Opponent Preview: Southeastern Louisiana
10/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - After two weeks on the road, Stephen F. Austin returns to Homer Bryce Stadium looking to rebound against Southeastern Louisiana. Opening kick against the Lions is set for 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon as the game, presented by Tipton Ford-Lincoln Nacogdoches, marks the 2016 Zeta Tau Alpha Pink Out game.
Following the Lumberjacks
Stephen F. Austin’s game with Southeastern Louisiana will once again stream live in HD on ESPN3. Fans can find the game online at ESPN3.com or on mobile devices by downloading the WatchESPN app. Rob Meyers, the voice of the Lumberjacks, will have the game along with analyst Tyler DePascal. The audio broadcast will once again be carried live on Q107.7 FM and online at Q1077.com, as well as through the Lumberjack Sports Network on the TuneIn app. Live stats will be available at SFAJacks.com complemented by Twitter updates @SFA_Football.
Five Storylines
• Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Louisiana meet for the 20th time Saturday with the Lumberjacks holding an 11-7-1 lead in the all-time series which began in 1950. SFA has won two-straight against Southeastern Louisiana, rallying from a 20-point deficit to defeat the 22nd-ranked Lions 28-27 in Hammond in 2015.
• The Lumberjacks enter Saturday's game winners of five-straight games at Homer Bryce Stadium, the longest home winning streak since the stadium-record nine-game streak from 20011-13. The game against the Lions is SFA's only home game in October and the lone home contest in a 42-day span between the September 24th game against Abilene Christian and the November 5th contest against Central Arkansas.
• Senior QB Zach Conque continues to put up impressive numbers as his four touchdown performance against Nicholls was the seventh of his SFA career. He enters Saturday's game with 6,987 yards of total offense for his career, looking to become the sixth Lumberjack all-time to eclipse 7,000 career total offense yards.
• Senior WR Justice Liggins enters Saturday’s game with 87 catches for 947 yards, needing 53 yards to become the 36th player in SFA history to surpass 1,000 career receiving yards. In the backfield, sophomore Loren Easly has rushed 166 times for 925 yards, sitting 75 yards shy of becoming the 28th Lumberjack to rush for 1,000 yards. Two of those 28 players are currently on the SFA roster as RB Joshawa West has rushed for 1,394 yards with QB Zach Conque amassing 1,308 rushing yards.
• Senior DE Kedrick Harrison posted another tackle for loss against Nicholls this past Saturday, upping his career total to 31 for his Lumberjack career, ranking seventh all-time. Six games into his senior season, Harrison is also tied for eighth in career sacks (16.5), ranking first in the Southland Conference in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss in 2016.
Scouting the Lions
2016 Record: 2-3 overall, 2-1 Southland Conference
Last Three Games: W vs. McNeese (31-24), L at Lamar (38-14), W vs. Northwestern State (34-24)
Head Coach: Ron Roberts (Tennessee-Martin, 1990). Fifth season at SLU (31-23, .574), 10th season overall (78-39, .667)
Key Offensive Players:
• #8 Justin Alo (Sr., QB): 58-of-106 passing (54.7%) for 1,018 yds., 8 TDs, 4 INTs; 38 rushes for 129 yds.
• #2 Rasheed Harrell (Sr., RB): 47 rushes for 217 yds., 2 TDs
• #22 Julius Maracalin (So., RB): 37 rushes for 166 yds., 1 TD
• #5 Brandon Acker (Sr., WR): 19 catches for 484 yds., 4 TDs
• #1 Juwan Dickey (Jr., WR): 13 catches for 242 yds., 2 TDs
Key Defensive Players:
• #12 Max Lyons (Jr., DB): 41 tackles (21 solo), 0.5 TFL, 4 PBU
• #1 Javon Tillman (Jr., DB): 40 tackles (22 solo), 1 INT, 2 FR
• #7 Torrance Mosley (Jr., DB): 36 tackles (25 solo), 1.0 TFL, 3 PBU
• #44 Lee Spight (Jr., LB): 31 tackles (17 solo), 5.5 TFL, 1.0 sack
• #2 Ryan Sigers (Jr., DB): 34 tackles (16 solo), 5 PBU
Synopsis: Southeastern Louisiana enters the weekend at 2-3 overall and 2-1 in Southland Conference play. The Lions are coming off a 31-24 win against 22nd-ranked McNeese in Hammond on Saturday, scoring on an 82-yard touchdown pass in the final minute to beat the Cowboys. Offensively, Southeastern Louisiana is averaging 21.8 points and 381.0 yards per game, comprised of 156.6 rushing and 224.4 passing yards per game. QB Justin Alo leads the Lion offensive charge, passing for 1,018 yards on the year, with nearly half of that total going to WR Brandon Acker, who has caught 19 passes for 484 yards and four touchdowns. Three RBs have each run for at least 166 yards on the year for the Lions as well. Defensively, Southeastern Louisiana is giving up 35.0 points and 397.6 yards per game, including 198.2 rushing and 199.4 passing yards per game. The Lions’ defensive secondary has been a strength of the unit in 2016, led by 41 tackles from DB Max Lyons, 46 stops by DB Javon Tillman and 36 tackles by Torrance Mosley.
