Battle of Lumberjacks Opens 2015 Season
8/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Stephen F. Austin vs. Northern Arizona
Saturday, Sept. 5 • 6:00 p.m.
Homer Bryce Stadium • Nacogdoches, Texas
Records: SFA (0-0); NAU (0-0)
Video: ESPN3
Radio: Q107.7 FM (listen online at Q1077.com)
Live Stats: SFAJacks.com
Twitter: @SFA_Football
Stephen F. Austin Game Notes
OPENING KICK
Stephen F. Austin opens up its 89th season of football with a battle of Lumberjacks at Homer Bryce Stadium. SFA hosts Northern Arizona on Saturday, September 5th, beginning the second year under head coach Clint Conque. It is a unique match-up as SFA and Northern Arizona are the only two teams in Division I that boast “Lumberjacks” as their mascot.
LUMBERJACKS IN SEASON OPENERS
SFA has posted a 47-36-5 (.563) record in season openers as 2015 marks the first time the Lumberjacks have opened their season at home since a 49-14 win over Southwestern Oklahoma in 2012. Since Homer Bryce Stadium opened in 1973, SFA has played its season opener at home 24 times, posting a 17-7 (.708) record in those games and winning five of the last six.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
A number of Lumberjacks enter the 2015 season having already notched preseason accolades. Senior offensive lineman Byron Williams has been named a third team preseason STATS FCS All-American as well as a first team All-SLC preseason selection after anchoring the ‘Jacks offensive line in 2014 from the left guard position. Three other players were named second team All-SLC preseason selections, including junior QB Zach Conque who was the SLC’s Newcomer of the Year after accumulating over 3,300 yards of offense. Junior OL Anthony Pullins and senior DT Lance Skyler both received second team honors, coming off All-SLC honorable mention honors in 2014.
SCOUTING THE (ARIZONA) LUMBERJACKS
2014: 7-5 overall, 5-3 Big Sky Conference (T-5th)
Head Coach: Jerome Souers (Oregon, 1983). 17th season at Northern Arizona (100-93, .516)
Key Offensive Players:
• #2 Kyren Poe (Sr., QB): 92-of-149 passing for 1,139 yds., 5 TDs
• #6 Casey Jahn (Sr., RB): 185 rushes for 824 yds., 4 TDs
• #23 Corbin Jountti (So., RB): 68 rushes for 401 yds., 4 TDs
• #14 Alex Holmes (Sr., WR): 46 catches for 655 yds., 3 TDs
• #45 Nick Butier (Sr., FB): 17 catches for 181 yds., 1 TD
Key Defensive Players:
• #7 Eddie Horn (Sr., S): 88 tackles (58 solo), 3.0 TFL, 3 INTs
• #27 Darius Lewis (Sr., S): 75 tackles (35 solo), 1.0 TFL, 2 PBU
• #44 Jake Thomas (Jr., LB): 40 tackles (18 solo), 3.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks
• #31 Josh Bamrick (Sr., LB): 38 tackles (16 solo), 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack
• #22 Marcus Alford (Jr., CB): 27 tackles (19 solo), 3 INTs
Synopsis: Northern Arizona finished the 2014 season with a 7-5 overall mark, finishing tied for fifth in the Big Sky Conference with a 5-3 record. Under head coach Jerome Souers, NAU averaged 26.2 points per game in 2014, averaging 147.0 yards on the ground and 272.5 yards through the air per game. The Lumberjacks return senior QB Kyren Poe, who threw for 1,139 yards and five touchdowns in seven games last season with senior FB Nick Butier earning preseason All-Big Sky honors. Defensively, NAU gave up 25.7 points per game, allowing 212.9 yards on the ground and 176.8 passing yards per game. The ‘Jacks are led by preseason All-America candidate junior CB Marcus Alford and senior S Eddie Horn, NAU’s leading tackler from 2014. NAU also returns a pair of offensive threats in TE RJ Rickert and WR Dejzon Walker, both of which redshirted last season due to injuries.
SERIES HISTORY
The battle of the Lumberjacks will stage the third installment of the all-time series as SFA and Northern Arizona have each won a game previously. NAU defeated SFA 10-3 in Flagstaff in 2001 with SFA returning the favor against the Arizona Lumberjacks in 2004, notching a 24-17 overtime victory at Homer Bryce Stadium.
