Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls
PREVIEW: #3 Jacks Head South to Thibodaux for Matchup with Colonels
10/15/2026 5:28:00 PM | Football
SFA begins back half of regular season slate, puts regular season and SLC streak on line in south Louisiana
#3 Stephen F. Austin at Nicholls
Saturday, October 17Â | 3Â P.M. CT
John L. Guidry Stadium | Thibodaux, La.
LISTEN: Q107.7 FM
PxP: Chase Merrell
Color: Rob Hipp
WATCH: ESPN+Â
PxP: Jeff Palermo
Color: Wayde Keiser
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -Â A refreshed Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack squad is set to see what's shaking in south Louisiana on Saturday afternoon in Thibodaux. The Jacks make the trip across state lines for the second time this season with John L. Guidry Stadium, home of the Nicholls State Colonels, serving as the proving ground in Week 7. The back half of the regular season slate begins at 3 p.m. as the Jacks put a 16-game regular season winning streak on the line, while the Colonels aim to snap a three-game losing streak. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.Â
THE SERIES
The Jacks and Colonels meet for the 39th time in series that was first contested in 1984. SFA won the first-ever meeting in Thibodaux the following season and has earned a dozen wins over the 18 previous matchups in south Louisiana. The Jacks have won two straight with the 2024 win in Thibodaux snapping a four-game losing streak overall to Nicholls. The Jacks lead the series 27-11.
NOTES ON NICHOLLS
Nicholls State is 2–4 overall and 1–2 in Southland Conference play, with both victories coming at home and all four losses occurring by at least 14 points. The Colonels opened with a 44–10 win over Mississippi Valley State, forcing four turnovers and building a 37–0 halftime lead behind three Ean Rodrigue touchdown passes and two rushing scores from Tamaj Hoffman. Their other high point was a 31–28 conference-opening victory over UTRGV, when Rodrigue threw four touchdowns and Jackson Dufrene tied a school record with three touchdown receptions.
Nicholls has struggled away from Thibodaux, failing to score a touchdown in losses to Kansas State, Sam Houston and Houston Christian, while its defense produced the team's only points on a safety in the 16–2 HCU defeat. Through six games, the Colonels rank last in the Southland in scoring offense at 16.3 points per game and total offense at 297.8 yards per game, although kicker Kingston Phan is a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals. Players to watch include Rodrigue, who has 862 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 127 rushing yards; leading receiver Jordan Smith, who has 28 catches for 366 yards and three scores; Hoffman, the team's leading rusher with 284 yards; and defensive back Skylar Husband, whose two interceptions are tied for third in the conference.
WEEKLY PRESSERS
HC Colby Carthel: WATCH HERE
OL Giovanny Alegria:Â WATCH HERE
OUTTA JACKS WEEK
Since Carthel's first season in 2019, the Jacks are 5-4 in games immediately following an open week.Â
HISTORIC BEGINNINGS
SFA is off to the program's first 6-0 start to a season since the 1995 campaign. It's 4-0 start was the first ever against DI opposition. The Jacks are a single win shy of matching the '95 team's program record 7-0 start to a season.
STREAKIN'
In addition to the heater that the Jacks are on at home, SFA has won a program record 16-straight regular season games following an 0-2 start to the 2025 campaign. The Lumberjacks have also won a program record 11 straight in SLC play dating back to last season.
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
SFA became the first team in the program's DI era and just the third ever to win three games on the road in their first four games of the season. The Jacks were rewarded with a six-week stretch that includes four of five games at home in addition to an open week prior to the lone road trip to Thibodaux during that month and half period.Â
NATIONAL POLLING
Following Jacks Week, Stephen F. Austin football moved into the No. 3 spot nationally in both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Top 25 and the Opta Analyst Stats Perform FCS Top 25. It marks the 16th-straight week that the Jacks have earned a national ranking and the fourth straight as a consensus top 10 team in the country.
SFA advanced a single spot in the coaches poll and jumped four spots from No. 7 in the media rankings. SFA sits behind consensus No. 1 South Dakota State and in-state foe Tarleton State in both polls. The Jacks' No. 3 ranking marks the highest such weekly ranking for the program since November 22, 2010, when SFA ranked No. 2 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 3 in The Sports Network Poll.
