Stephen F. Austin Opens up Southland Play by Welcoming Incarnate Word Saturday

Saturday, September 16

Nacogdoches, Texas

6:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

Incarnate Word

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Stephen F. Austin Opens up Southland Play by Welcoming Incarnate Word Saturday

9/13/2017 2:34:00 PM | Football

The ‘Jacks face their first Southland Conference opponent of 2017, taking on Incarnate Word as SFA seeks its first win of the season

By: Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

THE KICKOFF
Stephen F. Austin football turns its attention to league play as the Lumberjacks host Incarnate Word Saturday, Sept. 16, for their 2017 Southland Conference opener. For the second-straight week, SFA will play a night game at 6 p.m. inside Homer Bryce Stadium as Saturday's tilt begins the Lumberjacks' nine-game conference schedule. It is the second of three home games SFA will play in the month of September.

FOLLOWING THE LUMBERJACKS
Saturday's game against Incarnate Word 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
The Southland opener will be featured as faculty and staff appreciation day and a Zeta Tau Alpha pink out game. It will also be the fourth annual Cally Belcher game as the SFA football program and SFA athletics honor the late Cally Belcher with senior safety Marlon Walls wearing the retired No. 16 jersey in remembrance.

REMEMBERING CALLY
The game against the Cardinals will be much more than just a conference opener for Stephen F. Austin. The 'Jacks will remember Presley Calloway "Cally" Belcher, a SFA all-conference defensive back who passed away from a brain aneurysm following a spring practice in 1994. Born in 1971, Belcher was a three-year letter winner for SFA at the strong safety position and helped lead the 'Jacks to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in 1993. During a spring practice on March 22, 1994, Belcher was going through drills and took a blow to the helmet. He collapsed on the field and was transported to the hospital where he stayed in a coma for a week. On March 29, 1994, at 22 years old, Belcher died. Known as one of the hardest hitters in the Southland at the time, Belcher's number 16 jersey was permanently retired on Sept. 10, 1994, with a special halftime ceremony during a game versus Montana State. For 20 years the No. 16 jersey was never worn by a SFA player until the 20th anniversary of Belcher's passing in 2014, when the first Cally Belcher game was held inside Homer Bryce. Wide receiver Aaron Thomas was the first player to wear the No. 16 jersey since its retirement during the 'Jacks' 35-20 home win over Weber State on Sept. 20, 2014.

WALLS IN NO. 16
A football player who best exemplifies Belcher's traits of determination, a desire to succeed and a love of the game earns the Cally Belcher Award during SFA athletics' annual Champions Dinner. This past May, Marlon Walls was named the Cally Belcher Award recipient, becoming just the second defensive player to wear the No. 16 jersey since 1993. Now an annual remembrance, Walls joins former teammates defensive end Jamal Allen, who wore the number in 2016, running back Joshawa West, who wore the retired jersey in 2015, and Thomas as players who have honored Belcher by playing in his number.

