Photo by: SFA Athletics
‘Jacks Picked Ninth in Southland Football Preseason Poll
7/18/2019 9:06:00 AM | Football
SFA earns 63 points in head coaches and sports information directors’ voting, chosen ahead of Northwestern State and Houston Baptist
HOUSTON – The 2019 Southland Conference Football Preseason Poll was unveiled Thursday morning by the league office in conjunction with the conference's annual media day in Houston and the SFA football program has been picked to finish ninth. Voted upon by the Southland's head coaches and sports information directors, the Lumberjacks received 63 points and were chosen ahead of both Northwestern State and Houston Baptist.
SFA edged the Demons by seven points (56) and were voted well ahead of 11th-place Houston Baptist (21).
Reigning conference co-champion Nicholls was picked to finish atop the league once again after gaining 20 first-place votes and collecting 200 points. The Bears of Central Arkansas were chosen to finish second with 154 points, while 2018 Southland co-champion the University of the Incarnate Word (150) earned one first-place nod and was picked third.
Sam Houston State (146) was tabbed fourth in the preseason poll as Lamar (123) was chosen to finish fifth, McNeese (114) sixth, Abilene Christian (112) seventh and Southeastern Louisiana (71) eighth. The Wildcats were given the lone remaining first-place vote.
The 'Jacks are coming off of a 10th-place finish in the final Southland standings a year ago, when SFA posted a 2-7 league record and went 2-8 overall. For the third-straight year, the 'Jacks earned a victory over ACU with a 24-21 home triumph (Sept. 22) and also notched a dominant 42-14 road win at Houston Baptist (Oct. 20). SFA was picked sixth in each of the last two Southland preseason polls.
NCAA Division II national champion head coach Colby Carthel took over the Lumberjack football program in December and is entering his first season leading the Purple and White. With a championship pedigree and high expectations for the future of the program, coach Carthel signed one of the finest recruiting classes in the nation after just two months in Texas' oldest town. SFA's 2019 signing class in February ranked as the third-best among all FCS institutions and the top in the league according to 247Sports. Furthermore, the Lumberjacks' signing class ranked ahead of a handful of FBS programs and a plethora of FCS powerhouses.
Returning for SFA in 2019 are 41 total letter winners, including 17 on offense, 23 on defense and one on special teams. The 'Jacks welcome back a total of 18 starters from 2018 with eight returning on the offensive side of the ball, nine on the defensive side and one specialist.
Last week, a trio of SFA seniors were tabbed preseason All-Southland as placekicker Storm Ruiz was selected to the first team offense and wide receiver Tamrick Pace was placed on the second team offense. Safety Alize Ward garnered preseason All-Southland Second Team defense honors after claiming All-Southland Second Team accolades in 2018.
The 2019 schedule features 12 games for the 'Jacks with the season opener slated for 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Big 12 Conference's Baylor in Waco, Texas. SFA will also take on Tarleton State at home (Sept. 7) and Southern Utah on the road (Sept. 14) in non-conference action before beginning its nine-game Southland schedule, which will start Saturday, Sept. 21 versus Nicholls in Nacogdoches. In addition to the 94th Battle of the Piney Woods inside NRG Stadium in Houston against Sam Houston State (Oct. 5) and the 54th Battle for Chief Caddo at Northwestern State in Natchitoches (Nov. 21), the 'Jacks will host McNeese (Oct. 26) for homecoming and Incarnate Word (Nov. 9).
Coach Carthel, along with Ward and senior quarterback Jake Blumrick are currently in Houston for the Southland's annual media day, held at the Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria. Live interviews will be streamed on ESPN3, available everywhere via WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app, beginning at 9 a.m. CST. Carthel, Ward and Blumrick will step onto the ESPN3 main stage at 1:45 p.m. for the live broadcast.
SFA football fans are invited to keep an eye on the Lumberjacks' social media platforms for updates throughout the day from Houston (Twitter: @SFA_Football | Instagram: @sfa_football | Facebook: SFA Football).
