Southland TV to Televise Sam Houston State vs. Stephen F. Austin

Southland TV to Televise Sam Houston State vs. Stephen F. Austin

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FRISCO, Texas - No. 15/11 Sam Houston State will put its perfect 4-0 record on the line Saturday against rival Stephen F. Austin, the defending two-time Southland Conference champion, in the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network. Coverage starts at 2 p.m., Central, with kickoff at 2:05 p.m.

The Bearkats are one of three teams in the Football Championship Subdivision who have not lost a game this season. Top-ranked Georgia Southern and No. 5/4 North Dakota State are the other undefeated teams. Sam Houston beat Western Illinois in the season opener and then opened conference play with a 31-10 win over Central Arkansas. It then went to New Mexico, out of the FBS' Mountain West Conference, and won 48-45 in overtime. Last week the Bearkats won 22-7 over UTSA, a first-year program playing as an FCS Independent.

Sam Houston State is averaging 30.3 points and 405.8 yards per game. That total includes a conference-best 256.5 yards on the ground thanks to running back Tim Flanders, who leads the Southland in rushing (126.0 yards per game), all-purpose yardage (172.5 yards per game) and scoring (10.5 points per game). With 99 carries for 504 yards, he ranks ninth in the FCS in rushing, all-purpose yardage and is tied for fourth in scoring thanks to seven touchdowns. Sam Houston is ranked fifth nationally in rushing. Quarterback Brian Bell has completed 35 of 53 passes for 471 yards and four touchdowns and has not thrown an interception. His passing efficiency rating of 165.59 ranks fourth nationally. Defensively, the Bearkats boast one of the top units in the FCS and lead all teams against the run, allowing only 51.8 yards per game and eighth in scoring defense. They also rank sixth in net punting and 10th in turnover margin (+5).

Stephen F. Austin is 1-4 on the year and 0-1 in league play. The Lumberjacks have not won since beating McMurry 82-6 in their season opener Sept. 1. They have dropped games to Northern Iowa, Baylor and Texas State and are coming off a 38-28 loss at Central Arkansas in the conference opener.

The Lumberjacks have not missed much of a beat after losing quarterback Jeremy Moses, who won the Walter Payton Award last year as the top player in the FCS. Stephen F. Austin leads the conference and ranks sixth in the nation with 330.6 passing yards per game and is 12th nationally, averaging 438.0 yards of total offense per game. Quarterback Brady Attaway has taken over for Moses and has completed 131 of 204 passes for 1,400 yards and eight touchdowns. His 279.6 yards per game ranks 14th in the nation. SFA has the top two receivers in the league in Cordell Roberson and Grayln Crawford. Roberson leads the Southland with 7.0 receptions per game, which ranks 13th in the FCS. He is the Lumberjacks leading receiver with 35 receptions for 401 yards and a touchdown and averages 80.2 receiving yards per game. Crawford has four receiving touchdowns to go with 30 grabs for 305 yards. He also is the conference leader in kick returns, averaging 28.3 yards per return. He returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown against Texas State.

This will be the 86th meeting between the schools. Sam Houston State has a 45-38-2 lead in the series though Stephen F. Austin has won the last two, including 31-28 last year in the first of four games scheduled between the teams at Reliant Stadium. Prior to the Lumberjacks win in 2009, the Bearkats had won five straight.

Randy McIlvoy, sports director at KPRC-TV in Houston, will handle football play-by-play duties 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 and KRLD-AM in Dallas, will serve as the sideline reporter.

As one of the nation's most innovative broadcast opportunities, the Southland TV Network became a reality in 2008 and has broadcast nearly 100 events during three-plus years. The network 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 network will deliver programming this fall to over 20 markets, expanding its reach to a potential 10 million television households.

This list of Texas markets includes Abilene-Sweetwater on KTXS (12.3); Amarillo on KCPN (19.2); Austin on Time Warner (77); Beaumont-Port Arthur on KUIL (12.3); Corpus Christi on KIII (3.2); Dallas-Fort Worth on WFAA (8.3); Houston on KUBE (57.1); Laredo on KTXW (8.2); Lubbock on KMYL (22.2); Midland-Odessa on KWWT (30.2); Rio Grande Valley on KRGV (5.3); San Antonio on KCWX (2.1); Tyler-Longview-Lufkin-Nacogdoches on KYTX (19.2); and, Waco-Temple-Bryan on KCEN (6.2). The list of Louisiana markets includes Baton Rouge on WBTR (41); Hammond on WSTY (23); Lafayette on KLWB (50.1), Lake Charles on KVHP (29.2); Morgan City-Houma on KWBJ (22); and, Shreveport-Texarkana on KPXJ (21.1). The network reaches the Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas, market on KARZ (42.1). The list of affiliates will vary week to week, so check Southland.org/television for the carriage list prior to each game.

All Southland TV games will be streamed live and for free on SLC NOW on conference's website, Southland.org. This week's game will also be carried live on ESPN3 at WatchESPN.com and on the WatchESPN application for iPhone, iPad and Android users.

The game will re-air nationally on Fox College Sports Central, Sunday at 5 p.m., Central.
 
 

Southland TV Network Affiliate List for Sam Houston State vs. Stephen F. Austin

LIVE COVERAGE

Texas

   

Abilene-Sweetwater

KTXS 12.3 (This TV)

 

Amarillo

KCPN 19.2 (MyNetwork)

 

Austin

Time Warner 77

 

Beaumont-Port Arthur

KUIL 12.3 (MYTX/MyNetwork)

 

Corpus Christi

KIII 3.2 (MYTX/MeTV)

 

Dallas-Fort Worth

WFAA 8.3 (Live Well Network)

 

Houston

KUBE 57.1

 

Laredo

KTXW 8.2 (CW)

 

Lubbock

KMYL 22.2 (MyNetwork)

 

Midland-Odessa

KWWT 30.2 (Retro TV)

 

Rio Grande Valley

KRGV 5.3 (Retro TV)

 

San Antonio

KCWX 2.1 (MyNetwork)

 

Tyler-Longview

KYTX 19.2 (MYTX/Retro TV)

 

Waco-Temple-Bryan

KCEN 6.2 (MYTX/This TV)

 
     

Arkansas

   

Little Rock-Pine Bluff

KARZ 42.1 (MyNetwork)

 

Texarkana

KPXJ 21.1 (CW)

 
     

Louisiana

   

Baton Rouge

WBTR 41

 

Hammond

WSTY 23 (My Family TV)

 

Lafayette

KLWB 50.1 (MeTV)

 

Lake Charles

KVHP 29.2 (CW)

 

Morgan City-Houma

KWBJ 22

 

Shreveport

KPXJ 21.1 (CW)

 
     

Online

   

SLC NOW

Southland.org

 

ESPN3

WatchESPN.com

 

iPhone/iPad/Android

WatchESPN app

 
     

TAPE-DELAYED COVERAGE

National

Fox College Sports Central

5 p.m. Sunday