Lumberjacks Take on No. 11 Sam Houston State in 92nd Battle of the Piney Woods

Saturday, October 7

Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium)

1:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

No. 11 Sam Houston State

Lumberjacks Take on No. 11 Sam Houston State in 92nd Battle of the Piney Woods

10/4/2017 7:22:00 PM | Football

SFA looks to snap a six-game losing streak against the 11th-ranked Bearkats and notch its first Battle of the Piney Woods win since 2010

By: Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

THE KICKOFF
For the 92nd time the Stephen F. Austin football team will take to the field for battle against Sam Houston State in one of Texas' oldest rivalries, the Battle of the Piney Woods. The Bearkats, who are ranked 11th in the nation according to the latest FCS Coaches Poll and No. 9 in the most recent STATS FCS Top 25 media poll, await the Lumberjacks at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, for a 1 p.m. tilt Saturday, Oct. 7. The Southland Conference matchup is key for both teams as each stand with one loss in the league after suffering defeats last Saturday. It will mark the eighth consecutive year the historic rivalry has been played at a neutral site in the Houston Texans' NFL stadium.

FOLLOWING THE LUMBERJACKS
Saturday's game against Sam Houston State will be streamed live online at ESPN3, available at ESPN3.com or through the ESPN app on mobile devices. 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 SFAJacks.com, complemented by Twitter updates from @SFA_Football.

ABOUT THE GAME - BATTLE OF THE PINEY WOODS HISTORY
Presented by H-E-B, the 92nd annual Battle of the Piney Woods will once again take center stage in downtown Houston as SFA and Sam Houston State meet for the eighth-straight year inside NRG Stadium. The rivalry between the 'Jacks and Bearkats dates back to the 1923 season and is the fourth-longest active rivalry in the state of Texas. Sam Houston State holds a 54-35-2 (.604) record in the all-time series and has claimed a victory over SFA in each of the last six meetings. The two institutions originally entered into a four-year agreement prior to the 2010 season as the 'Jacks won the first ever meeting between the two teams inside NRG Stadium with a 31-28 triumph on Oct. 23, 2010. Sam Houston State claimed the second matchup in the stadium 45-10 in 2011 before recording thrilling shoot-out victories over the next four seasons, edging SFA 51-43 in 2012, 56-49 in 2013, 42-28 in 2014 and 34-28 in 2015. The Bearkats cruised to a 63-28 win in the 2016 version of the game last year. The seven games at NRG Stadium have drawn in nearly 185,000 fans, averaging just over 26,000 per game and ranking among one of the most attended FCS games in the nation each year. After an announced crowd of 24,685 in 2010, the Battle of the Piney Woods has drawn more attendees each season with a record 27,411 fans taking in the game last year. Due to the popularity of the event, the two schools and the Texans organization reached an agreement in the spring of 2015 that will make NRG Stadium the permanent home for the Battle of the Piney Woods, with H-E-B joining the festivities as the presenting sponsor in 2017. Tailgating, alumni and fan events, and a handful of other events for Lumberjack fans are taking place in the Houston area in the days leading up to the 92nd edition of the Battle of the Piney Woods.

SCOUTING THE BEARKATS
2017: 3-1 overall, 1-1 Southland Conference (T7th)
Last Three Games: Loss at Central Arkansas (41-30), Win vs. No. 23 Nicholls (66-17), Win at Prairie View A&M (44-31)
Head Coach: K.C. Keeler (Delaware, 1981). Fourth season at Sam Houston State (37-11, .771); 24th season overall (211-84-1, .715).
Key Offensive Players:
• #16 Jeremiah Briscoe (Sr., QB): 86-of-155 (55.5%) for 1,311 yds., 13 TDs, 60-yd. long, 327.8 yds. per game, 4 INTs
• #6 Corey Avery (Sr., RB): 44 carries for 298 yds., 6.8 yds. per rush, 2 TDs, 37-yd. long, 74.5 yds. per game
• #34 Remus Bulmer (Jr., RB): 34 carries for 254 yds., 7.5 yds. per rush, 2 TDs, 45-yd. long, 63.5 yds. per game
• #81 Nathan Stewart (So., WR): 23 catches for 508 yds., 22.1 yds. per catch, 6 TDs, 127 yds. per game, 56-yd. long
• #14 Davion Davis (Jr., WR): 21 catches for 341 yds., 16.2 yds. per catch, 4 TDs, 85.2 yds. per game, 60-yd. long
• #9 Yedidiah Louis (Sr., WR): 17 catches for 220 yds., 12.9 yds. per catch, 55-yds. per game, 30-yd. long
Key Defensive Players:
• #54 Justin Johnson (Jr., LB): 32 tackles (21 solo), 5 TFL for -26 yds., 2 sacks for -16 yds., 2 QBH, 1 forced fumble
• #27 Joshua Price (Sr., S): 21 tackles (16 solo), 2 interceptions for 8 yds., 1 pass breakup
• #25 Hunter Brown (Jr., LB): 21 tackles (12 solo), 1 TFL for -10 yds., 1 sack for -10 yds., 1 fumble recovery
• #7 Adrian Contreras (Jr., S): 21 tackles (14 solo), 2.5 TFL for -5 yds., 1 interception for 22 yds., 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble
• #92 P.J. Hall (Sr., DL): 9 tackles (6 solo), 4.0 TFL for -21 yds., 2.0 sacks for -15 yds., 1 blocked kick