Additionally, SFA is inside the top 10 nationally in the latest independent digital media polls by Redshirt Sports (No. 4), FCS Untapped (No. 4) and FCS Nation (No. 8).Â
AFCA FCS Coaches Top 25
W6: #3
W5: #4
W4: #5
W3: #6
W2: #8
W1: #9
W0: #11
PRE: #13
Opta Analyst FCS Stats Perform Top 25
W6: #3
W5: #7
W4: #7
W3: #9
W2: #12
W1: #13
W0: #13
PRE: #13
BAYOU BUSINESS
Carthel owns an 8–6 career record against Louisiana programs, including an 8–5 mark against the Southland's four Louisiana schools since arriving at SFA in 2019. He is 5–4 in games played in the Pelican State and has won his last three trips. The Jacks have also won five consecutive meetings with Louisiana opponents.Â
RARE AIR
With SFA win No. 50 coming against UIW, Carthel became just the third coach to reach 50 wins with multiple four-year programs in the state of Texas. Carthel captured 59 wins at Texas A&M-Commerce (now East Texas A&M) and joined College Football Hall of Famer Dana X. Bible and McMurry legend Randolph M. "Med" Medley. Bible totaled 198 wins in his career of which 72 came at Texas A&M with another 63 at Texas. Medley won 61 times at McMurry and reached 50 at Southwestern.Â
ENNIS COMES FULL CIRCLE
Redshirt senior linebacker Eli Ennis returns to Thibodaux on Saturday, where he began his collegiate career and played 32 games for Nicholls from 2022–24. The Ohatchee, Alabama native earned Southland Freshman of the Year honors in 2022 before becoming an All-American and Buck Buchanan Award finalist in 2024. After spending 2025 at UAB, Ennis returned to the Southland this fall as a Lumberjack and was voted a team captain by his peers. Through six games, he ranks second on the team with 30 tackles, including 16 solo stops, while adding 3.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery.
MADE TO BE BROKEN
Fifth-year wide receiver Kylon Harris enters the Week 7 matchup against Nicholls just three receptions shy of breaking current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and return specialist Xavier Gipson's program record 243 receptions. Additionally, Harris is 20 yards shy of becoming just the third wideout in program history to reach 3K receiving yards.
Harris' 109 receiving yards in the Family Day win over NSU marked the 14th 100-yard receiving game of the Pelican State native's career and he became the first Jack to record a 100-yard game this season.Â
The Louisiana native returns to the Pelican State for the final time in his collegiate career. He has 32 career catches for 471 yards and four touchdowns with 100-yard receiving efforts against Southeastern Louisiana (10/19/24), Northwestern State (11/20/25) and in the Jacks' last trip to Thibodaux (11/2/24).
CARRY ON MY WAYLAND SON
Clayton Wayland ranks second on the team with 15 receptions for 288 yards through six games, averaging 19.2 yards per catch with two touchdowns. He delivered a five-catch, 104-yard performance against UIW to become the second Lumberjack this season to reach 100 receiving yards in a game. Wayland hauled in passes of 31 and 53 yards against the Cardinals, with the latter setting up his eight-yard touchdown reception on the opening play of the fourth quarter. That score extended SFA's lead to 28–20 in an eventual 28–26 victory. The big plays continued a trend established at Prairie View A&M, where Wayland accounted for two of the Jacks' three gains of at least 40 yards.
Since the start of the 2025 season, Wayland has recorded 55 receptions for 814 yards, averaging 14.8 yards per catch. He has produced nine receptions of 30-plus yards, seven of 40-plus yards and two of 50-plus yards. Nearly 35% of his catches  dating back to 2025 have went for 15 or more yards with over 56% (31) of his grabs going for ten-plus yards.Â
START SPREADIN' THE [NEWPORT] NEWS
Play-making since he arrived on campus, first-year defensive back Makai Frisby has made an immediate impact on the backend of the Pine Curtain defense as well as a member of multiple special teams units. Through six games, Frisby has recorded four interceptions, one pass breakup and two blocked field goals. His 0.67 interceptions per game leads the Southland Conference and ranks tied for fourth nationally in the FCS. His most recent interception, a full-extension effort, came in the end zone against UIW, helping the Lumberjacks preserve a 28-26 victory and improve to 6-0.
The Newport News, Virginia native blocked a field goal attempt in consecutive weeks (@PV, vsNSU)Â becoming the first Jack to accomplish the feat since at least 2002 and just the second to block a kick in back-to-back weeks joining Ed Bobino in 2023. Bobino denied a FGA against Texas A&M-Commerce and stuffed an XPA against Utah Tech.
