Lumberjacks Battle Lions on Homecoming
10/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Stephen F. Austin (5-2, 2-1 SLC) vs. #8 Southeastern Louisiana (6-2, 4-0 SLC)
Saturday, October 25 • 3:00 p.m.
Homer Bryce Stadium • Nacogdoches, Texas
TV: Southland Television Network (full affiliate list)
Video: ESPN3
Radio: Q107.7 FM (listen online at Q1077.com)
Live Stats: SFAJacks.com
Twitter Updates: @SFA_Football
Stephen F. Austin Game Notes 
OPENING KICK
Stephen F. Austin brings its two-game winning streak back to Homer Bryce Stadium for the Lumberjacks' 2014 Homecoming game Saturday. SFA hosts eighth-ranked Southeastern Louisiana, the reigning Southland Conference champion, at 3 p.m. as the game will be the Southland TV Network Game of the Week.
LUMBERJACKS AND LIONS TANGLE IN SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE GAME OF THE WEEK
Homer Bryce Stadium will be the backdrop for the Southland Television Network Game of the Week this week as SFA and Southeastern Louisiana go head-to-head Saturday afternoon. Lincoln Rose will have the call of the game with Lemont Williams serving as color analyst and Brooke Bentley working the sidelines. The game will kick at 3 p.m. Saturday and will air across the Southland TV affiliates, which includes Suddenlink channel 8 in Nacogdoches, DirecTV channel 18 and Dish Network channel 54. The game will also be streamed live online at ESPN3. For a complete listing of Southland TV Network affiliates, visit Southland.org.
LUMBERJACKS ON THE WEB
SFA fans unable to make it to Nacogdoches for this weekend's Homecoming game against Southeastern Louisiana can still stay up to date on every Lumberjack play. Live video of the game can be seen by logging on to ESPN3 or Southland.org, as well as downloading the Southland Conference app. Fans can also listen online as Rob Meyers will have the call on Q107.7 FM as well as online at Q1077.com. Live stats are available at SFAJacks.com with in-game Twitter updates @SFA_Football.
LUMBERJACKS ON HOMECOMING
Saturday marks the 75th Homecoming football game at Stephen F. Austin as the Lumberjacks have posted a 38-35-1 (.520) overall record on Homecoming. The `jacks have won four of their last five games, defeating Nicholls 55-41 in 2013, but are 0-1 all-time against Southeastern Louisiana on Homecoming, falling to the Lions 45-23 in 2005.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
2014: 6-2 overall, 4-0 SLC. Ranked 8th in both of this week's FCS media and coaches polls
Last Three Games: W vs. Central Arkansas (41-24), W at Lamar (61-34), W vs. Northwestern State (30-22)
Head Coach: Ron Roberts. Third season at Southeastern Louisiana (22-11, .667); Eighth season overall (69-27, .719)
Key Offensive Players:
• #3 Bryan Bennett (Sr., QB): 100-of-190 (52.6%) for 1,598 yds., 10 TDs, 7 INTs; 101 rushes for 563 yds., 12 TDs
• #4 Kody Sutton (Jr., RB): 83 rushes for 395 yds., 3 TDs
• #1 Xavier Roberson (Jr., WR): 40 rushes for 314 yds., 4 TDs
• #9 Devante Scott (Sr., WR): 29 catches for 614 yds., 3 TDs
• #14 Jeff Smiley (Jr., WR): 20 catches for 271 yds., 2 TDs
Key Defensive Players:
• #23 Tyler Stoddard (Sr., DB): 61 tackles (36 solo), 2.0 TFL, 1 INT
• #20 Drew Misita (Sr., LB): 53 tackles (27 solo), 6.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks
• #6 Isiah Corbett (Sr., LB): 51 tackles (28 solo), 9.5 TFL, 4.5 TFL, 3 INTs
• #3 Kaleb Muse (Sr., LB): 46 tackles (23 solo), 4.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks
• #2 Micah Eugene (Jr. DB): 41 tackles (28 solo), 2 FR
Synopsis: Southeastern Louisiana, which advanced to the 2013 NCAA quarterfinals, sits at 6-2 on the year and is the only undefeated team in the conference having won four-straight SLC games. Led by Walter Payton Award candidate Bryan Bennett, the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the Lions are one of the top scoring teams in the country, averaging 40.4 points per game while generating 457.0 yards of total offense (249.1 rushing, 207.9 passing). Defensively, Southeastern Louisiana is giving up just 20.4 points per game and 317.6 yards of offense, including just 113.6 rushing yards per game. The Lions also rank third in the nation in interceptions, snagging 14 on the season, while sitting solid on special teams as kicker Ryan Adams is 13-of-14 in field goal attempts with a long of 55 and is 36-of-36 in extra points on the season.
