GAME NOTES: No. 2/3 Montana State
9/17/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 17, 2013
Week 4 - SFA vs. No. 2/3 Montana State Notes
SFA VS THE BOBCATS: The Lumberjacks are 1-4 (.200) all-time against Montana State, with their lone win coming at home in 2002. SFA welcomes the Bobcats to Homer Bryce Stadium after traveling to Bozeman, Montana each of the last two meetings in 2005 and 2012.
COVERAGE: Saturday's contest will be televised on KCEB-TV for the Nacogdoches (Me-TV Channel 8), Tyler and Longview markets, MAX Media TV in Montana and ESPN 3 outside those markets (blacked out in aforementioned areas).
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: The 'Jacks 50 points in the win over McMurry were the most points scored in a single-game since SFA registered 69 points at Lamar on 11/05/11. SFA also racked up 630 yards of total offense, the second time the 'Jacks have eclipsed the 500 mark this season. SFA accumulated 564 yards of total offense in the season opener at Weber State (8/31).
ATTAWAY CLIMBING THE CHARTS: SFA senior quarterback Brady Attaway passed for 330 yards in SFA's homer opener against McMurry, helping him move into eighth place all-time in Southland Conference history in career passing yards (8,028). Attaway needs just 199 more passing yads to surpass former McNeese St. quarterback Derrick Fourroux (8,226) for seventh place. The Whitehouse, Texas, native, is just 16 completions shy of passing former Texas State quarterback Bradley George for third all-time in SLC history. Attaway currently has 738 career completions.
RETURN TO DUTY: Caleb Nelson made his return to the starting line up for the first time this season. The senior safety came away with his team-leading second interception in the victory. The interception was the sixth of his career.
SAFETY: SFA's safety against McMurry was the first one recorded since the 'Jacks did so against Southeastern La. on November 13, 2010.
WINNING RECORD: The 'Jacks are 30-17 (.638) over the course of the past four seasons. Despite not recording a winning record in 2012, the first time in the past four seasons, SFA was able to keep its streak of conference winning seasons alive. The 'Jacks posted a 4-3 mark in Southland Conference play which marks the fourth consecutive season SFA has recorded above a .500 record in league games. It marks the longest stretch of conference winning seasons in program history. The 'Jacks recorded a stretch of non-losing seasons from 1993-97, but that included a 3-3 SLC record in 1996.
HOME SWEET HOME: SFA has made Homer Bryce Stadium one of the toughest places to play for conference teams over the course of the past four seasons. The Lumberjacks are 19-4 dating back to 2009. SFA is currently riding and eight-game win streak etnering Saturday's contest. SFA is 13-1 (.929) in SLC games at home since 2010. The lone loss during that stretch was a three-point setback to Texas State in 2010.
THE HARPER LOWDOWN: J.C. Harper became the 18th head coach of the SFA Lumberjack football team in December 2006. A two-time SLC Coach of the Year, Harper has guided SFA to two conference titles and NCAA playoff appearances. SFA is 34-36 (.478) in his six seasons in Nacogdoches.
*Senior receiver Mike Brooks recorded his second 100-yard receiving game of the season in the 61-13 loss to Texas Tech. Brooks finished with 106 yards on six receptions, including one touchdown. The score came on a trick play at the 8:55 mark of the first quarter on a 75-yard touchdown play off a reverse from junior wide receiver Tyler Boyd to Brooks, cutting the deficit at the time to 14-7. The Irving, Texas, native did not have a 100-yard reception game in his career entering his senior season.
*Brady Attaway is 12-13 (.480) all-time as the Lumberjacks' starting quarterback.
*The SFA defense forced four turnovers from the Red Raiders in their visit to Lubbock. The last time the Lumberjacks came up with four turnovers was Nov. 3, 2012 verse Lamar.
*The Lumberjacks are 17-22 (.436) in televised games dating back to the 1998 season. SFA was 2-4 (.333) in televised games in 2012.
*Preseason Marks: Darren Robinson, Gus Johnson, Brady Attaway, DJ Ward and Jordan Wiggs, were named to 2013 College Football Performance Awards Watch Lists entering the season. SFA is one of only six schools to have a player named to the preseason watch list at quarterback, running back and receiver. Robinson was also named a 2013 Beyond Sports Network Preseason All-America, as well as tabbed the Phil Steele's Preseason SLC Defensive Player of the Year.
*Willie Jefferson and Josh Aubrey, although going undrafted this past NFL Draft, both landed on the 53-man rosters of the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, respectively, this past week. Jefferson (LB) was a first-team All-Southland Conference selection and the 2011 SLC Newcomer of the Year. Aubrey was a four-time all-conference selection and started 46 games in his career.
*The 'Jacks are 83-43 (.659) against unranked Division I FCS teams since 1992.
 *Since 1995, the Lumberjacks are 21-33 (.389) against teams ranked in the NCAA Division I FCS top 25. After dropping 13 of 17 games against ranked teams, SFA has now split its last 10 games against the top 25.
 *An overtime win over Louisiana Tech in 2000 was the first ever win over an NCAA Division I FBS (formerly I-A) team by the Lumberjacks. The 'Jacks are 2-13 (.133) all-time versus FBS opponents. That mark includes a 2003 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. The 'Jacks are 0-2 against FBS schools in 2012.
 *SFA is 6-2 (.750) all-time in overtime games. The 'Jacks had overtime wins over Central Oklahoma (38-31) ansd Louisiana Tech (34-31) in 2000, and beat Cal State Northridge (30-27) and Jacksonville State (44-37) in 2001. SFA added its fifth overtime game with a victory over Northern Arizona in 2004. SFA defeated Nicholls, 27-21, to pick up an overtime win in 2005. SFA dropped a 34-31 overtime contest to Sam Houston State in 2008.
 *Since joining Division I FCS in 1986, SFA is 25-3 (.893) against non-Division I teams. The 'Jacks lost to Angelo State, 28-24, in 1990 and dropped a 17-14 decision in 2006. SFA opened the 2007 season with a 27-24 overtime loss to Tarleton State.
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