OPPONENT SYNOPSIS
On the heels of their second Southland title in the last three years and a FCS quarterfinal appearance in 2016, the Bearkats look nearly as efficient on offense this season after losing three offensive linemen and their offensive coordinator from a year ago. Guided by head coach K.C. Keeler in his third year at the helm of the Sam Houston State football program, the Bearkats saw back-to-back FCS semifinal appearances in 2014 and 2015 during his first two seasons in Huntsville. Last season, Keeler led Sam Houston State to a national No. 1 ranking for the final six weeks of the regular season as the Bearkats entered the FCS playoffs as the nation's lone unbeaten team. The run helped Keeler become the first Sam Houston State coach to claim the Eddie Robinson Award, credited to the top head coach in the FCS. With senior quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe, who claimed the 2016 Walter Payton Award as the nation's top offensive player, still under center, the Bearkats look to be equally as dangerous. Briscoe threw a FCS-record 57 touchdown passes last season and is one touchdown shy of setting Sam Houston State's all-time career passing touchdown record. After starting out the season with a 48-34 home win over seventh-ranked Richmond in Waco, Texas, the Bearkats claimed a 44-31 road victory at Prairie View A&M, before beginning Southland play with a dominant 66-17 rout of No. 23 Nicholls in Huntsville. Last Saturday, Sam Houston State suffered its first conference loss in 12 games in Conway, Arkansas, falling 41-30 at Central Arkansas. The Bearkats lead the Southland in total offense (544.2 YPG), scoring offense (47 PPG) and passing offense (341.8 YPG), while ranking second in the league in rushing offense (202.5 YPG). Nationally, Sam Houston State ranks third in total offense, fourth in scoring and sixth in passing offense. Defensively, the Bearkats are giving up 469.2 total yards per game and are eighth in the conference in that category, while allowing 282.5 yards through the air per game, the third-most in the league. Their rushing defense (186.8 YPG) also ranks eighth in the Southland. Sam Houston State has plenty of offensive weapons at the skilled positions with the league's top receiver in sophomore Nathan Stewart, who has already claimed 508 yards and six touchdowns on just 23 receptions. Averaging 22.1 yards per catch and 127 yards per game, Stewart leads the conference in receiving yards, receiving yards per game, touchdown receptions and receptions per game (5.8). He is complimented by junior wideout Davion Davis, who is fourth in the Southland in receiving yards (341) and receiving yards per game (85.3) and second in touchdown receptions (4) and receptions per game (5.3). In the backfield, senior running back Corey Avery has racked up the third-most rushing yards in the conference (298) and averages an impressive 6.8 yards per carry, ranking third in the league in rushing yards per game (74.5). Junior running back Remus Bulmer isn't too far behind with 254 yards on the ground this season at 7.5 per rush. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bearkats are grounded in three-time All-Southland First Team selection senior defensive end P.J. Hall, who has registered four tackles for loss and two sacks this season. Junior linebacker Justin Johnson, a First-Team All-Southland honoree in 2016, leads Sam Houston State with a total of 32 tackles on the year and is fifth in the league in tackles per game (8).