Now about the defensive effort. Frisby became the first SFA defender with three interceptions over the team's first two games of a season since Stephon Rhea in 2005. He picked off two passes including a 35-yard interception return touchdown in the second quarter, delivered two tackles and nearly housed a blocked PAT in the season-opening win at McNeese. Frisby became the first Lumberjack with two interceptions in a game since Jaheim Mullen picked off a pair in a 59-17 victory over Northwestern State on October 5, 2024 inside HBS. He is the first Jack to record two on the road since Trent Perriman collected two in the 2016 Battle of the Chief win over NSU. Frisby? More like Boomerang. That kind of play-making always comes back around.Â
TEAM: THROUGH SIX GAMES, SFA
* is one of seven FCS teams ranked in the top 20 in both rushing offense (195.3; 18th) and rushing defense (93.3; fifth).
* has allowed just 91 points, the fewest through six games in Colby Carthel's tenure.
* ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense with a Southland-best 15.2 points allowed per game.
* ranks eighth nationally in scoring offense at 38.3 points per game, outscoring opponents 230-91.
* ranks tied for sixth nationally in turnovers gained with 14, including nine interceptions and five fumble recoveries.
* ranks second nationally in sacks per game (3.83), recording 23 sacks for 145 yards lost.
* boasts the nation's seventh-best kickoff return defense, allowing just 13.2 yards per return.
* ranks tied for 26th nationally in first downs offense (139) and tied for ninth in third-down conversion defense (29.1%).
* ranks seventh nationally in completion percentage (67.8%), connecting on 122 of 180 passes.
* has outscored opponents 148-41 in the first half, allowing an average of just 6.8 points before halftime.
INDIVIDUAL: THROUGH SIX GAMES,Â
* Gavin Rutherford ranks seventh nationally in completion percentage (68.1%), ninth in passing efficiency (167.79) and tied for ninth in touchdown passes (15). He has thrown for 1,488 yards and added four rushing touchdowns.
* Jaydon Eason leads SFA with 4.5 sacks for 38 yards lost, ranking second in the Southland and 21st nationally in sacks per game (0.75). He has added 6.0 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
* Lowote Jurkin leads the Southland in tackles for loss per game (1.50), totaling 7.5 TFL for 27 yards in five appearances. His 3.5 sacks place him third in the league and tied for 25th nationally in sacks per game (0.70).
* Davonta Morgan-Collins ranks second in the Southland and tied for 16th nationally in passes defended per game (1.33), recording seven pass breakups and one interception.
* Jaiydyn Johnson has seven pass breakups and ranks tied for third in the Southland and tied for 31st nationally in passes defended per game (1.17). He has also contributed 22 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.
* Malachi Williams leads the Lumberjacks with 37 tackles, including 17 solo stops and 20 assists. He has added 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries.
* Jaylen Jenkins leads SFA with 371 rushing yards on 65 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt with three rushing touchdowns. He has added 11 receptions for 85 yards and another touchdown.
* Bugs Mortimer leads SFA with 23 receptions, 364 receiving yards and four touchdown catches in five appearances. His 72.8 receiving yards per game ranks second in the Southland.
SOUTHLAND'S BEST
GAVIN RUTHERFORD — OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (OCT. 5)
Rutherford earned his first career Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor after guiding SFA to a 28–26 victory over UIW. The Katy, Texas native matched his career high with 26 completions on a season-high 34 attempts, throwing for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Rutherford delivered scoring passes of 45, eight and eight yards, while a 25-yard run helped set up the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. The performance marked his third game of the season with at least 290 passing yards and his fourth with three or more touchdown passes, including three consecutive outings.
LOWOTE JURKIN — DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (SEPT. 7)
Redshirt sophomore Lowote Jurkin earned his first career Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor following SFA's 44–7 victory over East Texas A&M. The Pflugerville native recorded two tackles, including 1.5 sacks, along with a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup. Jurkin helped anchor a defensive effort that limited the Lions to 187 total yards, including just 56 rushing yards on 22 attempts. His pressure contributed to a pass rush that helped the Jacks generate three interceptions, bringing their season total to five through two games.
