‘Jacks Take on Lamar in Beaumont for Final In-State Matchup of Season
10/25/2017 11:09:00 AM | Football
SFA will play Lamar for the first time since 2013 and just the fifth time since the Cardinals brought back their football program in 2010
Stephen F. Austin (3-5, 3-3 Southland) at Lamar University (1-6, 0-5 Southland)
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 | 6 p.m. | Provost Umphrey Stadium | Beaumont, Texas
Watch – ESPN3 | Listen (Q107.7) | Live Stats | Game Notes
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 | 6 p.m. | Provost Umphrey Stadium | Beaumont, Texas
Watch – ESPN3 | Listen (Q107.7) | Live Stats | Game Notes
THE KICKOFF
For the first time in four years the Stephen F. Austin football team will take on Lamar University in a Southland Conference road matchup Saturday, Oct. 28. Kickoff from Provost Umphrey Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the two teams meeting for the first time since Nov. 16, 2013. Separated by just 135 miles in east Texas, the game will be the shortest road trip to date for the Lumberjacks this season, exceeding the Battle of the Piney Woods game at NRG Stadium in Houston by 15 miles. Despite the two schools' proximity, SFA and Lamar have met just four times in recent history as the Cardinals brought football back in 2010 after a 21-year hiatus.
FOLLOWING THE LUMBERJACKS
Saturday's game at Lamar will be streamed live online at ESPN3, available at ESPN3.com or through the ESPN app. Dan Gresham and Lemont Williams will broadcast the game. Rob Meyers, the voice of the Lumberjacks, will call the game along with color commentator Kevin Langford on Q107.7 FM, available online at Q1077.com as well as through the Lumberjack Sports Network on the TuneIn app. Live stats will be available at LamarCardinals.com, complemented by Twitter updates from @SFA_Football.
ABOUT THE GAME
The visiting 'Jacks will be aiming to get one game above the .500 mark in Southland play with a current 3-3 conference record, while the Cardinals are seeking their first league win of 2017. Saturday's game will be the seventh matchup of the season against opponents from the state of Texas for SFA. The 'Jacks have gone 3-2 against Lone Star State foes but are an impressive 3-1 against those at the FCS level. With victories over Incarnate Word (37-31) and Houston Baptist (27-10) at home and a 20-10 road win at Abilene Christian, SFA's lone FCS game lost against a Texas opponent was at the 92nd Battle of the Piney Woods. Saturday, the 'Jacks have a chance to finish out the season with 4-1 record against in-state FCS competition. It would be the most wins over Lone Star State FCS opponents since 1989 (then known as NCAA Division I-AA), when SFA defeated Lamar, Southwest Texas State (now Texas State), North Texas and Sam Houston State as part of an eight-game win streak en route to a national title game appearance. A victory over Lamar would also mark the first time since 1995 the 'Jacks have claimed four wins over Texas schools in a single season. That year SFA defeated NCAA Division II opponents Angelo State and Henderson State, in addition to Sam Houston State and Southwest Texas (now Texas State). The 'Jacks are looking to pick up their fourth Southland win of the season, it would mark the fourth consecutive year SFA has won at least four conference games and eighth since 2009. After back-to-back wins earlier this season in September, the 'Jacks have a chance to do so once again this weekend following this past Saturday's 27-10 rout of Houston Baptist for Homecoming 2017 inside Homer Bryce Stadium.
AGAINST STIFF COMPETITION
SFA will be a taking on just its fourth opponent that currently has a losing record, the 'Jacks are 3-0 in the other three meetings. The five teams that have defeated SFA this season currently own a combined 28-7 record, including FBS opponent SMU who sits in second place of the American Athletic Conference West Division standings with a 5-2 overall record. Southern Utah, whom the 'Jacks faced in their home opener, are 5-2 and are currently tied for third in the ultra-competitive Big Sky Conference with three wins over nationally-ranked opponents. SFA's other three losses have come against teams that are currently ranked in the top-18 in the nation, including now No. 4 Central Arkansas, No. 5 Sam Houston State and No. 18 McNeese. All three own a 6-1 overall record and have suffered just two combined Southland losses. In total, the Lumberjacks' eight opponents faced already this season are an impressive combined 32-23 overall for a winning percentage of .582. Conversely, the top five teams in the Southland have not played quite as tough as a schedule to this point in the season. Southeastern Louisiana's opponents so far this year have a combined record of 18-39 (.316) in 2017, while Central Arkansas' have gone 21-30 (.412). Likewise, McNeese's are a combined 22-31 (.415). Both Sam Houston State and Nicholls' opponents played thus far do not have much better combined results, the Bearkats' are 22-27 (.449) and the Colonels' are 23-26 (.469). SFA is one of just three teams in the league yet to have had its open date. Following Saturday's game, the 'Jacks will enjoy their bye weekend on Nov. 4.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
2017: 1-6 overall, 0-5 Southland Conference (T10th)
Last Three Games: Loss at No. 7 Sam Houston State (63-27), Loss at Incarnate Word (33-24), Loss vs. RV Nicholls (41-14)
Head Coach: Mike Schultz (Richmond, 1984). First season at Lamar (1-6, .143); First season overall (1-6, .143).
