PREVIEW: #7 Jacks Eye Bounce Back in the Valley

Saturday, November 14

Edinburg, TX

5:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

UTRGV

11/9/2026 3:00:00 PM | Football

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SFA prepares for tough environment, playoff atmosphere in Edinburg

By: Jacob Pumphrey, Assistant AD for Communications

#7 Stephen F. Austin at (RV) UTRGV
Saturday, November 14 | 5 P.M. CT
Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium | Edinburg, Texas

LISTEN: Q107.7 FM
PxP: Chase Merrell
Color: Rob Hipp

WATCH: ESPN+
PxP: Mark May
Color: Aaron Saenz
Sideline: Jaeda Rael

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - For the first time this season, #7 Stephen F. Austin looks to rebound after a loss as the Jacks regroup for a trip down to the Rio Grande Valley to battle (RV) UTRGV in Week 11 action. SFA, in a tie atop the Southland Conference standings with Lamar, looks to keep pace for a share of the league title and to strengthen an already solid playoff resume against a Vaqueros program that is 10-1 at home over their first two seasons. Live coverage links, including the ESPN+ broadcast as well as SFA audio streaming, are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

THE SERIES
The Jacks won the first-ever meeting with the Vaqueros 41-17 last season in Nacogdoches.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING
SFA climbed to No. 3 in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee's November 5 Top 10 release, trailing Montana State and Tarleton State after placing fourth in the initial October 20 listing. The Lumberjacks' subsequent 45–28 loss at Lamar, ranked No. 10 by the committee, could likely shift both programs' positions when the final seeds are determined. SFA remains in contention for one of eight first-round byes, with its final two regular-season games providing opportunities to strengthen its postseason résumé. No additional public committee rankings are scheduled before the 24-team playoff field is announced Sunday, November 22, at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.

FCS Top 10 Committee Rankings
NOV. 5: #3
OCT. 20: #4

FCS Top 10 – Ranking #2
1. Montana St.
2. Tarleton St.
3. SFA
4. South Dakota St.
5. Youngstown St.
6. Northern Ariz.
7. Austin Peay
8. South Dakota
9. Tennessee Tech
10. Lamar

FCS Top 10 – Ranking #1
1. Montana St.
2. Tarleton St.
3. Youngstown St.
4. SFA
5. South Dakota St.
6. North Dakota
7. Northern Ariz.
8. South Dakota
9. Austin Peay
10. Harvard

VALLEY TALK
UTRGV enters the SFA matchup at 5–5 overall and 3–4 in Southland play, with a 3–1 home record and one vote in the November 9 AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. The Vaqueros' victories include a 44–0 season-opening shutout of UT Permian Basin, a 27–10 win over McNeese and a 13–3 victory against then-No. 25 Southeastern Louisiana. They also won their first overtime game in program history, defeating Central Arkansas 30–27 behind Broderick Taylor's decisive 25-yard touchdown run and Jaiden Haygood's program-record 20 tackles. Most recently, UTRGV defeated Northwestern State 52–7 as Aidan Jakobsohn completed 15-of-20 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns, securing consecutive road victories for the first time in program history. Alijah Prosser intercepted two passes against the Demons, returning one a program-record 90 yards for a touchdown, while TJ Neal added a 53-yard pick-six.

Defensively, UTRGV leads the Southland in total defense at 337.0 yards allowed per game and passing efficiency defense at 110.86, while its 15 interceptions lead the conference and tie Harvard for the FCS lead. Haygood leads the Southland and ranks fifth nationally with 10.7 tackles per game, totaling 107 stops, while Spencer Rich ranks second in the league and tied for 13th nationally with 98 tackles and 9.8 per game.

Jakobsohn has thrown for 1,441 yards and 11 touchdowns, with leading receiver Kyran Lee supplying 46 catches for 633 yards and six scores. Taylor leads the rushing attack with 401 yards and four touchdowns on just 42 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt, while Brennan Carroll and TJ Dement have added 374 and 367 rushing yards, respectively. Kicker Brysen Gardner leads the Southland with 17 field goals and 79 points, averaging 7.9 points per game with a season-long field goal of 51 yards.