CARLOS ALVARADO — SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK (SEPT. 7)
Redshirt junior Carlos Alvarado collected his second career Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week award following the win over East Texas A&M. The Venezuela native accounted for 14 points, converting all five PAT attempts and field goals of 23, 37 and 26 yards. His first extra point of the evening pushed him to 100 career points as a Lumberjack, while his three field goals matched his career high. Alvarado previously earned the league's weekly honor on November 17, 2025, after his first three-field-goal performance helped SFA defeat Lamar to secure the Southland title.
GROWING UP FAST
FEELING FRESH:Â True freshman Emmanuel Harris continues to make a disruptive impact in his first season as a Lumberjack. Through six games, Harris ranks third on the team with 5.0 tackles for loss totaling 17 yards and is tied for third with 2.5 sacks totaling 11 yards. He has recorded 15 tackles, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. His early production earned recognition from NCAA.com's Stan Becton, who named Harris among seven standout FCS freshmen through the season's first month.
FROM LITTLE ROCK WITH LOVE:Â SFA's 63-14 win over Northeastern State on September 26 provided valuable opportunities for its young defenders, including Little Rock natives Deuce Williams and Tank Reese. The true freshmen and former Joe T. Robinson High School standouts tied for the team lead with eight tackles apiece. Williams added two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Through SFA's first six games, both freshmen have eight tackles, with Williams appearing in two games and Reese in one.
99 PROBLEMS
First-year Jack Jaydon Eason recorded three sacks and a forced fumble against Prairie View A&M, becoming the first Lumberjack with a three-sack game since John Franklin accomplished the feat against West Alabama on September 10, 2016. SFA's published Week 3 report listed Eason as the highest-graded FCS defensive tackle at 92.7.
Through six games, the South Carolina native leads SFA with 4.5 sacks for 38 yards and ranks second on the team with 6.0 tackles for loss for 44 yards. He has added 14 tackles, four quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles, tying Jaiydyn Johnson for the team lead in the latter category.
Eason's 0.75 sacks per game rank third in the Southland and 21st nationally, while his 0.33 forced fumbles per game tie for second in the conference and 15th nationally through games played October 10.
SACK-OGDOCHES
Thirteen Lumberjacks have contributed to SFA's 23.0 sacks for 145 yards. Jaydon Eason leads with 4.5, followed by Lowote Jurkin with 3.5 and Emmanuel Harris and A'Amear Walton with 2.5 apiece. Jaiydyn Johnson and Kylan Darville have recorded 2.0 each, while Eli Ennis, Gary Seidenberger, Chance Sautter, Kyran Moore and Cody Ford have one apiece. Jacoven Julian and Micah Johnson round out the group with a half-sack each.
The Jacks' 3.83 sacks per game rank second nationally and lead the Southland, trailing only Stony Brook's 4.00. Jurkin and Walton each added a sack against UIW. SFA's seven sacks against Prairie View A&M remain its season high and marked the fifth game with at least seven sacks under Colby Carthel.
BACKFIELD BANDITS
SFA has accumulated 51.0 tackles for loss for 213 yards through six games. The Jacks' 8.50 TFL per game rank fourth nationally and lead the Southland Conference. Twenty-three defenders have contributed, with Jurkin pacing the unit at 7.5, followed by Eason with 6.0, Harris with 5.0 and Walton with 4.5. Johnson, Ennis and K'Mard Kimble have recorded 3.0 apiece, while Malachi Williams and Larry Jones III each have 2.5.
BACKER BOYS
Malachi Williams leads SFA with 37 tackles through six games, including 17 solo stops, while contributing 2.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. After recording 91 tackles in his first season at SFA, Williams reached 100 career stops as a Lumberjack with nine tackles in the season-opening win at McNeese and now owns 128.
Gary Seidenberger ranks fourth on the team with 21 tackles through six games, adding 2.0 tackles for loss, an 11-yard sack and an interception in his first season as a Lumberjack. His interception and third-down sack at Abilene Christian helped keep the Wildcats scoreless in the third quarter despite three possessions reaching inside the SFA 40-yard line.
NOW DRIVING
Against Northeastern State, the Jacks put together their first two one-play touchdown drives of the season, along with two 12-play scoring marches, including just the third 99-yard touchdown drive under Carthel. The one-play TD drives were the 26th and 27th under Carthel, while the 12-play possessions were the 36th and 37th touchdown drives lasting a dozen or more snaps.Â
-- Doesn't Take Long:Â The Jacks' 35 offensive scoring drives have averaged 6.0 plays, 55.9 yards and just 2:28 of possession time.