SERIES INFORMATION
Saturday, SFA will attempt to stop a six-game slide in the Battle of the Piney Woods series, tied for the longest win-streak by either team in the rivalry. The last win for the 'Jacks came in 2010 during the first Battle of the Piney Woods game played inside then Reliant Stadium, a 31-28 victory in which senior quarterback Jeremy Moses, now SFA's assistant coach for wide receivers, tossed for 418 yards and four touchdowns to set the Southland all-time total offense record. Last season's 63-28 loss marked the largest margin of loss for the 'Jacks in the series since a 45-10 defeat in 2011. Since 2000, the Bearkats have won 14 of the 17 matchups with SFA winning back-to-back rivalry games in 2009 and 2010. The last time the annual game was played on either institution's campus was Oct. 24, 2009, when the 'Jacks routed Sam Houston State by 39 points (42-3) inside Homer Bryce Stadium. The Bearkats hold a 54-35-2 all-time lead in the series and a 6-1-1 advantage in neutral site meetings. The only year in which the two teams played the Battle of the Piney Woods twice was in 1976 when a neutral-site game on Sept. 11 ended in a 14-14 tie, before Sam Houston State stole an 8-7 win in Nacogdoches on Nov. 20.

LAST TIME OUT: NO. 25 McNEESE 35, SFA 0
Despite having several ample opportunities to come away with points, the Stephen F. Austin football was unable to score against a very athletic McNeese team on Parent's Day inside Homer Bryce Stadium. The 'Jacks were held to just 224 total yards of offense as the 25th-ranked Cowboys racked up 342 yards on the ground and another 163 through the air. McNeese showed its strength in all facets of the game, registering eight tackles for loss on defense, including four sacks, and tallying 10 pass breakups. The Cowboys had two 100-yard rushers and starting quarterback Justin Tabary completed 12-of-24 passes and tossed three touchdowns. A miscue on an optimistic opening drive of the game took away any chance of the 'Jacks scoring and set the stage for the remaining 57 minutes of play. The 'Jacks were unable to generate any offense after their first drive to start the game and were forced into three consecutive three-and-outs. SFA was outgained 307 to 91 in the first half. Blumrick finished 22-of-42 for 163 yards on the night as sophomore wide receiver Tamrick Pace (Brownsboro, Texas) collected 64 yards on seven catches. Senior Kijana Amous (Mansfield, Texas) was the Lumberjack's leading rusher in the game with 36 yards on 12 carries. Alize Ward had his third 100-yard kickoff return game of the season with 149 yards on four returns, not to mention leading the team with a game-high tying nine tackles, including a five-yard tackle for loss. As a team, SFA claimed nearly 200 kickoff return yards with 194 on six opportunities. McNeese's Hamm rushed for 164 yards on just 14 carries, while Justin Pratt had 15 touches for 125 yards.

LAST TIME VS. SAM HOUSTON STATE
Second-ranked Sam Houston State came out the aggressor and never let up, opening up a 35-0 lead early en route to routing SFA 63-28 in the 91st installment of the Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium. On the night, the Lumberjacks finished with 446 yards of total offense on 92 plays, running 18 more plays than the Bearkats' 74. But Sam Houston State tallied 653 total yards, averaging 8.8 yards per play compared to 4.8 for the 'Jacks. SFA's passing game finished with 379 passing yards, 263 of which came from Hunter Taylor with Zach Conque throwing for 116 yards. Taylor threw for one touchdown but was sacked five times, while Conque had two touchdown passes and an interception on the last throw of the game, ending a streak of 219 consecutive passing attempts without a pick dating back to the Texas Tech game. The bright spot offensively for SFA was the play of freshman wide receiver Tamrick Pace, setting team and career-highs with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Pace reeled in a 31-yard touchdown pass from Taylor in the third quarter, marking the third-straight game the duo has connected for a touchdown strike. Senior wide receiver Justice Liggins had solid game, catching five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown with Trae Hart catching four passes for 70 yards. Jabralon Allen had the other touchdown for SFA, scoring on an 18-yard pass from Conque for his first career touchdown. On the ground, the 'Jacks struggled, gaining just 67 total yards. Conque led the way with 43 yards on nine carries with Loren Easly carrying eight times for 33 yards and a score. Joshawa West added 20 yards on seven carries. Sam Houston took control of the 91st Battle of the Piney Woods midway through the quarter, using a seven-minute surge to break out to a 28-0 lead after 15 minutes. During a four-minute span, the Bearkats connected on touchdown strikes of 37 and 57 yards, then took advantage of an SFA kickoff return fumble, extending the advantage to 21-0. Entering the game leading the conference in sacks, SFA was unable to register any against the Bearkat offensive attack, finishing with just three tackles for loss. One of those came from Kedrick Harrison, marking the 30th of his Lumberjack career. The victory for Sam Houston State gives them six-straight over SFA, tying the longest winning streak in the series. Also, the 63 points for the Bearkats is the most by a team in the series, surpassing the 56 points scored by Sam Houston in 2013. Sam Houston State quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe paced the Bearkat attack with 438 passing yards and seven touchdowns in three quarters of play.

