Southland TV to Broadcast Battle of the Piney Woods
AFFILIATE LIST AND CHANNEL GUIDE
WATCH ONLINE: SOUTHLAND DIGITAL NETWORK | ESPN3
FRISCO, Texas – The Battle of the Pine Woods between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State Saturday at Reliant Stadium in Houston is the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network. Coverage of the game begins at 3 p.m., CT, with kickoff scheduled for 3:05 p.m., CT.
Stephen F. Austin and No. 9 Sam Houston are meeting for the 87th time on Saturday with the Bearkats holding a 49-35-2 edge in the all-time series after its 45-10 win last year. That win snapped a two-game losing streak to the Lumberjacks, which won 42-3 in 2009 and 31-28 in 2010. The winner of the Battle of the Piney Woods has won the last three Southland Conference championships. Sam Houston has won nine of the 12 games against SFA. The series became the fourth old continuous college football rivalry in the state of Texas this year after Texas A&M joined the Southeastern Conference ending long-standings rivalries with Texas and Baylor.
The Bearkats (2-2 overall, 0-1 Southland) entered the season with high hopes after being selected to repeat its conference title from last year. They were picked by many to not only get back to the national championship game, but to win it. But the Bearkats are 2-2 with losses to Baylor and Central Arkansas after finishing 14-1 in 2011. Sam Houston opened with a win over future Southland rival Incarnate Word and found the win column again last week with a 50-6 win over Texas Southern at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.
Sam Houston is averaging 36.8 points and 480.8 yards per game, while limiting opponents to 21.2 points and 302.5 yards per game. Quarterback Brian Bell has completed 58 of 97 passes for 849 yards and six touchdowns. Walter Payton Award candidate Timothy Flanders has 375 yards and four touchdowns on 63 carries, helping the Bearkats average 267.5 rushing yards per game. Flanders can become the 11th player in Southland history to surpass 3,000 career rushing yards. He enters the game with 2,967 rushing yards and has 17 games with 100 yards or more. With 39 career rushing touchdowns he is in hot pursuit of the conference record of 45 held by former Texas State standout Claude Mathis. Trey Diller is the Bearkats’ top receiver with 16 catches for 235 yards.
Stephen F. Austin, which is receiving votes in both FCS top-25 polls, snapped a three-game losing streak by surprising Central Arkansas last Saturday in Nacogdoches. The Bears were coming off an upset of Sam Houston a week earlier, but the Lumberjacks (2-3 overall, 1-0 Southland) prevailed 42-37 in their conference opener. SFA opened the year with a win over Southwestern Oklahoma State, but then dropped three road game against SMU, Montana State and Texas State.
The Lumberjacks are averaging 32.6 points and 482.8 offensive yards per game, and are allowing 37.4 points and 333.6 yards on offense through five games. Quarterback Brady Attaway has completed 139 of 236 passes for 1,637 yards and 11 touchdowns. Running back Gus Johnson is the conference’s top rusher, averaging 96 yards per game. He has 77 carries for 480 yards and nine touchdowns after he ran for 215 yards and four scores in the win over Central Arkansas last week. Cordell Roberson is the top receiver in the Southland. He is averaging 121.4 receiving yards per game with 607 yards and five touchdowns on 48 receptions. He has 192 career receptions and can become the fourth player in Southland history to top 200 career catches. He needs only 38 more receptions to break the conference record.
This is the third consecutive year the network has aired the Battle of the Piney Woods that moved to the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans in 2010. Originally a four-year deal, the schools recently announced an extension that will keep the game at Reliant Stadium through the 2017 season. This is also the fourth time for the game to be televised on the network, which is celebrating its fifth season in 2012.
Randy McIlvoy, the sports director at KPRC-TV in Houston, will handle play-by-play duties and will be joined in the booth by color analyst Shea Walker, a former Texas A&M receiver and veteran broadcaster for the last 18 years. Brooke Bentley, who co-hosts the SportsZone on Southland TV Network Houston affiliate KUBE, will serve as the sideline reporter.
The Southland TV Network became a reality in 2008 and has broadcast more than 100 events. The network earned a College Sports Media Award in 2009-10 for best live/game event in the collegiate division, following that up with an honorable mention in the professional division (2010-11) and a nomination in the collegiate division (2011-12). Plus, the network has captured five Telly awards.
