2002 Football Schedule Features Six Home Games
1/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 23, 2002
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The football schedule for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks has been released and features six home games and five road games in 2002 for the 'Jacks. The schedule features non-conference games with representatives from the Big Sky Conference and a Division II play-off team, as well as, the six game Southland Football League slate of games.
The season opens August 31 in Portland, Oregon as the 'Jacks take on Portland State. SFA and Portland State opened the season last year in Nacogdoches with the Vikings winning a 16-13 decision. The game also marks the first time since the 1994 season that the Lumberjacks will open the season away from Homer Bryce Stadium.
SFA returns to Nacogdoches the following weekend to open the home portion of the schedule as the 'Jacks play host to another member of the Big Sky Conference, in Montana State, September 7. The game marks the third meeting between the two teams and first since 1994. SFA comes back the following weekend to host a late addition to the schedule, Central Arkansas. The Bears of the Gulf South Conference were a playoff team one year ago.
The 'Jacks renew a developing rivalry the following weekend as they travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa to take on 2001 national semifinalist Northern Iowa at the UNI-Dome. Last year's game in Nacogdoches with the Panthers was cancelled following the events of September 11.
Indiana State of the Gateway Conference was scheduled to return last season's game in Terre Haute with a visit to Nacogdoches in late September, but backed out of the schedule game in late February. As a result, the Central Arkansas game was added for the weekend of September 14, and the game already scheduled for that date against Southern Utah, was moved to an open date, October 5.
The 'Jacks follow up the October 5 home game with Southern Utah with the start of Southland Football League play the weekend of October 12, as SFA travels to Thibodaux, Louisiana to take on Nicholls State. It marks the third straight year SFA will open SFL play on the road. The 'Jacks return to Homer Bryce Stadium the following weekend for an October 19 homecoming date with Sam Houston, then close out the month with their final trip to Jacksonville State to play the Gamecocks as members of the Southland Football League. Jacksonville State enters the OVC with the start of the 2003 season.
The month of November opens with SFA hosting McNeese State November 2, then another open date, November 9. The 'Jacks play their final road game of the 2002 regular season on the weekend of November 16 as the team travels to San Marcos to take on Southwest Texas.
The annual "Battle For Chief Caddo" takes place in Nacogdoches November 23, and marks the final regular season game for 2002.
August 31 Portland State Portland, OregonSeptember 7 MONTANA STATE NACOGDOCHES 14 CENTRAL ARKANSAS NACOGDOCHES 21 Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 28 OPEN
October 5 SOUTHERN UTAH NACOGDOCHES 12 Nicholls State Thibodaux, Louisiana 19 SAM HOUSTON** NACOGDOCHES 26 Jacksonville State* Jacksonville, Alabama
November 2 McNEESE STATE* NACOGDOCHES 9 OPEN 16 Southwest Texas* San Marcos 23 NORTHWESTERN STATE* NACOGDOCHES
* Southhland Football League Games ** Homecoming
