Stephen F. Austin ran its win streak to six games with a 42-3 victory over Sam Houston State last Saturday. The win, the largest margin of victory in the history of the Battle of the Piney Woods, keeps the Lumberjacks perfect in the Southland Conference. SFA is the only remaining unbeaten team in the league after Southeastern Louisiana dropped its first conference game last Saturday at McNeese State, 36-35. The Lumberjacks put the win streak on the line Saturday at Texas State, which claimed the 2008 conference championship. The Bobcats' homecoming game begins at 2 p.m.

Behind 3-0 Stephen F. Austin, four teams are 2-1. Among those are McNeese State and Central Arkansas, teams which lost to the Lumberjacks. Southeastern Louisiana and Texas State are also 2-1. Sam Houston State is 1-2 while Nicholls and Northwestern State have yet to win in any of their three conference games.

Nicholls will try to put an end to its five-game losing streak when it plays host to McNeese State Saturday at 1 p.m. Central Arkansas visits Southeastern Louisiana at 2 p.m. and then at 6 p.m., Sam Houston State will play host to Northwestern State in the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network.


No. 11/13 McNeese State (5-2, 2-1 Southland)
at Nicholls (1-6, 0-3 Southland)

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009; 1 p.m., CDT
Guidry Stadium; Thibodaux, La.

Series:  McNeese State leads 22-11       Last Meeting:  2008, Nicholls 38-35

McNeese State Game Notes | McNeese State Twitter
Nicholls Game Notes | Live Stats

McNeese State Notes:  The Cowboys completed their third come-from behind victory this season thanks to a 5-yard pass by QB Derrick Fourroux to Richard Conner that gave McNeese a 36-35 lead with 39 seconds on the clock ... the Cowboys trailed by 11 points entering the fourth quarter after leading 24-7 at one point ... Fourroux finished with 335 total offensive yards, including 13 carries for 67 yards and a score and 21-of-36 passes for 268 yards and three TDs ... nationally, the Cowboys rank fourth in scoring offense (36.4), fifth in total offense (457.4), ninth in rushing ( 210.7), seventh in pass efficiency (153.14) and 22nd in passing (246.7) ... TB Toddrick Pendland, who missed the Northwestern game  and played sparingly vs. Southeastern with an injury, ranks sixth in scoring (9.7) and 18th in rushing (94.3) ... Champlain Babin ranks 16th with 11.3 yards per punt return ... Fourroux ranks 12th with 285.6 yards of total offense and 12th in pass efficiency (152.16).

Nicholls Notes: The Colonels' losing streak has reached five games overall and three in the Southland after dropping a 42-13 decision at Central Arkansas last Saturday ... Nicholls had only 109 yards of total offense in the first half, and finished the game with 253 ... WR Antonio Robinson finished the game with two touchdowns, including a 41-yard reception from freshman QB Laquintin Caston in the second quarter, and a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter ... he added five kickoff returns for 127 yards to account for 210 yards total yards ... FB Marlin Meeks led all Colonel rushers with 73 yards on 17 carries and LB Yashua Willis made nine tackles ... Colonels are seventh in the FCS in net punting, averaging 38.5 net yards per punt ... P Patrick Dolan is tied for sixth in punting with his 43.5 yards per punt ... Nicholls averages 10.6 yards per punt return to rank 23rd nationally ... Nicholls averages 164.0 rushing yards per game to rank 27th in the FCS.


No. 12/15 Central Arkansas (5-2, 2-1 Southland)
at Southeastern Louisiana (4-3, 2-1 Southland)

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009; 2 p.m., CDT
Strawberry Stadium; Hammond, La.

Series:  Central Arkansas leads 2-0         Last Meeting:  2008, Central Arkansas 28-21

Central Arkansas Game Notes | Central Arkansas Twitter
Southeastern Louisiana Game Notes | Southeastern Louisiana Twitter | Live Stats

Central Arkansas Notes:  The Bears bounced back from a loss to Stephen F. Austin with a 42-13 victory over Nicholls last Saturday on homecoming ... RB Brent Grimes ran for a career-high 155 yards and three TDs ... he averaged 14.1 yards per carry, the fourth highest average in school history ... the Bears totaled a season-high 545 yards of offense on just 61 plays (8.9 yards per play) and held Nicholls to just 253 yards ... UCA had 405 yards in the first half ... it was their first 400-plus half since a 2007 victory over Texas State ... QB Robbie Park finished 12-of-20 passing for 245 yards and a pair of TDs ... LB Tok Opeloye led the UCA defense with nine tackles, two for loss ... UCA leads the Southland in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 14.0 points per game ... that would tie for seventh in the FCS ... the Bears also lead the conference in pass defense (185.4), kick returns (25.7), punt returns (13.6) ... Grimes leads the conference in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game.

Southeastern Louisiana Notes:  The Lions fought back from a 17-0 deficit, but could not hold an 11-point fourth quarter lead in a 36-35 loss at McNeese ... the Cowboys scored the go-ahead TD with only 39 seconds to play ... a 38-yard Jeff Turner field goal try with 3:18 to play could have put the game away but it was wide left ... QB Brian Babin completed 23-of-37 passes for 250 yards and three TDs and ran for another ... Jasper Ducksworth had eight carries for 88 yards and Chris Wilson caught six passes for 55 yards and two TDs ... Mark Newbill led Southeastern with 13 tackles ... SLU ranks fifth nationally in scoring (36.0), eighth in passing (286.9), 15th in passing efficiency (146.23) and 14th in total offense (419.0) ... Simmie Yarborough ranks eighth with 94.7 receiving yards per game on 6.9 receptions per game, the 13th best total in the FCS and is averaging 9.7 PPG to tie for fourth ... Babin ranks 16th in total offense (264.9) and 17th in pass efficiency (148.61).


