Homecoming Match-Up With The Bobcats
10/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 22, 2003
HOMECOMING MATCH-UP: SFA closes out the month of October with a homecoming match-up with the Texas State Bobcats. The 'Jacks have won three of their last four and two straight for the first time since back-to-back wins in weeks five and six of last season. The game will the 64th homecoming football game for the Lumberjacks. SFA is 32-30-1 in homecoming games, including wins in four of the last six homecoming match-ups. SFA last played the Bobcats before a homecoming crowd in 1983, taking a 27-24 decision to snap a Southwest Texas winning streak that was the nation's longest at the time.
LAST WEEK vs SAM HOUSTON: The 'Jacks fell behind 21-3 midway through the second quarter before mounting a comeback that would see them erase the 18-point deficit to tie the score for the first time at 24-24, with 9:23 to play in the third quarter. Michael Williams passed for a career high 245 yards and a touchdown while completing 12 of 18 passes in leading the Lumberjack comeback. Sam Houston ran 49 offensive plays in the first half rolling up 231 yards of total offense to 18 plays and 143 yards for SFA. The second half was a role reversal as the SFA defense held Sam Houston to 138 yards of offense, while the offense scored 18 second half points, including 10 points over the final 2:11 of the game. With Sam Houston leading 31-24, DE Ryan Smith blocked a punt which went out of bounds at the SHSU 11-yd line. RB Cliff Edwards scored on the next play with Ryan Rossner's extra point tying the game at 31-31. The SFA defense then held Sam Houston to a three and out, getting the ball back with 1:21 left in the game. The 'Jacks then moved the ball to the Sam Houston 36-yd line before Rossner connected from 54-yards out for the game winner.
THE SERIES: This will be the 77th meeting between the two teams with Bobcats holding a 26-49-1 edge in the series. The 'Jacks have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams. TxST has not won in Nacogdoches since 1991 and is 2-8 in Homer Bryce Stadium dating back to the 1983.
THE OPPONENT: Texas State (3-5,0-1) enters the game riding a three game losing streak and is 0-1 in Southland Conference play following a 49-19 loss to Northwestern State last week. The Demons held the Bobcats to only 65 yards of total offense midway through the fourth quarter in building a 42-3 lead. Texas State added a pair of late touchdowns and most of their offensive numbers against Northwestern State reserves once the outcome had been decided.
THE COACHES: SFA is coached by Mike Santiago (30-21) in his fifth season at SFA. Santiago led the Lumberjacks to a share of the Southland title in 1999, his first season at SFA. The Bobcats are coached by Manny Matsakis (3-5) in his first year at Texas State-San Marcos. Santiago is 3-1 against the Bobcats.
