No Tricks: #2 Jacks Treat Homer Bryce Faithful to 13th-Straight Home Win

Saturday, October 31

Nacogdoches, TX

2:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

9-0 , 6-0

Houston Christian

4-5 , 3-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Houston Christian	0	3	3	0	6
SFA	7	10	20	0	37

A'Amear Walton celebration vs. HCU (10-31-26)

Photo by: Alex Nabor

10/31/2026 7:02:00 PM | Football

Box Score

SFA improves nation’s best regular season win streak to 19 games, SLC streak to 14 games

By: Jacob Pumphrey, Assistant AD for Communications

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – #2 Stephen F. Austin continued its employment of a horrifying defense on Saturday afternoon from Jimmy W. Murphy Field at Homer Bryce Stadium as the Jacks recorded season highs with eight sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 10 passes defended in a 37-6 win over Houston Christian in Southland Conference play. It extends SFA's record to 9-0 with a 6-0 mark in league play.

SFA came alive in the third quarter hitting paydirt in all three phases of the game. Bugs Mortimer housed a punt return from 66 yards away to put the Jacks up 24-3 just 26 seconds into the half. The Jacks then enjoyed a quick separation from the Huskies as Clayton Wayland's second touchdown catch of the day, this from 46 yards and aided on a big block from Stetson Sarratt, and an interception return touchdown by Makai Frisby produced 13 points in 50 seconds turning a 24–6 lead into a 37–6 advantage.

SFA overcame a sluggish 3-and-out on an opening drive that totaled negative two yards. HCU responded with a lengthy 13-play drive that nearly took six minutes off the clock but came away empty as a 48-yard attempt missed right to postpone the first scoring action of the afternoon.

SFA's second possession resulted in the game's first points as the Jacks marched 70 yards over a dozen plays in just under six minutes with Jaylen Jenkins cutting in from seven yards out to give the host the advantage with 1:20 remaining in the opening 15 minutes.

The lone HCU points of the first half were the result of another stand from the Pine Curtain defense. The Huskies moved the football down to the SFA5, but the Jacks forced a second field goal attempt, this one from 23 yards out to give the visitors their lone points prior to the intermission.

Leading 7-3 with 2:30 to play before the break, the Jacks put together a pair of scoring drives beginning with Gavin Rutherford finding Clayton Wayland from 35 yards out with the latter making an impressive over-the-shoulder grab. The Jacks were set up on a 31-yard return by Mortimer. Moments later, and after forcing a punt, the final play of a ten-play drive resulted in a 51-yard make from the leg of AJ Rosen, the first make of his career, to extend the SFA lead to 17-3 at the half.

POSTGAME NOTES

The Jacks recorded a season-high eight sacks matching its total against the Huskies last season in Houston
The eight sacks were courtesy of six different defenders with Emmanuel Harris and K'Mard Kimble with two each
SFA delivered 14.0 tackles for loss for 65 yards and were led by Harris with three and Walton and Kimble with two each
Mortimer finished with two returns for 97 yards including the 66-yard touchdown, his program-record fifth as a Lumberjack, and he moves 84 yards away from setting a new career punt return yardage standard
Wayland recorded his second 100-yard receiving effort of the season after hauling in six passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns
Rutherford was efficient in 22 attempts at a 73% completion rate
McDougal averaged 43.3 yards per punt with a long of 52 and two downed inside the 20, while Kitna averaged 40.5 yards on two short punts with both placed inside the 10 and one inside the HCU1
Rosen's 51-yarder matches Carlos Alvarado's season-long and is the 27^th kick of 51 or more yards in program history
Frisby recorded his fifth interception of the season and his second pick-six
Malachi Williams led SFA with seven tackles and his five solo tackles was matched by Cam Brooks
The Jacks carried a lead at the intermission for the ninth-straight game
SFA has forced a turnover in 11-straight games dating back to last season's second round playoff game against ACU
Houston Christian becomes the sixth opponent to finish with less than 100 yards rushing
The Jacks found the endzone via rush, pass, interception return and punt return for the first time since September 20, 2025 against Cal Poly

ABOUT THE WIN

SFA improves its program-record start to 9-0
The victory pushes SFA's regular season winning streak to 19 games; a program record and currently the best among all Division I teams
SFA's win is the program's 14^th straight in SLC play which is the third-longest conference winning streak in league history
The Jacks' home-winning streak improves to 13 games which matches the longest home-winning streak in program history (2019-22)
SFA's record on Halloween moves to 4-9 with its third-straight win on the final day of October
SFA moves to 31-6 inside HBS since the start of the 2020 season
It is the 32^nd home win for the Jacks in Carthel's tenure (2019)
The Jacks move to 7-1 all-time against HCU and have won the past five matchups
The victory is the 112^th overall in Carthel's career and his program-leading 53^rd at SFA
It is the 240^th win for the Lumberjacks as a Division I program

UP NEXT
The Jacks head to Beaumont next Saturday as the top two teams in the Southland meet in a nationally ranked tilt with regular season title and playoff implications on the line. SFA and Lamar will meet for the 39^th time on the gridiron. The Cardinals are the only team on the '26 schedule that was on SFA's very first in 1923. SFA is 8-2 in the last ten meetings and have won four-straight. The Jacks knocked off the Cardinals to claim the SLC title last fall in Nacogdoches. The Jacks are 10-11-1 all-time in Beaumont. The November 7 kickoff from inside Provost Umphrey Stadium is set for 3 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE REGULAR SEASON FINALE
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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