No. 15/11 Stephen F. Austin (6-1, 3-0 Southland)
at Texas State (4-3, 2-1 Southland)

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009; 2 p.m., CDT
Bobcat Stadium; San Marcos, Texas

Series:  Texas State leads 53-29-1          Last Meeting:  2008, Texas State 62-21

Stephen F. Austin Game Notes | Stephen F. Austin Twitter
Texas State Game Notes | Texas State Twitter | Streaming | Live Stats

Stephen F. Austin Notes:  The Lumberjacks ran their win streak to six games with a 42-3 win over Sam Houston State ... the win, coupled with a Southeastern Louisiana loss at McNeese State, put SFA alone atop the Southland standings ...  the Jacks racked up 566 yards of offense, while holding the Bearkats to 186 ... Aaron Rhea finished the game with seven catches for 133 yards and two TDs ... both Rhea and Duane Brooks moved onto the school's all-time top-10 list for receptions ... Moses completed 27-of-38 passes for 372 yards and five TDs ... SFA continues to lead the nation in scoring (44.4) and passing (360.3) and is second in total offense (489.9) and passing efficiency (164.49) ... defense is ranked 20th against the run (96.7) ... Moses ranks fourth in total offense (323.0) and ninth in passing efficiency (155.36) ... K Evan Engwall is third in scoring with 10.1 PPG ... Tim Knicky leads the nation in sacks, averaging 1.5 per game.

Texas State Notes:  The Bobcats have won their last two games after claiming 20-17 victory at Northwestern State last Saturday ... Texas State trailed 17-14 with 11:49 to play, but got a 29-yard field goal from Justin Garelick to tie it with 7:26 to go ... the freshman kicker delivered the game winner, a 21-yard kick, with 1:55 to play ... QB Bradley George completed 23-of-31 passes for 291 and a TD, while WR Da'Marcus Griggs caught 11 passes for 129 yards and a score ... RB Alvin Canady ran nine times for 82 yards and a TD ... Texas State ranks seventh in total offense (445.7),  10th in scoring offense (34.4), 10th in passing (277.4) and 21st in rushing (168.3) ... Griggs averages 7.4 receptions per game to rank seventh in the FCS and his 85.9 receiving yards tie him for 21st ... Bradley George is averaging 274.1 total yards to tie for 14th nationally and his 135.47 pass efficiency rating is ranked 36th ... Garelick's 7.0 points per game is tied for 36th.

Northwestern State (0-7, 0-3 Southland)
at Sam Houston State (3-4, 1-2 Southland)

Southland Conference Television Network

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009; 6 p.m., CDT
Bowers Stadium; Huntsville, Texas

Series:  Northwestern State leads 18-13  Last Meeting:  2008, Northwestern State 24-16

Northwestern State Game Notes | Northwestern State Twitter
Sam Houston State Game Notes | Sam Houston State Twitter | Live Stats | Watch for Free on SLC NOW
Southland Conference Twitter | Southland TV Twitter

Northwestern State Notes:  The were tied with Texas State until the Bobcats kicked a field goal for the 20-17 victory last Saturday ... the Demons continue to look for their first win under rookie head coach Bradley Dale Peveto ... QB Paul Harris made his first start and ran a turnover-free attack that produced 402 yards, the second-best total offense output this season, and a season-high 289 yards on the ground ... Harris ran for 118 yards on 22 carries and threw for 117 more on 10-of-16 aim ... Harris became the first Northwestern true freshman to run for 100 yards since 1998 ... he and William Griffin, who totaled a career-best 121 yards on 14 carries, gave the Demons their first 100-yard rushing tandem in the same game for the first time in two years ... the Demons are averaging only 13.9 points and 315.0 yards per game, while allowing 41.9 points and 434.7 yards ... Griffin is the leading rusher, averaging 65.0 yards per game ... the Demons rank 23rd in rushing (166.0).

Sam Houston State Notes: The Bearkats have lost two in a row after losing 42-3 at Stephen F. Austin last Saturday ... Sam Houston was playing without Blake Joseph, its injured started quarterback and the result was the most lop-sided margin in the 84-year history of the Battle of the Piney Woods ... backup Bryan Randolph completed 14-of-28 passes for 84 yards and RB James Aston was held in check, totaling just 60 yards on 19 carries ... WR Jason Madkins caught five passes for 43 yards ... Aston's average of 181.4 all-purpose yards ranks sixth in the FCS and his 8.6 points per game tie him for 14th ...  he ranks 20th, averaging 25.1 yards per kick return ... Madkins is averaging 85.9 receiving yards per game to tie for 21st ... Joseph's 262.3 yards of total offense per game ranks 17th ... Bearkats rank 10th in net punting (38.1) and 16th in punt returns (12.2) ... Sam Houston had been averaging 32.8 points per game to rank 15th in scoring, but now ranks 38th (26.9).