-- Sustaining Drives:Â Eighteen of SFA's 19 scoring drives covering at least 60 yards have reached the endzone, while all 11 covering 70 or more yards have hit paydirt.
-- Opening Statement:Â The Jacks have scored an opening-possession touchdown in four of their six games this season, including the win over UIW.
-- Quarter 2 Earnings: SFA has scored a quarter-best 82 points in the second 15-minute session this fall and has outscored its opponents 148–41 before intermission. The Jacks have carried a halftime lead in all six games.
20 IN 15
SFA scored 20 points in the second quarter of its Week 2 win at Abilene Christian, marking the 24th time under Carthel that the Jacks had scored at least 20 points in a single quarter and the 14th against Division I opposition.
The Jacks added their 25th and 26th such quarters against Northeastern State, scoring 21 points in both the first and second quarters. Through six games, SFA has produced 26 quarters with at least 20 points under Carthel, including 14 against Division I opponents.
GAVIN GOES FOR 5
Behind a career-high four touchdown passes, all in the first half, and a game-opening rushing score against Northeastern State, junior quarterback Gavin Rutherford became the fourth different quarterback under Carthel to account for five touchdowns in a game and the first to do so with a rushing score. That rushing touchdown was the 13th of his career and ninth from six or fewer yards out. Rutherford followed with three touchdown passes against UIW, his third-straight game with at least three.
BIG PLAYS
Through 24 quarters, the SFA offense has produced 38 plays of at least 20 yards, including 13 gains of 40 or more. The Jacks added five explosive plays against UIW, highlighted by a 53-yard Gavin Rutherford-to-Clayton Wayland connection and Jaylen Jenkins' 45-yard touchdown reception. Wayland also hauled in a 31-yard pass, while Rutherford and Speedy Jones contributed runs of 25 and 20 yards, respectively.
SFA's season-high 10 explosive plays against Northeastern State included Jenkins' 55-yard touchdown run, Rutherford's 41-yard scoring pass to Bugs Mortimer and Jones' season-long 70-yard touchdown run. Jones' score remains the Jacks' longest offensive play, surpassing Rutherford's 69-yard touchdown pass to Mortimer at Abilene Christian. SFA also produced three gains of at least 40 yards at Prairie View A&M, with Wayland accounting for two.
ALL-PURPOSE BUGS
Bugs Mortimer added six receptions for 40 yards against UIW, bringing his season totals to a team-leading 23 catches for 364 yards and four touchdowns. He has accumulated 452 all-purpose yards, combining his receiving production with 54 punt-return yards and 34 kickoff-return yards.
Across two seasons as a Lumberjack, the Floridian has totaled 574 receiving yards and 1,202 all-purpose yards. His 2026 receiving total already exceeds the 210 yards he recorded in his first season at SFA.
PASS CATCHERS ABOUND
Eighteen players have caught a pass this season, while 15 different targets have recorded multiple receptions through six games. Mortimer leads with 23 catches, followed by Clayton Wayland with 15, Jaylen Jenkins with 11 and Preston Alford with 10.
Mortimer also leads with 364 receiving yards, followed by Wayland with 288, Kylon Harris with 136, Stetson Sarratt with 134 and Gerard Edimo with 106. Wayland became the second Lumberjack this season to reach 100 receiving yards in a game, joining Harris, after catching five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown against UIW.
2(00) x 4
In the win over Northeastern State, SFA produced 200 yards on the ground for the fourth-consecutive game marking the first such stretch since 1999. That stretch prior to the new millennium included several historic efforts from KaRon Coleman and Isiah Stoker. Coleman went for 216 yards against Sam Houston, the second game in that stretch, and Stoker combined for 439 yards over the final two games with a program record 289 rushing yards on 35 carries in the October 30 win against Jacksonville State. It is the third stretch of 3 or more straight 200-yard rushing efforts under Carthel.Â
SFA has rushed for 1,182 yards through six games, its second-highest six-game total under Carthel and fourth-highest since 2002. Only the 2015 (1,403), 2014 (1,374) and 2024 (1,191) teams produced more rushing yards over their opening six games during that span.
BACKFIELD BLOSSOMING
Senior Jaylen Jenkins leads SFA with 371 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 65 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. He has also contributed 11 receptions for 85 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown against UIW.
Jones leads the Jacks' regular ball carriers at 6.7 yards per attempt, totaling 329 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries. His season-long 70-yard touchdown run against Northeastern State remains SFA's longest offensive play, and he paced the Jacks with 70 rushing yards against UIW.