THE CHIZIK CONNECTION
Former Auburn University head football coach Gene Chizik, now retired from coaching as of this past February, developed a close relationship with Belcher after arriving at SFA in 1992 as an assistant coach. The death of Belcher hit Chizik especially hard as Cally was one of the young men Chizik mentored and coached directly. Chizik was one of the first responders after Belcher's collision and his memory has stayed with him since. After the death of Belcher, Chizik promised himself that if he ever had a son he would name him "Cally". On July 26, 2000, Gene and Jonna Chizik welcomed Eugene Calloway "Cally" Chizik into this world, naming their son after the late Cally Belcher. Chizik left SFA as a defensive coordinator in 1997 and eventually became the head coach at Auburn in 2008, leading the Tigers to an undefeated 14-0 season in 2010 and claiming the BCS National Championship. He is one of only two coaches to ever lead Auburn to a national championship and the first since 1957.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
2017: 0-2 overall, 0-0 Southland Conference (T6th)
Last Three Games: Loss at Fresno State (66-0), Loss at Sacramento State (56-22), Win vs. Houston Baptist (28-26) (2016 finale)
Head Coach: Larry Kennan (LaVerne, 1966). Sixth season at Incarnate Word (19-38, .333); 10th season overall (43-56-3, .436).
Key Offensive Players:
• #3 Sean Brophy (So., QB): 32-of-59 (54.2%) for 296 yds., 1 TD, 4 INTs, 34-yd. long
• #22 Jamari Gilbert (Sr., WR): 9 catches for 98 yds., 10.9 yds. per catch, 28-yd. long
• #11 Zaire Andre (Jr., WR): 7 catches for 96 yds., 13.7 yds. per catch, 1 TD, 34-yd. long
• #1 Desmond Hite (So., RB): 34 rushes for 92 yds., 23-yd. long
Key Defensive Players:
• #25 Jamarkese Williams (Jr., CB): 14 tackles (9 solo), 1.0 TFL for -2 yds., 1 pass breakup
• #8 Quandre Washington (Sr., LB): 11 tackles (6 solo), 1 fumble recovery
• #96 John Williams (Jr., NT): 11 tackles (6 solo), 1.0 TFL for -2 yds.
• #55 Darrius Montgomery (Jr., DE): 6 tackles (4 solo), 2.5 TFL for -4 yds., 1 forced fumble, 1 blocked punt

OPPONENT SYNOPSIS
Incarnate Word returns to the Lone Star state after two lengthy road trips to the West Coast. The Cardinals opened up the 2017 season with a pair of California opponents and had to travel to the Pacific time zone twice, facing Fresno State (L, 66-0) in the first game of the season and taking on Sacramento State (L, 56-22) this past weekend. After wrapping up the 2016 season on a high note with a pair of Southland Conference victories at Lamar (35-28) and versus Houston Baptist (28-26), UIW has gotten off to a sluggish start in 2017. Led by sixth-year head coach Larry Kennan, the Cardinals went 3-8 a year ago after posting a 6-5 record in 2015. Through two games this season, UIW has collected just 431 total yards of offense, including a conference-low 45 on the ground. The Cardinals are averaging a mere 0.8 rushing yards per game and rank ninth in the Southland with a 193.0 passing yards per game average. On the defensive side of the ball, UIW ranks last in the league in total defense, pass defense and pass defense efficiency. In two games, the Cardinals have given up 1,148 total yards as opponents have thrown for 791 yards and nine touchdowns.

SERIES INFORMATION
SFA owns a 3-0 lead in the series with Incarnate Word after most recently defeating the Cardinals 42-19 a year ago in San Antonio. The 'Jacks are 2-0 against UIW inside Homer Bryce after welcoming the Cardinals to Nacogdoches back-to-back years in 2014 and 2015. During UIW's inaugural season in the Southland in 2014, SFA handed the visiting Cardinals a 38-3 loss as head coach Clint Conque picked up his first victory as the Lumberjack's leader. A year later on Halloween of 2015, SFA came away with a dominant 55-21 win over UIW. The two home wins by the 'Jacks were followed by the 42-19 triumph in San Antonio on Oct. 29 of 2016. The three commanding wins give SFA an impressive 30.7-point average margin of victory in the series. The 2014 version of the 'Jacks versus the Cardinals also marked the first win in senior defensive end John Franklin's career as the Greenville, Texas (Greenville H.S.), went winless during his four-year high school career.

LAST TIME OUT: SOUTHERN UTAH 51, SFA 14
Southern Utah handed the SFA its worst home-opening loss since being defeated 77-7 by Texas A&I (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) on Oct. 2, 1976. For the second-straight week, the 'Jacks found themselves trailing by over 30 points after one half of play and could not recover. The Thunderbirds racked up 633 total yards of offense and held the Lumberjacks to just 254 in SFA's 2017 home opener. Taking advantage of big plays for the entire night, Southern Utah scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter sparked by a sack and fumble recovery.