Head Coach Clint Conque's Monday Press Conference Transcripts
On the takeaway from the Nicholls game:
“We’re very disappointed with the outcome just like everybody else is. I thought we were in a position to win and we could’ve put it away early if we had capitalized on field position. Obviously the two turnovers – the fumble to end it and the interception right before the half inside of two minutes, then we give up the screen pass on second or third down and they get their score to tie the game. We had two real critical penalties as well - the punt return that we get back to the Nicholls 34 and it was negated because of a holding call and we get no points out of that drive. Then we had a pass completion down to the 26 in the first quarter up 14-0 that was called back because of an ineligible lineman downfield. So we had two real opportunities there. We didn’t play very clean. We dropped a touchdown in the second overtime that would have been an extra point away from going into a third overtime. Obviously a lot of things have happened over the last few weeks but we put ourselves in position to win on the road against a good football team that’s getting better, and we just didn’t get it done. I think we did well defensively and played good enough to win. We really self-inflicted ourselves by not playing and I feel like this one kind of got away from us. Again though, I thought our men played hard. We’re having to reinvent ourselves a little bit. Give Nicholls credit, they made plays when they needed to. I’m sure they would have liked to make more, but we were certainly in position to make some, too. It’s my responsibility to make sure we keep getting in those positions.”
On Zack Starnes not playing:
“Right as we get to the stadium our starting free safety, Zack Starnes, bless his heart, literally went blind in his left eye. We’re still not sure what caused it. There was no paralysis or anything, thank goodness. So obviously we had to adjust not only on defense, but he was on all of our kicking units. It was a sudden change there, and I think our young men handled themselves. He got his vision back after the game or maybe later in the game. Obviously he didn’t dress out and was not cleared to play. For three or four hours there it was scary. Our team doctors looked at him and pulled over one of their team doctors. We appreciate Nicholls; they set him up and got him into the emergency room. I’m not sure if they’ve put a finger on what happened, but Zack is a good player and one of our most physical tackling safeties and tackling was an issue Saturday.”
On the health of the team:
“When we got into camp, we felt good about the offensive tackle position. We’ve now lost four offensive tackles. You’re talking about guys that are 6’4, 305 to 310 pounds on average, one of which has 33 games of experience. The thing is that none of those guys are coming back; knee surgery, back surgery, whatever it may be. We had to move Shane Roberson, who is a natural guard, to tackle. I thought Shane did an incredible job. Travis Lock, a redshirt freshman, had to start at guard. He probably played 20 snaps of offense prior to Saturday. We had to take the redshirt off of Matthew Mora, a true freshman. When we recruited Matthew, he was about 6’6 or 6’7 and about 255. We felt like we could slow cook him this year, even next year, and in a couple years we would have a chance to have a pretty good football player when he grew into his body. He’s about 280 right now and thrown into the fire. We lost Anthony Pullins for about three series in that game. He’s the only other experienced lineman we had coming back this year. Hayden Scott had to step in for about 15 snaps at center. Anthony will be doubtful this week as we’ll have to see how he does with his shoulder. So, we’re kind of patching it up there. At wide receiver, we’ve lost our number one receiver from last year, Aaron Piper, who had about 50 catches. There’s a pretty good chance that he will be medically disqualified with multiple concussions. Robert Sylvester left the program prior to the McNeese game; he was our number two leading receiver. The combination of those two guys is roughly 75 or 80 catches last year. Thomas Nolley and Khalil Lacy, two true freshmen are out. Thomas was out for the season on the second day of camp – that’s a 6’3 205-pound option with great ball skills. Then Khalil Lacy may be medically disqualified as well with a severe concussion. De’Quann Ruffin has finished one game for us, and he was our fourth leading receiver from last year. He finished the McNeese game and didn’t even travel for Nicholls. We’re thin there. Nick Jones is out for the season. He’s going to have to have some sort of back procedure, and we hope to get him back for the spring. Then we’re pretty thin at corner.”
On adjusting to the losses:
“We’re having to shuffle people around on the offensive line and what it really affects is guys like Justice Liggins and Tamrick Pace who have to put in extra reps in practice. It weakens our scout teams when you have to pull someone every week from the scout team and take a redshirt off. It really starts in practice and affects our ability to have a quality Division I practice. You get 63 scholarships and we have roughly 70 position players and when you’re down 13 or 14 guys, it’s going to affect your practices. And these aren’t excuses, but this is what we’re dealing with here. It’s the reality of what we’re dealing with. The only thing I know how to do: you have to modify your practices a little bit and go to work. The player development aspect of what we do happens in practice. So for these true freshmen and guys that are playing different positions, we have to get some consistency and figure out what we can do. That goes back to the reinvention of who we are on offense. Obviously it can’t be an overhaul; it has to be an adjustment.”
On the matchup with Southeastern Louisiana:
“As always, this is a really good Southeastern team. They are very big, long and athletic. They are transfer-laden; probably 14 or 15 of their starters on offensive and defense are transfers. Kids from southeastern Louisiana that have gone somewhere else and have come back home. One of their starting corners is from TCU, an outside linebacker from LSU, a nose guard who was the number one D-line recruit in the country coming out high school and originally started at Georgia, went to Alabama and is now at Southeastern. They run an option-based offense, so that’s going to challenge our defense this week. They have big, athletic receivers and they’ve settled on a quarterback who is operating their offense at a pretty good level. It’s going to be a huge challenge but we’re excited about coming back home. They’re coming off of a big win at home against McNeese, so I know that they’ll come in with a lot of energy. As they course of the week goes on, we’ll put together the best plans we possibly can and get the best players in the positions we can get them in. It’s just a tough situation for this team and you worry about them emotionally more than anything. Again, I have high hopes that we can reignite our season here. We’re sitting at 3-3 and 2-2 in the conference. We’ve got a home game and then an open date with three of our last five games at home. We’ll start this with Southeastern. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Roberts. They were the back-to-back conference champions in ’13 and ’14. Last year was a bit of a down year, but he’s certainly reloaded and they’re going to bring a really good football team into Homer Bryce on Saturday.”
-SFA-