Preston Alford has added 288 rushing yards and a touchdown on 48 carries, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. His three runs of at least 25 yards include a career-long 51-yard gallop against East Texas A&M, while his receiving contributions now include 10 catches for 93 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season against UIW.
HOMER SWEET HOMER
The Jacks kicked off the 54th season of Homer Bryce Stadium and a third-straight campaign with six home games against East Texas A&M and has since improved a home winning streak that dates back to the 2024 season to 11 games. Since the 2020 campaign, SFA is 29-6 inside HBS and is 30-9 at home under Carthel. The Jacks are currently third nationally in active home-winning streak with the second home winning streak of 11+ games under Carthel.
NEW COORDINATORS, NO PROBLEM
SFA has two new coordinators calling plays this fall, but neither are strangers to the program. Jared May takes over as OC after serving as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach since beginning his second stint in Nacogdoches in 2019. Caid Faske, named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football's 2026 40 Under 40 class, is back in the Piney Woods following three seasons as DC at Colorado State Pueblo. Faske coached the Jack defensive ends from 2019 to 2022. It is the first time since Carthel's first season of 2019 that the Jacks enter a season with new coordinators on both sides of the football.Â
ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
CENTURY MARK IN PIGSKIN CAMPAIGNSÂ
Not long after Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College opened its doors, Dripping Springs, Texas native Robert H. Shelton was designated by SFASTC President Dr. A.W. Birdwell as the program's first football coach. Shelton, who would later become known as the "father of SFA Athletics," not only led that first team in 1923, but dressed out and practiced as well. Eleven days after welcoming students, SFASTC played the first game in program history resulting in a historic 120-0 trouncing of Center High School. It was the first of three wins in the inaugural season and the first of 16 victories in Shelton's six-season tenure. The point total remains a program record for points scored in a single game. Twenty-three players appeared in the first team photo published in the 1924 Stone Fort yearbook. Fast forward ten decades later and one opponent from season one: Lamar, which was known then as South Park Junior College and too in its inaugural season, is part of the '26 slate. The Cardinals won the 1923 meeting 10-0 on October 12 in Nacogdoches. The two sides meet for the 39th time on November 7 in Beaumont.
FOUR DECADES OF DI FOOTBALL
The last four decades of Lumberjack Football has been contested at the Division I level. SFA joined the division in 1986 and in that time has accumulated 237 victories with last season marking the fifth double-digit win season as a DI member.Â
IT'S THE 'LAND, MAN!
Season No. 37 of Southland Conference play is underway for the Lumberjacks. The Jacks' five league titles are the second most among active members behind overall league leader McNeese with 14.
ALL TEXAS, ALL THE TIME
Entering his eighth season directing the gridiron operations in the Piney Woods, head coach Colby Carthel eyes a championship encore for his program which enters the 100th season in school history on a daily mission to "be the best version of the 2026 Lumberjacks" they can be. If anyone embodies #EastTexasTough, it's a man who has spent over a quarter century coaching, and his entire life, in the Lone Star State. A former two-sport standout at Angelo State, all 14 of the Friona native's collegiate head coaching seasons have been spent in East Texas. He's totaled 109 wins, with No. 100 coming in a road blowout of Houston Christian last season, across two stops at a pair of institutions that call the timber-ridden region home. Of the 100+ victories, a program-record 50 have come at SFA. On September 26, Carthel passed Lumberjack legend Jim Hess (1982-88) for first on the all-time wins list. He is one of just six coaches in program history to win 20 or more conference games and is two SLC victories shy from setting a new program record for league wins.
REST IN PEACE TO A LUMBERJACK LEGEND
Former team captain, All-Lone Star Conference lineman and 1956 NFL draft pick Jimmy W. Murphy passed away peacefully at his East Texas farm on Sunday, September 27. He was 91.
A distinguished alumnus and devoted benefactor, Murphy was inducted into the Lumberjack Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. He later served on the SFA Board of Regents from 1995 to 2001, including two terms as chairman. His generous support of scholarships, student-athletes and athletics facilities is reflected in the Jimmy W. Murphy Wellness Center and Jimmy W. Murphy Field at Homer Bryce Stadium.
GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE HOME STRETCH
The Lumberjacks have just three more home games on the regular season schedule! Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your tickets today and be part of the action all season long.Â
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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