Archived video of each team's press conference and select quotes from each attendee will be made available after the conclusion of Southland Media Day.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2019 SFA football season can visit the home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
2019 Southland Conference Football Preseason Poll
-SFA-
SFA edged the Demons by seven points (56) and were voted well ahead of 11th-place Houston Baptist (21).
Reigning conference co-champion Nicholls was picked to finish atop the league once again after gaining 20 first-place votes and collecting 200 points. The Bears of Central Arkansas were chosen to finish second with 154 points, while 2018 Southland co-champion the University of the Incarnate Word (150) earned one first-place nod and was picked third.
Sam Houston State (146) was tabbed fourth in the preseason poll as Lamar (123) was chosen to finish fifth, McNeese (114) sixth, Abilene Christian (112) seventh and Southeastern Louisiana (71) eighth. The Wildcats were given the lone remaining first-place vote.
The 'Jacks are coming off of a 10th-place finish in the final Southland standings a year ago, when SFA posted a 2-7 league record and went 2-8 overall. For the third-straight year, the 'Jacks earned a victory over ACU with a 24-21 home triumph (Sept. 22) and also notched a dominant 42-14 road win at Houston Baptist (Oct. 20). SFA was picked sixth in each of the last two Southland preseason polls.
NCAA Division II national champion head coach Colby Carthel took over the Lumberjack football program in December and is entering his first season leading the Purple and White. With a championship pedigree and high expectations for the future of the program, coach Carthel signed one of the finest recruiting classes in the nation after just two months in Texas' oldest town. SFA's 2019 signing class in February ranked as the third-best among all FCS institutions and the top in the league according to 247Sports. Furthermore, the Lumberjacks' signing class ranked ahead of a handful of FBS programs and a plethora of FCS powerhouses.
Returning for SFA in 2019 are 41 total letter winners, including 17 on offense, 23 on defense and one on special teams. The 'Jacks welcome back a total of 18 starters from 2018 with eight returning on the offensive side of the ball, nine on the defensive side and one specialist.
Last week, a trio of SFA seniors were tabbed preseason All-Southland as placekicker Storm Ruiz was selected to the first team offense and wide receiver Tamrick Pace was placed on the second team offense. Safety Alize Ward garnered preseason All-Southland Second Team defense honors after claiming All-Southland Second Team accolades in 2018.
The 2019 schedule features 12 games for the 'Jacks with the season opener slated for 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Big 12 Conference's Baylor in Waco, Texas. SFA will also take on Tarleton State at home (Sept. 7) and Southern Utah on the road (Sept. 14) in non-conference action before beginning its nine-game Southland schedule, which will start Saturday, Sept. 21 versus Nicholls in Nacogdoches. In addition to the 94th Battle of the Piney Woods inside NRG Stadium in Houston against Sam Houston State (Oct. 5) and the 54th Battle for Chief Caddo at Northwestern State in Natchitoches (Nov. 21), the 'Jacks will host McNeese (Oct. 26) for homecoming and Incarnate Word (Nov. 9).
Coach Carthel, along with Ward and senior quarterback Jake Blumrick are currently in Houston for the Southland's annual media day, held at the Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria. Live interviews will be streamed on ESPN3, available everywhere via WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app, beginning at 9 a.m. CST. Carthel, Ward and Blumrick will step onto the ESPN3 main stage at 1:45 p.m. for the live broadcast.
SFA football fans are invited to keep an eye on the Lumberjacks' social media platforms for updates throughout the day from Houston (Twitter: @SFA_Football | Instagram: @sfa_football | Facebook: SFA Football).
Archived video of each team's press conference and select quotes from each attendee will be made available after the conclusion of Southland Media Day.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2019 SFA football season can visit the home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
2019 Southland Conference Football Preseason Poll
| Team (First-place votes) | Total |
| 1. Nicholls (20) | 200 |
| 2. Central Arkansas | 154 |
| 3. UIW (1) | 150 |
| 4. Sam Houston State | 146 |
| 5. Lamar | 123 |
| 6. McNeese | 114 |
| 7. Abilene Christian (1) | 112 |
| 8. Southeastern Louisiana | 71 |
| 9. Stephen F. Austin | 63 |
| 10. Northwestern State | 56 |
| 11. Houston Baptist | 21 |
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