is one of six linebackers to be named to the initial watch list and is the only player from the Southland Conference to join the group. The New Orleans, La., native earned first team All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana honors his sophomore season, as well as second team Sports Network All-America honors after he led the league with 138 tackles - the most at Northwestern since 1991 when senior All-America linebacker and Walter Payton Trophy runner-up Andre Carron set the single-season record with 176.
Frisco is Again the Goal
After a successful NCAA Division I Football Championship Game last year at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, the destination remains the goal for every team in the Football Championship Subdivision. Eastern Washington beat Delaware, 20-19, in the first championship at the venue. It was the first of at least three scheduled championship games in Frisco, a north side suburb of Dallas and the nation's fastest growing city. The Southland Conference, along with the City of Frisco and Hunt Sports Group serve as hosts for the game, which moved to Texas from Chattanooga, Tenn., last year after 13 seasons. Last year's championship was played Jan. 7, 2011, to accommodate expansion of the playoff bracket from 16 to 20 teams. This year's championship moves to Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 and will be played at noon, Central, on ESPN2.
Lumberjacks Surprised in 2010 Playoffs
Making consecutive appearances in the NCAA playoffs for just the second time in school history, Stephen F. Austin received a first-round bye thanks to bracket expansion from 16 to 20 teams. A second-round date with defending champion Villanova was set for Dec. 4 with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. SFA jumped out to a 21-7 first quarter lead, but struggled to hang on to the football. The Lumberjacks scored only three points on their next five possessions, which included an interception, a fumbled punt and kick return. Villanova seized the opportunity, outscoring SFA, 27-3, during the next 16 minutes to take a 10-point lead at the half. The Wildcats never trailed after that, rattling off 40 unanswered points in a 54-24 victory. Villanova upset No. 1 seed Appalachian State in the quarterfinals and played at Eastern Washington in the semifinals.
Moses Won 2010 Walter Payton Award
Stephen F. Austin quarterback Jeremy Moses won the 2010 Walter Payton Award to become the first Southland Conference player to receive the honor in its 24-year history. He was presented with the award Jan. 6, 2011, at the Frisco Conference Center on the eve of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game. A two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year, and the 2010 Southland Offensive Player of the Year, Moses guided SFA to a 9-3 record and its second consecutive conference title. Moses guided the Lumberjacks through a historical season that was capped by a return trip to the NCAA Division I Playoffs. Moses was the catalyst for the nation's most prolific passing offense each of the past two seasons. The Lumberjacks led the country, averaging better than 360 yards per game, and were also ranked among the nation's top six in scoring offense and total offense.
No April Fools' Joke
On April 1, 2011, Central Arkansas announced its plan to replace the grass field at Estes Stadium, the last natural grass field in the Southland Conference, with a colorful purple and gray artificial surface. It brought quite a bit of attention to the school from national media who wanted to know if the news release was a prank. As they found out this summer, it was no joke. The two-tone field alternates purple and gray every five yards with black end zones and is getting rave reviews from across the country. Central Arkansas set a stadium attendance record when 12,755 attended the season opener against Henderson State Sept. 1. The new field makes its television debut Oct. 15 when McNeese State visits Conway on the Southland Conference Television Network.
Three from Southland Named Preseason First-Team All-Americans
McNeese State free safety Malcolm Bronson, Northwestern State linebacker Derek Rose and Stephen F. Austin return specialist Gralyn Crawford have garnered preseason first-team All-America honors by at least one organization. All three received first-team mention on the Phil Steele FCS Preseason All-America Team. Crawford was also honored by College Sporting News, The Sports Network, Consensus Draft Service and Lindy's. Rose also received kudos from The Sports Network, Lindy's and Beyond Sports Network. A total of fifteen Southland Conference football players earned recognition on preseason All-America teams.
Twenty-Six Southland Players on CFPA Preseason Watch Lists
A total of 26 Southland Conference football players were named to position watch lists by the College Football Performance Awards. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.