Stephen F. Austin
(2) Montana State
NOTES: 'Jacks Trek to Treasure State for Quarterfinal Showdown with Perennial Power Montana State
12/11/2025 10:23:00 AM | Football
SFA makes third playoff trip to the state of Montana eyeing national semifinal berth
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - A trip to the FCS Semifinals is on the line on Friday night inside scenic Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana, as #10/10 (7) SFA tangles with perennial FCS power Montana State in a prime time kickoff (8:02 p.m. CT) on ESPN. It's the seventh meeting all-time between the Lumberjacks and the Bobcats and the first played outside the month of September. The victor will be one of just four teams remaining in the national playoffs and will face the (3) Montana/(11) South Dakota winner with a national title berth at stake. Live coverage links of the Southland vs. Big Sky matchup are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
• A HISTORIC CAMPAIGN: The 2025 season already stacks up as one of the most successful in program history. The 'Jacks captured the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. SFA enters the FCS Quarterfinals on a program-record 11-game winning streak. The 'Jacks have reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history and its 11 victories are the most since the '95 campaign.
• POSTSEASON PIGSKIN: By earning the Southland's automatic playoff berth, Stephen F. Austin ensured the program's ninth FCS (DI-AA) postseason appearance and its first since 2021. Last Saturday's win over (10) #13/14 Abilene Christian marked the fifth playoff-opening win by the 'Jacks, while Friday night's tilt marks the second-latest kickoff on the calendar in program history.
• TREASURE STATE RETURN: Friday night's tilt marks the third postseason trip to the Treasure State for the Lumberjacks. SFA previously played Montana in a pair of playoff matchups: defeats in the 2009 FCS Second Round and the 1995 DI-AA Semifinal. It also marks the return of Sam Vidlak, who played seven games for the Griz during the 2023 season and led Montana to four wins in its first five games.
• STREAKIN': In the 'Jacks 11-game win streak, SFA has crossed over 30 points in ten of 11 games with four or more points in four of their last five. The 'Jacks are averaging nearly 429 yards of total offense during the streak; almost 180 more yards per game than their opposition. SFA is +10 in turnovers over the last 11 games, holding foes to a 27% success rate on third down while having registered 102 tackles for loss.
• PINE CURTAIN DEFENSE: SFA carries the nation's second-best total defense (266.0) into the quarterfinal round made possible by the nation's third-best rushing defense (87.8) and the seventh-highest pass efficiency defense (113.75). The 'Jacks hold a top 20 mark nationally in third down conversion defense (31.6%). SFA's 204 first downs allowed are the third-fewest surrendered nationally. The 'Jacks rank fifth in scoring defense allowing just 16.7 ppg. SFA's 21 turnovers gained are a top 20 total in FCS.
• BACKFIELD BANDITS: No team in the country has spent more time in opponent's backfields than the 'Jacks. SFA leads FCS in tackles for loss (8.8) and carries a top 10 mark nationally in sacks (3.08). SFA has recorded 114.0 total tackles for loss for 426 loss yards. A dozen 'Jacks are responsible for 3.5 TFL and five have been credited with 7.0 or more including Ky Thomas who leads the effort with 13.0 for 49 loss yards.
• MAMA, THERE GOES THAT MAN!: A human highlight reel with two appearances on SC's Top 10 this season, senior wide receiver Kylon Harris is nearing a second-straight 1,000 yard receiving campaign. The Reserve, Louisiana native is coming off of an SFA single-game playoff record 183 yards on the second-most catches in a postseason game with 11 and a score. Harris is the fourth Lumberjack with 200+ career catches as his 225 receptions are the second-most all-time, and he sits fourth all-time in TD catches and receiving yards.
• DEACON DEMMINGS: Highly sought after senior cornerback Charles Demmings will have multiple opportunities to continue his playing career at the professional level. The Mesquite, Texas native, most recently accepted an invite to the Panini Senior Bowl. That honor for one of the most respected and vocal leaders of the Lumberjacks is added to an East-West Shrine Bowl invite that he received in November as well as an invite to the FCS combine in Nashville on January 4-5.
• LIGHTNING BUGS: Opposing special teams coordinators are going looney in an effort to figure out ways to slow down electric Lumberjack return man Bugs Mortimer. This season Mortimer has set a new program and conference record for punt return yards (537) in a single season. He leads the country with four punt return touchdowns, after his 79-yard score-opening return in the win over Northwestern State, and in punt return average at 21.5. In between lightning delays against Nicholls, Mortimer dazzled with an impressive tight-roping act along the SFA sideline before reversing field on a 66-yard race to paydirt. His 159 punt return yards against the Colonels set a new single-game program record besting former 'Jack and NFLer Floyd Dixon's 126 vs. Abilene Christian in 1985. He is the first 'Jack since at least 2002 to have four punt return touchdowns in the same season.