SERIES INFORMATION
SFA and Southeastern Louisiana meet for the 18th time Saturday as the Lumberjacks hold a 9-7-1 (.559) edge in the all-time series. The two teams first met in 1950, going head-to-head eight times between then and 1985 when Southeastern Louisiana suspended its football program. Since the Lions rejoined the Southland Conference in 2005, the `Jacks have posted a 5-4 record against Southeastern. The Lions have won the last two meetings, including a 56-14 victory in 2013 in Hammond, but SFA is 4-3 against Southeastern at Homer Bryce Stadium, having won the last three meetings between the two teams in Nacogdoches. Head coach Clint Conque has experienced some success against the Lions, posting a 4-2 mark all-time against Southeastern Louisiana.
LUMBERJACKS TAKE DOWN HUSKIES, 59-27
SFA outlasted both a two-hour electrical delay and an upstart Houston Baptist team to defeat the Huskies 59-27 at Husky Stadium. The Lumberjacks notched their second-straight road victory, accomplishing the feat for the first time since 2011, as SFA set a new season-high for points in a game. Gus Johnson continued his push for the Walter Payton Award, rushing 17 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns, his fifth 100-yard plus rushing game of the season. Zach Conque threw for 135 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another score, throwing two touchdown strikes to Aaron Thomas, who hauled in scores of 36 and five yards. Justice Liggins added another touchdown for SFA in the fourth quarter with Cameron Washington notching his first career touchdown in a Lumberjack uniform as the `jacks notched 21 fourth quarter points to put the game away. Defensively, Collin Garrett recorded 12 tackles while Alex Miller had a pair of interceptions, helping SFA race out to an early 31-6 lead and never looking back.
JOHNSON NOW SECOND ALL-TIME IN CAREER RUSHING
Senior RB Gus Johnson continues to etch his place among the all-time greats in SFA as he now sits second all-time in career rushing yards. With his 133-yard performance against Houston Baptist, Johnson now has 3,210 yards as a Lumberjack, surpassing Andy Hopkins' 3,080 yards from 1967-70 and ranking 10th all-time in Southland Conference history. Johnson now sets his sights on Leonard Harris' 3,771 career yards, sitting 561 yards shy of the all-time leader, meaning he will need to average 112.2 yards over the final five games of the season. Johnson, who is already SFA's all-time leader with 45 career touchdowns, now sits sixth all-time in SLC history for career touchdowns, sitting well within striking distance of a handful of players.
#GusForPayton
Senior RB Gus Johnson was named to the 2014 Walter Payton Award Watch List on September 30th and has continued to show why he is among the top players in the country. Johnson leads the nation with 16 rushing touchdowns while ranking second nationally in both yards per carry (8.50) and scoring (13.7 ppg), fourth in rushing yards (986) and sixth in rushing yards per game (140.9), leading the Southland Conference in each category. He has surpassed the 100-yard mark five times this season with two 200-yard performances and has scored at least three touchdowns on three separate occasions. The Gilmer native has rushed for an SLC-best 986 yards this season, leaving him just 14 yards shy of his second-straight 1,000-yard season.
JOHNSON, WIGGS AMONG ALL-TIME SLC LEADERS
Seniors Gus Johnson and Jordan Wiggs, two of the most constant Lumberjacks over the last four seasons, have not only rewritten the SFA record books, but the Southland Conference record books as well. The two have combined to join the top-10 among the all-time leaders in 10 different categories as Johnson ranks sixth all-time in both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns. Wiggs, SFA's all-time points leader, is second in SLC history in both PAT kicks made and attempted, third in field goal percentage and is tied for fifth all-time in field goals made. The duo have five games remaining in their SFA careers to move up the all-time lists.
CONQUE REMAINS STEADY AS SFA SIGNAL CALLER
Sophomore QB Zach Conque is settling into his role as SFA's primary signal caller, pacing the Lumberjacks to a 5-2 record as a starter. Conque has completed 60.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,498 yards on the season with eight touchdowns. Conque ranks fourth in the Southland Conference in passing yards per game (214.0) and fifth in total offense (251.1) through the air, throwing three touchdown strikes against Houston Baptist for the second time this season. But Conque has also proven to be a threat on the ground as well, rushing 65 times for 260 yards and nine touchdowns, setting a new mark for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in SFA program history. Conque is sixth in the SLC in scoring, averaging 7.7 points per game, as he rushed for a touchdown in the victory against the Huskies, accounting for four of SFA's touchdowns on the night.
