Broadcasts in Week 10 Feature Piney Woods Rivalry on Southland TV
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – There are two broadcast opportunities for Southland Conference football teams on Saturday, including the Battle of the Piney Woods between Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin at Reliant Stadium in Houston. That game will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network at 3 p.m., CT. ESPN3 will have the day’s other game between Central Arkansas and Northwestern State at Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, La., at 7 p.m., CT.
No. 8/9 Sam Houston State vs. Stephen F. Austin, 3 p.m., CT
Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Southland Conference Television Network | Affiliate List
Announcers: Randy McIlvoy, Shea Walker and Brooke Bentley
Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin take the Battle of the Piney Woods to Houston’s Reliant Stadium for the fourth consecutive season. More than 26,000 fans watched the Bearkats hold on for a 51-43 victory in last season’s game. In fact, an average of 25,318 fans have attended the three games at the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. The Battle of the Piney Woods dates back to 1923 and Sam Houston State owns a 50-35-2 series advantage as winners of the last two and seven of the last nine games. SFA won on its way to back-to-back conference titles in 2009 and 2010. Sam Houston has won the last two conference championships. The No. 8/9 Bearkats are 6-2 overall and bring a 2-1 conference record into Saturday’s game. SFA is 3-5 overall and 1-2 in Southland games. Sam Houston leads the conference in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 22.6 points per game. It will have its hands full against Stephen F. Austin, which is the conference’s top passing offense (397.0) and total offense (578.4). The Bearkats are the conference second-best team in scoring offense, averaging 42.4 points per game. Running back Timothy Flanders leads the conference with 118.9 rushing yards per game and has scored 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Brian Bell has the top passing efficiency rating in the league at 169.6. He has completed 83 of 144 passes for 1,331 yards and 18 touchdowns and has thrown only five interceptions. Torrance Williams leads the Bearkats with 28 receptions for 563 yards and eight touchdowns and leads the FCS, averaging 19.9 yards per punt return. Eric Fieilo leads the team with 58 tackles. SFA quarterback Brady Attaway has completed 253 of 416 passes for 2,851 yards and 21 touchdowns. His passing yards and 356.4 passing yards per game rank second in the FCS. Gus Johnson is fourth in the league with 107.0 rushing yards per game, while receiver Mike Brooks has 682 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 53 catches. Ortavious Hypolite has 64 tackles to lead the Lumberjacks.
No. 18/15 Central Arkansas at Northwestern State, 7 p.m., CT
Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, La.
ESPN3
Announcers: Lincoln Rose and Rene Nadeau
There will be a lot of purple in Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, La. on Saturday when No. 18/15 Central Arkansas visits Northwestern State at 7 p.m. The Bears will be trying to win for the third consecutive season. The Bears won 35-14 last year and 45-12 when they last visited Turpin Stadium in 2011. UCA holds a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series. This year, UCA, which is riding a three-game win streak, enters with a 5-3 overall record and 2-1 mark in league play. The Bears are averaging 34.1 points and 470.8 yards of offense per game, while giving up 24.5 points and 390.8 yards per game. UCA quarterback Ryan Howard improved to 2-0 as a starter in guiding the Bears to a 66-31 win over Stephen F. Austin last week. Having replaced Wynrick Smothers, whose season ended with an ankle injury, Howard has completed 54-of 87 passes for 811 yards and nine touchdowns. Dezmin Lewis is the Bears’ top receiver with 537 yards and four touchdowns on 34 receptions. Blake Veasley has 245 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Justin Heard made 15 tackles last week against the Lumberjacks and leads the team with 46 total stops. Jonathan Woodard leads the conference with 6.5 sacks. Northwestern State, which has lost its last three games and five of its last six, is 3-5 overall and 0-3 in league games. The Demons are averaging 25.6 points and 388.1 yards per game offensively and are allowing 32.9 points and 377.2 yards on defense. Quarterback Zach Adkins has completed 159 of 255 passes for 1,675 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Ed Eagan has 393 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 31 catches. Daniel Taylor is the leading ground gainer with 327 yards and three scores on 49 carries. Patrick Black is second in the Southland with 9.4 tackles per game. The Demons are looking for their first win against a ranked FCS team since 2010 when they won 24-19 over UCA.
About Southland TV
The Southland TV Network enters its sixth season in 2013, fresh of winning it second College Sports Media Awards honor for live event production. This year’s Southland TV schedule includes eight games, which will be carried on more than 25 affiliates across the region. The Southland TV Network has produced more than 150 events since its inception in 2008. All Southland TV games will be streamed live and for free on the Southland Digital Network, available via Southland.org and the Southland’s official mobile and tablet app for iPhone and Android devices. The list of affiliates varies each week with the full carriage list available at Southland.org/television.
About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members and Apple TV. The network is currently available to more than 85 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.