LAST TIME OUT
Lamar 45, SFA 28
WAYLAND'S CAREER DAY: Clayton Wayland caught nine passes for a career-high 173 yards and two touchdowns, including a 79-yard score.
TWO OVER 100: Bugs Mortimer added eight catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. He and Wayland combined for 297 receiving yards and three scores.
RUTHERFORD'S PRODUCTION: Gavin Rutherford completed 24-of-34 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns, adding a team-leading 50 rushing yards.
KITNA CONTRIBUTES BOTH WAYS: JT Kitna scored on a two-yard run and threw a 71-yard touchdown to Mortimer.
SECOND-HALF RESPONSE: SFA generated 268 yards and 21 points after halftime, cutting Lamar's lead to three points three times.
JURKIN LEADS THE PRESSURE: Lowote Jurkin recorded 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. SFA finished with three sacks against a Lamar offensive line that entered the matchup having allowed 1.2 per game. SFA added seven tackles for loss.
DOUBLE-DIGIT TACKLERS: Kyran Moore led SFA with 11 tackles, followed by Malachi Williams with 10. Cam Brooks added nine and Chance Sautter eight.

WEEKLY PRESSERS
HC Colby Carthel: WATCH HERE
DL Lowote Jurkin: WATCH HERE

NATIONAL POLLING
Opta Analyst FCS Stats Perform Top 25
WEEK 10: T-#7
WEEK 9: #2 (7 first-place votes)
WEEK 8: #2 (5 first-place votes)
WEEK 7: #2 (4 first-place votes)
WEEK 6: #3
WEEK 5: #7
WEEK 4: #7
WEEK 3: #9
WEEK 2: #12
WEEK 1: #13
WEEK 0: #13
PRE: #13

AFCA FCS Coaches Top 25
WEEK 10: #7
WEEK 9: #2 (3 first-place votes)
WEEK 8: #2 (1 first-place vote)
WEEK 7: #2 (2 first-place votes)
WEEK 6: #3
WEEK 5: #4
WEEK 4: #5
WEEK 3: #6
WEEK 2: #8
WEEK 1: #9
WEEK 0: #11
PRE: #13

AS OF LATE
> TOP-10 STANDARD: SFA is No. 7 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and tied for seventh in the Stats Perform rankings, extending its national ranking streak to 20 weeks and its consensus top-10 streak to eight.
> WAYLAND'S LAST TWO: Clayton Wayland has caught 15 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns over his last two games, setting career receiving highs in consecutive weeks with 125 yards against HCU and 173 at Lamar.
> CENTURY STREAK: SFA has produced a 100-yard receiver in six consecutive games. Four Jacks have combined for seven such performances, with Wayland accounting for three and Bugs Mortimer two. Wayland and Mortimer became the first pair of SFA receivers to record 100 yards receiving in the same game since November 2, 2013 when Tyler Boyd (11-206) and Aaron Thomas (5-132) did so against Sam Houston in the Battle of the Piney Woods.
> EIGHT IS GREAT: Speaking of Wayland and Mortimer, the pair became the first set of teammates with eight or more receptions in a game since October 29, 2022 when Xavier Gipson (8-151) and Miles Reed (8-78) did so against Utah Tech.
> RUTHERFORD'S RECENT RUN: Gavin Rutherford has completed 64-of-96 passes for 886 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last four games. His season passing efficiency of 170.24 ranks fifth nationally, while his 25 touchdown passes rank eighth.
> MORE FROM MORTIMER: Mortimer's eight catches for 124 yards at Lamar brought him to 40 receptions, 602 yards and eight touchdowns. His touchdown total ranks second in the Southland and tied for 13th nationally.
> PRESSURE KEEPS COMING: SFA has recorded 11 sacks over its last two games and leads the FCS with 40 sacks and 4.0 per game. Jaydon Eason leads the Jacks with seven, followed by Lowote Jurkin with six and Emmanuel Harris with five.
> JURKIN MAKES HIS MARK: Jurkin recorded 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss at Lamar. He ranks second in the Southland in sacks per game at 0.75 and third in tackles for loss at 1.38.
> POINTS AND PRODUCTION: The Jacks have averaged 41.5 points over four games since their open date. For the season, SFA leads the Southland in scoring at 39.6 points per game and rushing at 203.6 yards per game.
> DEFENSIVE FOUNDATION: SFA remains the Southland leader in scoring defense and rushing defense, ranking seventh nationally at 16.6 points allowed per game and ninth at 106.5 rushing yards allowed.
> FRISBY FINDS THE FOOTBALL: Makai Frisby's five interceptions lead the Southland and place him tied for fifth nationally at 0.50 per game. Frisby and Davonta Morgan-Collins each have 10 passes defended.
> FINISHING LONG DRIVES: All four SFA touchdown drives at Lamar covered at least 70 yards. The final two required just three combined plays and 58 seconds, ending with touchdown passes of 79 and 71 yards.

THE SHOW GOES ON!
On October 26, Carthel, the second-longest tenured head coach in program history, agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep the Texan in the Piney Woods through the 2031 campaign. Carthel's 53 wins at SFA and 32 wins inside Homer Bryce Stadium are both program records. Read more HERE.