HANDFUL OF LUMBERJACKS SIT ATOP SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE LEADERS
Through the first seven games of the 2014 season, a handful of Lumberjacks sit among the Southland Conference leaders in a handful of categories. RB Gus Johnson is the conference's best in four categories, leading the SLC in rushing yards (986), rushing yards per game (140.9), touchdowns (16) and points per game (13.7) while sitting second in all-purpose yards (153.3 ypg). Additionally, WR Tyler Boyd sits first in the conference in receptions per game (5.7), WR Aaron Thomas leads the SLC in punt return average (11.3 ypr), LB Collin Garrett is the top tackler per game (10.3) while CB Keavon Madison is first in passes defended per game (1.83).
STARTING FAST
One of the keys to SFA's success thus far in 2014 has been its ability to start fast. The Lumberjacks have outscored their opponents 73-23 in the first quarter this season, recording the first points in each of their last six games. SFA has notched 10 touchdowns in the first quarter this season, six of which have come courtesy of Gus Johnson. Zach Conque has helped account for the other four, tossing touchdown passes to Jayson Clements and Aaron Thomas while rushing for a pair himself.
LUMBERJACKS MAKING NATIONAL NOISE
Through the first seven games of 2014, Stephen F. Austin continues to rank among the national leaders in a handful of categories. As a team, the `Jacks rank sixth nationally in total offense (510.9 ypg), ninth in first downs (180), 12th in passing offense (286.0), 13th in sacks (3.0 spg) and 14th in scoring offense (38.1 ppg). Individually, in addition to the exploits of RB Gus Johnson, DB Keavon Madison sits fifth nationally in passes defended per game (1.8), LB Chance Barney is ninth in the nation in fumbles recovered (two) with QB Zach Conque ranking 15th in rushing touchdowns (nine) and LB Collin Garrett sitting 16th in tackles per game (10.3).
LUMBERJACKS AT HOMER BRYCE STADIUM
Since Homer Bryce Stadium opened in 1973, SFA has enjoyed a great deal of success between the hills. The Lumberjacks have compiled a 146-96-2 (.602) record at home, notching a winning home record in 27 of the 41 seasons Homer Bryce Stadium has served as the `Jacks' home field. SFA has been especially tough at home in recent years, posting a 26-7 (.788) mark since the start of the 2009 season. The Lumberjacks have enjoyed six perfect home seasons at Homer Bryce (1979, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2009 and 2012) and are 4-1 (.800) at home in NCAA postseason games.
FOUR STANDOUTS COMPRISE SFA 2014 HALL OF FAME CLASS
Three of the most feared Stephen F. Austin defensive football players from the 1990s and a key component of the Ladyjack basketball teams from that same era comprise the 2014 Stephen F. Austin Hall of Fame class. Football players Terrance Shaw, Jeremiah Trotter and Cedric Walker and women's basketball player Kristen Armour-Webb have been announced as the four members of the 2014 Hall of Fame class. The quartet will be inducted during the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, October 25th. Shaw and Walker were teammates in the SFA defensive backfield for three seasons (1991-93) as opponents averaged just 160 passing yards per game during that span. Trotter then emerged as one of the top linebackers in the country from 1995-97 as opposing offenses managed just 18.6 points and 130.6 rushing yards per game during those three seasons. Armour-Webb served as the point guard during on a handful of powerful Ladyjack teams that won three SLC titles from 1992-96. SFA also made four NCAA tournament appearances during her career, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1993 and 1996.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following Saturday's game against Southeastern Louisiana, SFA turns its sights to the most anticipated game of the 2014 schedule as the Lumberjacks will renew their 88-year rivalry with Sam Houston State on Saturday, Nov. 1st, in the annual Battle of the Piney Woods. For the fifth-straight year, the game will be held at NRG Stadium in Houston, kicking off at 3 p.m. in what has become one of the premiere games on the FCS calendar. Tickets for the Battle of the Piney Woods are still available by contacting the SFA ticket office at (936) 468-JACK as alumni and pep rally events will be held all weekend leading up to kickoff against the Bearkats.
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