Homecoming History: Jacks Reach Program Record Start with Top 25 Win over SLU

Saturday, October 24

Nacogdoches, TX

5:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

8-0 , 5-0

Southeastern Louisiana

4-4 , 2-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Southeastern La.	7	7	3	7	24
SFA	14	7	21	3	45

Photo by: Alex Nabor

10/24/2026 11:33:00 PM | Football

Box Score

SFA becomes first team in program history to start season 8-0, increases nation’s best active regular season win streak to 18 games

By: Jacob Pumphrey, Assistant AD for Communications

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – In a matchup that received the proper pregame billing, including as the Stats Perform FCS Game of the Week, #2 Stephen F. Austin delivered a program-record eighth-straight win to open a season in a 45-24 dismissing of #23/24 Southeastern Louisiana in front of more than 12,000 fans on a chamber-of-conference evening from Jimmy W. Murphy Field inside Homer Bryce Stadium.

The top 25 tilt, one of three across the FCS landscape in Week 8, was turned on its head in a span of 63 seconds. After recording three touchdowns in its first four drives of the game, the Jacks managed 44 yards on 15 plays over its ensuing three drives: its final two of the first half and brief 3-and-out during its opening possession of the second half.

Holding onto a 21-17 lead and following one of several defensive stands by the Pine Curtain defense, Gavin Rutherford connected on a hot route to Cameron Kelley on a second and three play and the latter took it to the house covering over 75 yards after the catch to push the Jacks to a 28-17 advantage. On the next SLU drive, A'Amear Walton took over and delivered a TFL on the Lions' first play and then changed the game on the following snap by grabbing a deflected pass by Tim Muhammad and hauling it 20 yards to paydirt for a three-possession lead with 3:15 to play in the third quarter.

SFA capped a 21-point third quarter as JT Kitna rushed in from four-yards out after the Jacks were set up by a Chance Sautter interception at the SLU27. The dagger was provided with four minutes to play as a 12-play, 79-yard drive took 8:30 off the clock and ended with Carlos Alvarado punching through a 28-yard attempt.

The Jacks grabbed a 14-0 lead less than seven minutes into the contest as the host leaned heavily on the legs of Jaylen Jenkins who opened scoring with an eight-yard rush to cap a 60-yard drive over six plays. Jenkins broke off a 37-yard carry on the first play of scrimmage and went into the half with 114 yards on ten rushes.

SFA forced a 3-and-out of the Lions on the visitor's first offensive drive of the evening as Eli Ennis delivered a punishing sack of Kyle Lowe for a loss of 12. The Jacks continued to have their way with the Lions as SFA scored on the next possession as Rutherford stamped an eight-play drive by evading a defender via spin move near the goal line for an eight-yard scoring scamper and the aforementioned two-possession lead.

Certainly not lost in two of the Jacks' three first half scoring drives were SFA's kickoff return efforts led by Kylon Harris who delivered three returns for 83 yards including a long of 38 which set the Jacks up at the SFA40 and a return of 36 that put SFA at their own 42. The Jacks scored touchdowns on both drives.

The Jacks overcame several self-inflicted miscues including a pair of holding calls on explosive scoring runs by Jenkins and a muffed punt early in the third quarter. The Lumberjack defense forced a FG following the special teams turnover to keep the lead intact. Earlier in the game and leading 14-0, SFA fumbled inside the 10 to set up a short scoring drive by the Lions who mustered just 45 yards on 14 first quarter plays. The Jacks answered SLU's first points as Rutherford duped the defense with a RPO and found a wide-open Clayton Wayland from 13 yards out to move the lead back to two scores with 13:23 to play in the second quarter.

Additionally, the Jacks nearly earned a turnover on a crushing sack by Lowote Jurkin in the first half, but the review upheld the ruling on the field. In the waning seconds of the second quarter, the Jacks called a timeout to void an SLU FG attempt and the next kick moments later doinked off the crossbar to keep the lead at seven, 21-14.

POSTGAME NOTES

Jenkins delivered an outstanding effort toting the football turning 17 attempts into 159 yards averaging nearly ten yards a pop with a score
Kelley's three catches for a career-high 100 yards made him the fourth different SFA receiver to reach the century mark in receiving yards this season
Malachi Williams became the first Jack to record 10+ tackles in a game this season with 11 stops (6 solo) to pace the defense
Walton and Sautter each recorded their first interception of the season. Walton returned his pick 20 yards for a touchdown.
Sacks by Ennis and Jurkin brings SFA to 28 for the season

ABOUT THE WIN

It is the largest margin of victory over a ranked opponent since a 30-point win over Southwest Missouri State in 1989
SFA improves to 44-41-1 all-time in Homecoming games, has won three straight and is 4-3 under Carthel
SFA is off to the program's first 8-0 start to a season
The victory pushes SFA's regular season winning streak to 18 games; a program record and currently the best among all Division I teams
SFA's win is the program's 13^th straight in SLC play which ties Southeastern Louisiana (2012-2014) for the third-longest conference winning streak in league history; the Lions' streak was snapped at 13 games with SFA's 27-17 win on Oct. 25, 2014
The Jacks' home-winning streak improves to 12 games; the second longest such streak in program history and second streak of 12+ games under Carthel
SFA moves to 30-6 inside HBS since the start of the 2020 season
It is the 31^st home win for the Jacks in Carthel's tenure (2019)
The Jacks snapped a three-game losing streak to the Lions, improve to 12-10-1 all-time against Southeastern Louisiana and to 7-4 in Nacogdoches
Carthel improves to 10-6 all-time against Louisiana programs and 10-5 against Southland schools from the Pelican State
The victory is the 111^th overall in Carthel's career and his program-leading 52^nd at SFA
It is the 239^th win for the Lumberjacks as a Division I program

UP NEXT
The Jacks close out a four-in-six-week home swing on Halloween afternoon against Houston Christian. SFA and HCU meet for just the eighth time with the Jacks holding a 6-1 advantage in the series. SFA has averaged over 43 points per game and won by an average north of 35 ppg in the last four meetings with the Huskies. The contest serves as the SFA's annual Cally Belcher Day as the Jacks remember and honor the legacy of Presley Calloway "Cally" Belcher, an SFA all-conference defensive back who passed away from a brain aneurysm following a spring practice in 1994. He was 22. The October 31 kickoff from inside Homer Bryce Stadium is set for 2 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

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.

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