• BACKER BALLER: Senior linebacker Jaydon Southard averages 9.5 tackles per game, a top 15 mark nationally. This season, the Wichita Falls, Texas native has registered five games of double-digit stops including a 16-tackle effort at UIW which led to him being named the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week in addition to receiving SLC defensive honors as. He produced back-to-back double-digit tackle efforts for the first time as a Lumberjack after a career-high 16 vs. Abilene Christian, which followed 11 in the season opener against Houston. Southard is the first SFA defender to cross over the century mark in tackles since 2019 and he is the first Lumberjack with multiple games of 16+ stops since Devin Ducote in 2010.
• TRENCHMEN: A pair of SFA offensive linemen in Erik Gray and Chimdia Nwaiwu lead the effort up front for SFA. Both were honored as All-SLC first team honorees with Gray being named the league's offensive lineman of the year. Gray rates as the league's top center according to PFF's FCS player grades. His 73.7 offensive rating along with his 72.9 run blocking grade are tops among all SLC centers, while his pass blocking grade is fifth best among linemen with 390+ snaps played. Nwaiwu holds PFF's highest grade among SLC offensive tackles which includes the highest overall offensive rating among tackles as well as a league-best 82.5 pass block rating.
Three SFA defensive lineman earned All-SLC honors with Ky Thomas and Aaron Austin being named first-team defenders with Eli Fields garnering a second-team nod. Thomas was the only SLC player with double-digit TFL in league play (10.5; 1.31 per game). For the entire regular season, Thomas ranked third in the SLC in sacks per game (0.50) and fifth in tackles for loss per game (1.05). Thomas is SFA's top rated edge defender with PFF grades of 81.3 (DEF) and 82.5 (RUN DEF) which rates as the fifth best among all SLC edge defenders. Austin was one of eight SLC defenders with 5.0+ sacks and he posted the second-highest PASS RUSH (84.9) PFF metric among SLC edge defenders in the regular season with the eighth-highest OVR DEF (78.5) PFF metric. Fields concluded the regular season as the top rated SFA interior defensive lineman in terms of PFF grades. He holds the fourth highest PFF DEF grade among all SLC interior defenders and the second-best PFF RDEF grade of 86.6.
• ENTERING THE PLAYOFFS: Following the conclusion of the regular season, the 'Jacks held top 10 team statistical marks nationally in team tackles for loss (1st), punt return average (1st), total defense (2nd), third-down defense (2nd), first downs defense (3rd), rushing defense (3rd), scoring defense (3rd), red zone defense (4th), team sacks (7th), net punting (7th) and punt return defense (8th).
• ALL AUSSIE, ALL-AMERICAN: Freshman punter Lachie Pozzobon became the first 'Jack to earn postseason All-American honors in 2025 as the collegiate rookie was named to the FCS Football Central Freshman All-America Team. In 13 games this season, the Australia native has punted 50 times at an average just under 42 yards per punt. Two dozen punts have been fair caught and 17 have landed inside the 20 with six punts of 50+ including a long of 54. His efforts have aided the 'Jacks in leading the league in net punting and punt return defense; both of which are in the top 10 nationally.
• DIRTY DOZEN: A win over the Bobcats would increase the 'Jacks' program record win streak to 12 games and match the program record for wins in a season with the 1989 squad.
• POINTS, POINTS, POINTS: The 'Jacks crossed over 30 points in the first eight games during the win streak marking the longest stretch of 30+ point games in program history.
• VIVA LA VIDLAK: Senior quarterback Sam Vidlak, the SLC's Offensive Player of the Year, has thrown a touchdown pass in each of his last nine games including three touchdown strikes in SLC wins over McNeese, UIW and Northwestern State and most recently against Abilene Christian. The Applegate, Oregon native became the ninth Lumberjack to reach 40 passing touchdowns in a career and he crossed over the 50 TD pass mark for his collegiate career. He eclipsed the 5,000 yard mark in the regular season finale and is currently inside the program's top 10 all-time.
• CAN'T CONTAIN KYLON: Harris hauled in a single-game program record 16 receptions for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the win at East Texas A&M and in the process bested Duane Brooks' previous single-game program record of 15 receptions set in games against Eastern Washington and Northwestern State in 2009.
• RELL YEAH!: Senior running back Jerrell Wimbley moved into sixth place on the all-time rushing yards list and the all-time rushing touchdowns list against Abilene Christian. The Houston native is one of just ten players in program history with 3,000+ all-purpose yards. Wimbley became the 11th Lumberjack all-time to reach 2K on the ground and this season he became the eighth 'Jack to score 20 times on the ground in a career. Earlier this season, Wimbley enjoyed a career-high 171 yards on a single-game best 29 carries vs. McNeese.
• 15 + 4 = 6: Saturday's nine-yard touchdown pass from Sam Vidlak to Kylon Harris, who needed just one hand to haul in the grab, was the ninth scoring strike between the duo this season and the 17th TD connection in 21 games played together.