SFA vs. THE BIG SKY
SFA has become quite familiar with the Big Sky Conference over the past few seasons as the Lumberjacks have compiled a 13-15 (.464) overall record against current Big Sky opponents. The ‘Jacks have faced a Big Sky opponent in each of the last three seasons, dropping a 43-35 decision at Montana State in 2012, falling at Weber State 50-40 in the 2013 season opener before toppling second-ranked Montana State 52-38 later that season at Homer Bryce Stadium, then getting payback against Weber State with a 35-20 win in Nacogdoches in 2014. SFA has won its last six games against Big Sky opponents in Nacogdoches, including the 24-17 overtime win against Northern Arizona in 2004, a 27-17 victory over UC Davis in 2005, a 65-31 win over North Dakota in 2009 and a 44-33 victory over Eastern Washington in the first round of the 2009 FCS playoffs.
CONQUE READY FOR YEAR TWO
The bid for a successful season starts at the top and SFA has the luxury of returning all 11 coaches from the 2013 campaign. Head coach Clint Conque, the 2014 SLC Coach of the Year, continues to establish himself as one of the premiere coaches in the region as Conque recorded his 12th winning season in 15 years of coaching in 2014. He boasts the second-most Division I wins and leads the Southland in conference victories, setting himself as the elder statesmen of the SLC. In addition to Conque, SFA returns its entire coaching staff from 2015, giving the Lumberjacks the added benefit and confidence that comes with continuity at each position.
YOUNGER CONQUE BACK IN CHARGE
Junior quarterback Zach Conque has already put his name in the Lumberjack record books in just one season at SFA. Conque’s 2,733 passing yards in 2014 ranked as the eighth-best passing performance in program history while his 249 completions ranks ninth all-time. He sits on the doorstep of cracking the all-time top-10 in both categories, needing just 688 passing yards and 15 completions to do so. Conque hasn’t just placed his name in the SFA passing record books, but the rushing one as well. His 626 rushing yards in 2014 was the most by a Lumberjack quarterback in program history while his 13 rushing touchdowns is tied for the fourth-best in program history. Conque needs just one more rushing touchdown to crack the SFA top-10 list.
REPLACING GUS
The biggest hole to fill heading into 2015 comes in the Lumberjack backfield as SFA is faced with the challenge of replacing all-time leading rusher and All-American Gus Johnson and his 3,907 yards with 52 touchdowns. The ‘Jacks will use a combination of veterans and newcomers to provide a new threat out of the backfield. Seniors Fred Ford and Cameron Washington both received quality touches during both spring and fall camps along with junior Joshawa West as the trio appear to have the inside track to leading the Lumberjack backfield this fall. True freshman Loren Easly also caught the coaches’ eye as the Houston native could contend for touches this season as well.
THOMAS MILESTONE WATCH
Senior wide receiver Aaron Thomas enters the 2014 season with 125 receptions for 1,745 yards in his first three seasons as a Lumberjack, putting him on the milestone watch as well. Thomas is 255 yards shy of becoming the 11th member of the SFA 2,000-yard receiving club and 320 yards back of Kevin Goodwin for 10th all-time. He also enters the season 27 catches shy of catching former teammate Mike Brooks for 10th all-time in career receptions. Thomas returns as SFA’s leading receiver from 2014, hauling in 53 catches for 703 yards and has four 100-yard receiving games during his Lumberjack career.
EXPERIENCE UP FRONT...
SFA’s offensive line enters the 2015 season as one of the most experienced group not just in the Southland Conference, but in the nation as well. The Lumberjacks return all five starters from 2014 as seniors David Dane (right tackle), Terran Vaughn (right guard) and Byron Williams (left guard) and juniors Anthony Pullins (center) and Travis Wiggins (left tackle) have combined to play in 146 games for SFA with 110 combined starts.
...ON BOTH SIDES
SFA’s defensive tackle trio of seniors Lance Skyler, Donald Bryant and Shayvion Hatten are setting themselves up to be one of the top defensive fronts in the country. The senior trio has played in 85 games for the Lumberjacks with a combined 51 starts, teaming together to tally 248 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Add in the 62 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks from junior defensive end Kedrick Harrison and SFA boasts one of the most experienced defensive lines in the country. The quartet helped SFA rank among the national leaders in both tackles for loss (19th) and sacks (20th) in 2014.
SKYLER EYEING RECORD BOOK
Senior Lance Skyler enters the 2015 season within striking distance of a pair of career milestones. The Lancaster native has recorded 15 tackles for loss in his career, sitting 11.5 shy of matching Willie Jefferson for 10th all-time. Skyler’s 7.0 sacks is eight shy of cracking the top-10 in SFA program history, looking to tie four other players for the honor, including former teammate Malcolm Mattox.
OWENS, MARTIN BOLSTER DEFENSIVE UNIT
In addition to the veteran defensive line, SFA has a pair of returning veterans shoring up the defensive attack. Senior LB Justin Owens is SFA’s returning leading tackler from 2014, notching 80 stops with 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Among the defensive secondary, junior Patrick Martin returns to lead the Lumberjacks with 52 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss, including a pair of game-changing interceptions in wins over Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State.
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