This list of Texas markets includes Abilene-Sweetwater on KRBC (9.2); Austin on Time Warner (77/288); Beaumont-Port Arthur on KUIL (12.3); Corpus Christi on KIII (3.2); Dallas-Fort Worth on KTXD (47.1); El Paso on KVIA (7.2); Houston on KUBE (57.1); Laredo on KTXW (8.2); Lubbock on KMYL (22.2); Midland-Odessa on KWWT (30.2); San Antonio on KSAT (12.2); Tyler-Longview on KCEB (54.1); and Waco-Temple-Bryan on KCEN (6.2). The list of Louisiana markets includes Baton Rouge on WBTR (41); Lafayette on KLFY (10.2), Lake Charles on KVHP (29.2); Morgan City-Houma on KWBJ (22); Monroe on KWMS (17); and Shreveport-Texarkana on KPXJ (21.1). The network reaches the Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas, market on KARZ (42.1). Viewers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa can find the game on Oklahoma’s Cox Channel (3/703). The Lumberjacks and Bearkats can also be found nationwide on ESPN GamePlan PPV, including DirecTV (790), Dish (459), AT&T U-verse (4403) and various cable providers. The list of affiliates will vary week to week, so check Southland.org/television for a carriage list prior to each game.
All Southland TV games will be streamed live and for free on the Southland Digital Network, available via Southland.org and the official mobile and tablet apps for iPhone and Android. Coverage is also accessible from ESPN3 on WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app for iPhone, iPad and Android users, as well as Xbox LIVE systems.
The game will air on same-day delay on the Comcast Network in the Washington, D.C./Mid-Atlantic and Pittsburgh, Pa./North Jersey regions Saturday at 9 p.m., Central. WHNO (20.1) in New Orleans will present the broadcast Saturday at 10:30 p.m., Central.
Other delayed airings include Comcast SportsNet Houston Sunday at 8 a.m., Central. Amarillo’s KCPN (19.2) plans to air the Lumberjacks-Bearkats matchup Sunday at 2 p.m., Central. Cox Sports Television, which is available to more than two million viewers in nine states, will carry the broadcast Monday at 7 p.m., Central.
Nationally, the game will air on a tape-delayed basis on Fox College Sports Central, Sunday at 5 p.m., Central.
Southland TV Network Affiliate List for Stephen F. Austin vs. Sam Houston State
Live Coverage
| Arkansas |
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| Little Rock-Pine Bluff |
KARZ 42.1 (MyNetwork) |
| Texarkana |
KPXJ 21.1 (CW) |
| |
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| Louisiana |
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| Baton Rouge |
WBTR 41 |
| Lafayette |
KLFY 10.2 (Live Well) |
| Lake Charles |
kVHP 29.2 (CW) |
| Morgan City-Houma |
KWBJ 22 |
| Monroe |
KWMS 17 (Retro) |
| Shreveport |
KPXJ 21.1 (CW) |
| |
|
| Oklahoma |
|
| Oklahoma City |
Cox 3/703 |
| Tulsa |
Cox 3/703 |
| |
|
| Texas |
|
| Abilene-Sweetwater |
KRBC 9.2 (Bounce) |
| Austin |
Time Warner YNN Sports 77/288 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur |
KUIL 12.3 (MYTX/MyNetwork) |
| Corpus Christi |
KIII 3.2 (Me-TV) |
| Dallas-Fort Worth |
KTXD 47.1 (Me-TV) |
| El Paso |
KVIA 7.2 (CW) |
| Houston |
KUBE 57.1 |
| Laredo |
KTXW 8.2 (CW) |
| Lubbock |
KMYL 22.2 (MyNetwork) |
| Midland-Odessa |
KWWT 30.2 (Me-TV) |
| San Antonio |
KSAT 12.2 (Me-TV) |
| Tyler-Longview |
KCEB 54.1 (Me-TV) |
| Waco-Temple-Bryan |
KCEN 6.2 (MYTX/This TV) |
| |
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| National |
|
| ESPN GamePlan PPV |
DirecTV 790, Dish 459, AT&T U-verse 4403, Cable various |
| |
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| Online |
|
| Southland Digital Network |
Southland.org and Official SLC App (iPhone/iPad/Android) |
| ESPN3 |
WatchESPN.com, WatchESPN App (iPhone/iPad/Android) and Xbox LIVE |
| |
|
| Tape-Delayed Coverage |
|
| Washington DC/Mid-Atlantic |
Comcast Network | Saturday at 9 p.m., Central |
| Pittsburgh, Pa./North Jersey |
Comcast Network | Saturday at 9 p.m., Central |
| New Orleans, La. |
WHNO 20.1 | Saturday at 10:30 p.m., Central |
| Regional |
Comcast SportsNet Houston | Sunday at 8 a.m., Central |
| Amarillo, Texas |
KCPN 19.2 (MyNet) | Sunday at 2 p.m., Central |
| National |
Fox College Sports Central | Sunday at 5 p.m., Central |
| Regional |
Cox Sports Television | Monday at 7 p.m., Central |