• BIG PLAY 'JACKS: SFA has produced 57 offensive plays of 20+ yards this season with 19 accounting for 40 or more yards. The longest play from scrimmage through ten games is a Sam Vidlak to Kylon Harris 76-yard touchdown against McNeese. The 'Jacks have accounted for eight plays of 50+ yards this season.
• DON'T MIND A LENGTHY DRIVE: This season, the 'Jacks have totaled 13 drives that have lasted 4:30 or more minutes including three drives of 7+ minutes. In terms of yardage, the 'Jacks have 16 scoring drives of 75+ yards including a nation's best four drives of 95+ yards.
• CARTHEL CLAIMS NO. 100: SFA's victory over HCU earned head coach Colby Carthel career win #100. Carthel, who led Texas A&M-Commerce, now East Texas A&M and then a Division II member, to the 2017 NCAA DII National Championship, won 59 games with the Lions. His 43 victories while leading SFA are the third-most in program history.
• REESE RACES: Senior Richard Reese, in his first year with the 'Jacks, tallied 142 all-purpose yards against Sul Ross. A former BIG 12 Freshman of the Year at Baylor touched the football six times and in the process recorded the longest rush and the longest reception of his career.
• ADD MAYO: First-year 'Jack Jalen Mayo has proven to be a key addition to the SFA secondary this season with an SLC-best output in passes defended with 1.08 per game. That total ranks inside the top 25 in FCS. He broke up a pass in four-straight games including two each in wins over UIW and Nicholls and has four interceptions on the season with one in three-straight weeks in wins over UTRGV, HCU and Lamar.
• OUR GUY MALACHI: Junior linebacker Malachi Williams delivered 17 tackles in SFA's first action against ACU this season which was just his second game as a 'Jack. That's the most in a game by an SFA defender since Gavin Roland's 17 against Nicholls in 2019. Williams ranks second on the team in tackles with 85.
• GET OUT OF GAVIN'S WAY: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Gavin Rutherford has plunged his way into the endzone five times this season establishing himself as a short-yardage threat. He has rushed 33 times this season for 171 yards with the aforementioned scores as well as a handful of fourth-down conversions. He tossed three touchdowns against HCU in his fourth career start and added four rushes for 55 yards. In the win over Lamar, Rutherford completed 17 passes for 140 yards and added 75 rushing yards on 13 attempts.
• HAND HAS A LEG: Jacob Hand nailed a 54-yard field goal, in his first career attempt, to open scoring against Nicholls. At the time, it was tied for the second-longest FG in program history and marked the longest make by a Lumberjack since Storm Ruiz's 54-yarder against Northwestern State in 2019. However, Hand bettered his career long with a 56-yard make in the win over Lamar in his second-ever FGA. It's the second-longest FG in program history and the longest since Chuck Rawlison's 58-yard make against Sam Houston in 1991. He is the third 'Jacks placekicker with multiple makes of 54+ in a career and the first with multiple such makes in a single season. Hand handles SFA's kickoff duties and is averaging 62.4 yards per kick with 46 touchbacks.
• BIG PLAY CLAY: Sophomore wide receiver Clayton Wayland has developed into an offensive weapon for SFA in year two. The Southlake, Texas native has hauled in multiple passes in ten games this season. He recorded a career-high seven catches with two touchdowns against UTRGV. Against UIW, Wayland delivered a six-catch, career-high 100-yard performance that was highlighted by a career-long 58-yard, YAC-filled grab. Nearly a third of SFA's plays that have went for 40+ yards have involved Wayland as he added a 40-yard catch against the Colonels to the big play at UIW, a 40-yard catch at Houston and a 44-yard reception against Cal Poly.
• LET'S KICK IT: First-year Lumberjack Carlos Alvarado has been a key part of the 'Jacks' scoring efforts as of late. Against Lamar, Alvarado registered a three-FG, 11-point effort in the 11-point win. Of those three kicks, one was a career-long 43 yarder. He hit his 11th FG of the season to put SFA up seven late in last week's win. Alvarado is 11-for-12 on FGA this season and has made 56 of 57 PATs.
• HOME SWEET HOMER: With wins over UTRGV and Lamar, SFA closed out the regular season unbeaten at home for the ninth time in program history. SFA concluded its three-game home stretch unbeaten after wins over Sul Ross, Cal Poly and McNeese. That successful stretch inside Homer Bryce marked the first time since 2014 that the 'Jacks played three consecutive weeks in Nacogdoches. Since the 2020 campaign, SFA is 26-6 inside Homer Bryce Stadium.
• IF YOU'RE GONNA PLAY IN TEXAS: Then play in Texas. SFA's trek to Big Sky Country marks just the second time that the Lumberjacks have traveled outside the state of Texas this season. The first was the brief 112-mile trip through the Sabine National Forest to Natchitoches, Louisiana, in the regular season finale. But don't just play in Texas. Get coached by Texas. Led by Carthel, who's entire coaching career as well as prep and collegiate playing career has taken place in the state of Texas, ten other assistant coaches hail from the Lone Star State.