Key Offensive Players:
• #7 Darrel Colbert Jr. (Jr., QB): 82-of-153 (53.6%) for 863 yds., 8 TDs, 68-yd. long, 143.8 yds. per game, 7 INTs, 285 yds. rushing, 47.5 yds. per game
#8 Andrew Allen (Sr., QB): 55-of-97 (56.7%) for 677 yds., 1 TD, 67-yd. long, 96.7 yds. per game, 3 INTs,
• #9 Kendrick King (So., WR): 79 carries for 341 yds., 4.3 yds. per rush, 3 TDs, 48-yd. long, 48.7 yds. per game
• #22 Myles Wanza (Fr., RB): 45 carries for 197 yds., 4.4 yds. per rush, 1 TD, 19-yd. long, 32.8 yds. per game
• #1 Zae Giles (So., WR): 26 catches for 216 yds., 8.3 yds. per catch, 43.2 yds. per game, 47-yd. long
• #23 Kirkland Banks (Fr., WR): 25 catches for 253 yds., 10.1 yds. per catch, 1 TD, 36.1 yds. per game, 36-yd. long
Key Defensive Players:
• #49 David Crosley (Fr., LB): 45 tackles (18 solo), 2.0 TFL for -4 yds., 1 sack for -2 yds., 1 fumble recovery
• #11 Chaston Brooks (Jr., LB): 42 tackles (12 solo), 4.0 TFL for -17 yds., 1 sack for -8 yds., 1 pass breakup, 3 fumble recoveries
• #26 Tariq Gordon (So., DB): 40 tackles (23 solo), 1 INT, 4 pass breakups, 1 QBH, 1 blocked kick
• #20 Rodney Randle Jr. (Jr., DB): 37 tackles (22 solo), 2.0 TFL for -11 yds., 1 sack for -10 yds., 1 INT, 1 pass breakup, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble
• #25 Shyler Staton (So., DB): 35 tackles (23 solo), 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble
• #90 Daniel Crosley (So., DE): 25 tackles (13 solo), 5.0 TFL for -22 yds., 3.5 sacks for -21 yds., 3 QBH, 1 forced fumble
OPPONENT SYNOPSIS
Led by head coach Mike Schultz in his first season at Lamar, the Cardinals enter Saturday's tilt losers of five straight. With an overall record of 1-6, Lamar's lone win came against NCAA Division II UT Permian Basin. The Cardinals put up 72 points and 642 yards of offense in the win, claiming a total of 37 first downs, 10 touchdowns and 396 rushing yards. However, Lamar has had trouble stopping opponents this season as teams are averaging 481 offensive yards per game against the Big Red. Giving up 40.9 points per game, the second-most in the Southland, Lamar is averaging 28.6 points a contest. Offensively, the Cardinals have the fifth-highest offensive output per game in the league at 420.7 yards. In conference play, Lamar has averaged just 22.8 points per game but has still registered the fifth-most yards per contest (407.4) in its five Southland matchups. Tied for last place in the league, the Cardinals are giving up 511.6 yards per game in conference play as Southland opponents have scored an average of 44.2 points against the Lamar. Both overall and in league play the Cardinals own the worst rush defense in the conference, giving up 273.6 rushing yards per game on the season and 282.4 yards in Southland contests. Their passing defense has been better, allowing 229.2 through the air per game in league games and just 207.4 overall for fourth-best in the conference. Since restarting its football program in 2010 Lamar has had just one winning season (2015) and has posted an overall record of 34-46 for a winning percentage of .425.
SERIES INFORMATION
Saturday's matchup will mark the 33rd overall meeting between the two programs with Lamar owning a 18-12-2 edge in the series. Despite their advantage, the Cardinals have won just one meeting with SFA since restarting football as the 'Jacks have won five of the last six meetings overall. The last time the two teams met was on Nov. 16, 2013, in Beaumont when SFA was outlasted 46-45 in a high-scoring affair. Lamar kicked a game-winning field goal with 15 seconds left to cap an eight-play, 49-yard drive and scored 10 points in the final three minutes to claim the victory after trailing 45-36. Prior to 2013, the Cardinals had not defeated the 'Jacks since 1987 as SFA had won five consecutive in the series. The 'Jacks are 6-11-1 in games played in Beaumont with their last road win in the series coming on Nov. 5, 2011, when SFA throttled Lamar 69-10. The Lumberjacks' last victory in the series came on Nov. 3, 2012, in Nacogdoches as SFA earned a 40-26 win over the Cardinals inside Homer Bryce. The two teams' first meeting was during Lumberjack football's first season on Oct. 12, 1923, when SFA suffered a 10-0 setback in Nacogdoches. In fact, SFA didn't record its first win over Lamar until 1936 during the fourth meeting in the series, ousting the Cardinals in a tightly-contested 13-7 final.