After a pair of drives from both teams resulted in punts to start the game, a five-minute touchdown drive by visiting Southern Utah with 2:42 remaining in the first quarter broke the 0-0 tie. The Thunderbirds' experienced defensive front seven began to show during SFA's following possession as junior TCU transfer quarterback Foster Sawyer (Fort Worth, Texas) took the first of three sacks in the game. A three-yard quarterback keeper by Southern Utah's Patrick Tyler gave the visitors a 14-0 advantage less than a minute into the second quarter. Another quarterback sack moments later led to Southern Utah's third touchdown of the game as the Thunderbirds' Chance Bearnson forced a Sawyer fumble that was recovered by Taylor Nelson. Tyler found Southern Utah's Judd Cockett for a 15-yard touchdown completion with just over 11 minutes to go before the break, making it a 21-0 game. Still without a first down in the contest, the 'Jacks got their first with just under 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter on a 13-yard pass from Sawyer to senior running back Kijana Amous (Mansfield, Texas). However, SFA would be forced to punt once again after the next set of downs. It only took the visitors two plays and 93 yards to grab a commanding 28-0 lead as Tyler found Southern Utah's Landen Measom for a 96-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The 'Jacks had their first chance to score about midway through the second quarter but after going for it on 4th-and-5 at the Thunderbirds' 36, Sawyer saw his pass fall incomplete to junior Texas A&M transfer wide receiver Frank Iheanacho (Houston, Texas). Following a 15-yard catch inference call on a punt, Southern Utah ended the half with a 1:53 10-play, 30-yard drive that resulted in a 23-yard field goal.

A much better third quarter for SFA resulted in the Lumberjacks' lone touchdowns of the night as the purple and white outscored Southern Utah 14-10 in the quarter. SFA came out of the locker room on a mission and took the ball 58 yards in six plays following the second-half kickoff. A 35-yard catch-and-run from Sawyer to Amous setup a 13-yard touchdown strike to sophomore wide receiver Tamrick Pace (Brownsboro, Texas). The first touchdown of the year of the year for the 'Jacks inside Homer Bryce came with 12:55 remaining in the third quarter and was answered with a nine-play, 51-yard drive by the Thunderbirds that culminated with a 39-yard field goal. SFA's ensuing drive was cut short after a false start and Sawyer's first interception of the season. For the second time of the night, the Thunderbirds took advantage of the Lumberjacks' miscue, tacking on another seven points on the second-longest play of the game. SFA's longest and most successful play of the night came later in the third quarter when the 'Jacks spent 4:05 on a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive. A 18-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Cody Williams (Pearland, Texas) and several strong runs by sophomore running back Jamall Shaw (Broken Arrow, Okla.) led to a one-yard touchdown run by Shaw, making it a 41-14 contest with four and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter. Southern Utah scored 10 more unanswered points in the fourth quarter to make it a 51-14 final.

In his first start behind center as a Lumberjack, Sawyer went 21-of-37 for 217 yards and a touchdown. Pace once again led the SFA receiving corps with seven catches for 65 yards and one of the 'Jacks' two scores. For the second-straight Saturday, sophomore safety Alize Ward (San Diego, Calif.) tallied over 100 yards in kickoff returns, this week recording 101 yards on five returns. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Spencer Choka (Bryan, Texas) (13), Ward (13), freshman safety Trenton Gordon (Rowlett, Texas) (11) and senior cornerback Trent Perriman (Miami, Fla.) (9) posted career highs in tackles. Choka also had a team-best 2.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups, while Perriman broke up three passes.

