'Jacks Land Another Top-20 Ranking
8/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 9, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack football team will enter the 2011 season ranked 17th in the nation according to the Compughterratings.com poll released Monday morning. Steve Pugh, the designer and creator of "Pugh Ratings" uses a mathematical model to generate initial ratings system and then employs a "maximum likelihood" technique to produce the final ratings.
The two-time defending Southland Conference Champions are one of two league schools to land in the Pugh Top 25. McNeese State enters the season ranked 15th in the preseason poll. The two schools split the votes in the conference's preseason poll with SFA picked to win by the league sports information directors, while the Cowboys were tabbed by the SLC Coaches.
SFA returns 48 letterwinners and 20 starters, including nine on offense, from a 2010 squad that made program history by winning back-to-back conference titles. The offense will be led by the return of 2010 All-American receivers Gralyn Crawford and Cordell Roberson, along preseason All-America selection George Bias on the offensive line. The Lumberjack defense, which led the league during the conference games last season, also returns a plethora of talent including all-conference linebackers Devin Ducote and Derrick Choice, and All-SLC defensive backs Ben Wells and Josh Aubrey.
SFA opens conference play Thursday, Sept. 1, against McMurry. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Homer Bryce Stadium.
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