SFA ON OCT. 28
The 'Jacks have played a total of 10 times on Oct. 28, Saturday will be the 11th time the Purple and White have taken the football field for competition on the date. SFA is 6-4 in games played on Oct. 28 and owns a 3-2 record both on the road and at home in those contests. The last time the 'Jacks have played on Oct. 28, SFA walked away with 35-10 win at Southeastern Louisiana. The first time SFA played on the date was in 1932 as the 'Jacks were handed a 31-0 loss at then North Texas State. Saturday will be the first time SFA has never played against Lamar on Oct. 28.
FAMOUS AMOUS
Senior running back Kijana Amous (Mansfield, Texas) has been quite impressive over the last two weeks beginning with a career-high 142-yard rushing performance at No. 6 Central Arkansas, the most rushing yards in a game by any Lumberjack this season. He followed up that performance with an outstanding game in the 27-10 win over Houston Baptist, tallying 185 of SFA's 483 total offensive yards for 38 percent of the Lumberjacks' total offense. Amous accumulated 84 yards on 16 rushing attempts and ran it into the end zone twice. He also had a career-high seven receptions for 102 yards, the most receiving yards by an SFA player this season. For his remarkable performance, Amous was named Southland Defensive Player of the week and claimed honorable mention for STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week. He became the second Lumberjack to earn a player of the week plaudit in 2017, joining sophomore safety Alize Ward (San Diego, Calif.) who claimed Southland Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 18.
THIRD-MOST SOUTHLAND VICTORIES
Ward's game-winning pick-six that gave SFA a 37-31 comeback win over Incarnate Word on Sept. 16 was the Lumberjacks' 100th Southland victory in program history. SFA became just the third football program all-time to achieve 100 Southland wins as the 'Jacks now own an all-time intra-Southland record of 102-99-3 since joining the league in 1987. The only other teams to achieve the feat are McNeese (185) and Sam Houston State (117). With 97 Southland victories, Northwestern State has a chance this season to become the fourth conference school to reach the mark.
BEASLEY BACK IN BEAUMONT
SFA assistant coach Ben Beasley, who handles Lumberjack safeties, will be making a return of sorts this weekend. In his first year at SFA, Beasley previously spent the last three seasons at Lamar in Beaumont. Beasley worked with the Cardinals' secondary as an assistant coach for safeties and linebackers from 2014-16. He is a native of Houston and a 2002 graduate of McNeese. Prior coaching stops for Beasley have also included three other Southland institutions in McNeese, Northwestern State and Sam Houston State.
LAST TIME OUT: SFA 27, HOUSTON BAPTIST 10
SFA held the Huskies to just 238 yards of total offense, including a sparse 22 on the ground, while tallying 483 offensive yards to outgain Houston Baptist by 245. The 'Jacks claimed a season-high 262 rushing yards as sophomore quarterback Jake Blumrick (Pearland, Texas) collected his first collegiate win as a full-time starter.
COACH CONQUE TIED FOR THIRD ALL-TIME IN SOUTHLAND VICTORIES
Head coach Clint Conque continues to climb the all-time career Southland coaching victories top-10 list. This past Saturday's homecoming win over Houston Baptist was coach Conque's 49th Southland victory, moving him into a tie for third place with former Northwestern State head coach Sam Goodwin (1987-99, 49-32-2). He holds a career record of 49-32 (.605) in Southland contests since 2007, including going 33-16 in the league while at the helm of Central Arkansas from 2007-13. Conque is just two wins shy of tying former Sam Houston State head coach Ron Randleman (1987-2004, 51-59-2), who sits in second place on the all-time career list.
FRANKLIN MOVING UP THE CAREER LISTS
Senior defensive end John Franklin (Greenville, Texas) recorded a nine-yard sack in the first quarter during the win over Houston Baptist, moving him into sole possession of ninth place on SFA's all-time career sacks list and tying him for sixth in school history for career tackles for loss. He now has amassed 16.5 sacks in 38 games play throughout his four-year career and has totaled 32 total tackles for loss. Franklin is tied with Ishmiah Miles (2011-14) and Derrick Choice (2008-11) on the all-time career tackles for loss list and has a chance to catch Kenneth Charles' (2007-10) 36.5 TFL. He is just three sacks shy of Keith Melcher (1985-88), who is eighth in school history with 19.5 career sacks.
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