LAST TIME VS. INCARNATE WORD
Powered by six total touchdowns from quarterback Zach Conque, SFA returned to its winning ways by posting a 42-19 win over UIW at Benson Stadium. The victory snapped the Lumberjack's three-game losing skid as SFA improved to 4-4 on the year and 3-3 in Southland Conference play. Conque finished the night with 296 yards of total offense and had a hand in all six of SFA's touchdowns in its first game in San Antonio since 1947. Conque passed for 229 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 67 yards and three scores, setting a career-high. In all, the 'Jacks accumulated 564 yards of total offense, including a season-best 321 yards rushing. Joshawa West led the way on the ground for SFA with 117 yards, his first 100-yard-plus rushing performance of the season. Loren Easly added 86 yards to go along with Conque's 67 as nine different players had at least one carry for the 'Jacks. Among the receiving corps, Trae Hart had six catches for a career-best 86 yards and a touchdown, followed by Tamrick Pace's five catches for 75 yards and a score. De'Quann Ruffin hauled in the other touchdown reception, finishing with two catches for 46 yards on the night. Defensively, the 'Jacks provided pressure all night, finishing with 12 tackles for loss, six sacks and forcing three turnovers. Zack Starnes and Price Miller each had interceptions on the night for SFA, both of which led to Lumberjack touchdown drives, while John Franklin registered a forced fumble and return off a fumble. George Stone finished with 10 total tackles against the Cardinals, including a team-best 3.5 tackles for loss, with Marlon Walls adding six tackles and Trent Perriman and Ryan Woods both registering five.

A blocked punt on SFA's first drive of the game gave the Cardinals the ball on the Lumberjack 15-yard line. But the 'Jacks' defense came up with a big stop, limiting UIW to just an early field goal and a 3-0 lead after the first quarter. Early in the second quarter with the Cardinals deep in their own territory, Franklin registered a sack and a forced fumble, picking up the loose ball and rumbling down to the three-yard line. Conque would punch it in three plays later, giving SFA the 7-3 lead it would never relinquish. With UIW threatening inside the red zone later in the quarter, Starnes intercepted a pass in the end zone and raced 46 yards up field, ending the threat and giving SFA prime field position. The 'Jacks took advantage, marching the 54 yards in seven plays and finishing with a seven-yard touchdown run by Conque, taking a 14-3 lead into halftime. The second half started out in similar fashion for both teams as an SFA turnover led to a short field goal from UIW. The Lumberjacks' defense held firm on a 1st-and-goal at the three-yard line, limiting the Cardinals to a field goal as the deficit was cut to 14-6. SFA responded with 56-yard kickoff return from Alize Ward, giving the 'Jacks a short field yet again. The 'Jacks went 34 yards in four plays as Conque rushed for his third touchdown of the night, a 17-yard effort which saw him drag a handful of Cardinal defenders over the final five yards, extending SFA's lead to 21-6. Miller's interception on UIW's next drive gave SFA excellent field position once again, starting on the Cardinal 32-yard line. The 'Jacks didn't waste any time taking advantage as Conque threw a pass into the end zone to Ruffin on the first play, hauling in a circus catch to extend SFA's lead to 28-6 after three quarters. The 'Jacks would put the game away in the fourth quarter as Conque threw two more touchdown passes, beginning with a 53-yard catch-and-run to Hart, followed by a 40-yarder to Pace, putting SFA on top 42-12 and cruising to the 42-19 win. The victory marked SFA's first win in San Antonio in 75 years, dating back to when the 'Jacks defeated Trinity 6-0 in 1941.

SFA IN SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE OPENERS
Picked to finish sixth in the Southland this season according to the league's preseason poll, SFA holds an 18-12 record in Southland openers since joining the conference in 1987. Under the Clint Conuqe era, the 'Jacks are 1-2 in league openers with SFA's first Southland opening win coming last year at 13th-ranked McNeese State (31-28). Of the Lumberjack's 30 Southland Conference openers, SFA has played just 11 of those in Nacogdoches. The 'Jacks are 8-3 in such games inside Homer Bryce.

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