SFA AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS
The 'Jacks are 36-53-3 all time against nationally ranked opponents for a winning percentage of .408. SFA will be attempting to make it six years in a row of defeating a nationally ranked team as the 'Jacks have earned a win over a ranked opponent the last five seasons dating back to Sept. 29, 2012, when they upended No. 12 Central Arkansas (42-37). In seven of the last eight seasons, SFA has taken down a ranked team beginning with a 16-13 home victory over No. 7 McNeese on Oct. 10, 2009. During that span, the 'Jacks have earned a total of 10 wins over ranked opponents, holding a record of 10-15. Of those 10 victories, four came against top-10 teams. Saturday will mark the ninth-straight year the Battle of the Piney Woods features at least one team ranked in the top 25 nationally.

SFA RECEIVING VOTES IN FCS COACHES POLL
Despite suffering a lopsided 35-0 loss against No. 25 McNeese last Saturday, SFA is receiving votes in the FCS Coaches Poll for the first time this season. The 'Jacks received 20 points in the latest rankings published Monday, the third-most among teams receiving votes. It is the first time SFA has received votes in a national poll since Oct. 10 of last year when the 'Jacks garnered 16 points in the STATS FCS Top 25 media poll.

ALIZE SHINING
One very bright spot for SFA this season has been its special teams play, especially in the kickoff return game. Sophomore safety Alize Ward (San Diego, Calif.) has registered 100 or more kickoff return yards in three games this season, including a near-program record 171 in the season opener at SMU. This past weekend, Ward notched 149 kickoff return yards, including a 58-yard return in the second quarter. Through just five games, he has totaled 508 total kickoff return yards on the season and is on pace to set SFA's single-season kickoff return yards record of 1,038. Defensively, Ward has been one of the best defenders in all of the Southland, leading the league in total tackles (47) and ranking second in tackles per game (9.4).

THIRD-MOST SOUTHLAND VICTORIES
With Ward's heroics at the end of SFA's 37-31 comeback win over Incarnate Word on Sept. 16, the 'Jacks became just the third Southland team to notch 100 conference wins all-time. Ward's game-winning, 70-yard pick-six as time expired was SFA's 100th Southland win as the 'Jacks now own an all-time intra-Southland record of 101-97-3 since joining the league in 1987. The only other teams to achieve the feat are McNeese (181) and Sam Houston State (112). With 97 Southland victories, Northwestern State has a chance this season to become the fourth conference school to reach the mark.

COACH CONQUE FOURTH ALL-TIME IN SOUTHLAND VICTORIES
Head coach Clint Conque is quickly climbing the all-time career Southland victories top-10 list as he now has a total of 48 Southland wins after the 20-10 triumph at Abilene Christian. He holds a career record of 48-29 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 one game shy of third place on the all-time Southland wins list as former Northwester State head coach Sam Goodwin occupies the spot with a 49-32-2 career record.

FRANKLIN MOVING UP THE CAREER LISTS
Senior defensive end John Franklin (Greenville, Texas) registered half a sack in the win at Abilene Christian two Saturday's ago, moving him into the all-time top-10 list for career sacks in program history. He now has 15.5 sacks for his career and sits tied for ninth with Ishmiah Miles and James Kern. Additionally, Franklin collected 1.5 tackles for loss in the victory over the Wildcats to move into eighth on SFA's all-time career top-l0 list for tackles for loss (28.5). A week ago in the home Southland opening win over Incarnate Word, Franklin recorded his 27th career tackle for loss to break into the career top-10 list for TFL's.

-SFA-