RANKED DUB
SFA's win over #23/24 Southeastern Louisiana was the eighth over a ranked opponent in Carthel's tenure, the fourth straight in regular season matchups and the fourth straight at home. The 21-point margin of victory is the largest in a ranked win since a 27-0 shutout of No. 6 Youngstown State in 1995.

A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
Carthel passed Travis "Shorty" Hughes for the SFA record with his 27th conference win against Southeastern Louisiana. The HCU victory brought the total to 28, with 21 Southland wins and seven Western Athletic Conference wins.

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 13 games which makes the program record (2019-22). Since the 2020 campaign, SFA is 31-6 inside HBS and is 32-9 at home under Carthel. SFA will have a chance to break the home winning streak record in the regular season finale at Northwestern State.

HISTORIC BEGINNINGS
SFA started 9-0 for the first time in program history, while it's 4-0 start was the first ever exclusively against DI opposition. The Jacks' next win would ensure the sixth double-digit win season in program history.

IMPRESSIVE STREAKS
SFA won a program record 19-straight regular season games following an 0-2 start to the 2025 campaign. That streak was the nation's best active streak across both the FBS and FCS prior to the Week 10 loss at #12/13 Lamar. The Lumberjacks won a program record 14 straight in SLC play dating back to last season which was the third-longest such streak in league history.

RECORD BOOK REVAMPING
> Rutherford has 35 career touchdown passes and needs four to tie Zeke Dixon for 10th all-time with 39. His 25 touchdown passes this season leave him two shy of matching Sam Vidlak, Brady Attaway and Todd Whitten for eighth in a season with 27.
> Rutherford's 2,374 passing yards this season put him 14 yards from surpassing Vidlak's 2024 total of 2,387 and 316 yards from eclipsing Vidlak's 2025 total of 2,689.
> Jenkins has tied Andy Hopkins for 10th in program history with 15 career rushing touchdowns. One more would give him sole possession of 10th, while two would tie Cliff Edwards for ninth with 17.
> Frisby has five interceptions this season and needs one more to tie for sixth on SFA's single-season list with six.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
SFA won its first four games without a 100-yard rusher or receiver before Kylon Harris reached the mark in Game 5. Since then, seven Lumberjacks have combined for 10 century performances over six consecutive games. Clayton Wayland and Bugs Mortimer both surpassed 100 receiving yards at Lamar, extending SFA's receiving streak to six games. All seven 100-yard receiving performances have included a touchdown, totaling 11 touchdown catches.

Date	Opponent	Player	Category	Att./Rec.	Yds.	TD
Nov. 7	at Lamar	Clayton Wayland	Receiving	9	173	2
Nov. 7	at Lamar	Bugs Mortimer	Receiving	8	124	1
Oct. 31	Houston Christian	Clayton Wayland	Receiving	6	125	2
Oct. 24	Southeastern Louisiana	Jaylen Jenkins	Rushing	17	159	1
Oct. 24	Southeastern Louisiana	Cameron Kelley	Receiving	3	100	1
Oct. 17	at Nicholls	JT Kitna	Rushing	4	102	1
Oct. 17	at Nicholls	Speedy Jones	Rushing	9	100	0
Oct. 17	at Nicholls	Bugs Mortimer	Receiving	6	103	3
Oct. 3	UIW	Clayton Wayland	Receiving	5	104	1
Sept. 26	Northeastern State	Kylon Harris	Receiving	3	109	1

NOW DRIVING
All four SFA touchdown drives at Lamar covered at least 70 yards—91, 70, 88 and 71. The final two required just three combined plays and 58 seconds, capped by Wayland's 79-yard reception and Mortimer's 71-yard catch. SFA has 57 offensive scoring drives this season, including five one-play touchdowns. Under Carthel, the Jacks have 30 one-play touchdown drives and 39 touchdown drives of at least 12 plays.
SUSTAINING DRIVES — Thirty-one of SFA's 33 scoring drives covering at least 60 yards have ended in touchdowns, including 22-of-23 covering at least 70 yards.
OPENING STATEMENT — SFA has scored a touchdown on its opening possession in six of 10 games.
QUARTER 2 EARNINGS — SFA has scored a team-high 127 second-quarter points. Lamar marked the first time this season the Jacks trailed at halftime.

FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FLAME
SFA has produced six quarters of at least 20 points this season and 29 under Carthel, including 17 against Division I opponents. The most recent came against HCU, when touchdowns by Mortimer, Wayland and Makai Frisby supplied 20 third-quarter points. SFA scored 14 third-quarter points at Lamar, ending a three-game stretch with a 20-point quarter.

GROUND AND POUND
The Jacks have rushed for 2,036 yards through 10 games, averaging 203.6 yards per game and 5.6 per carry, with six 200-yard performances. Gavin Rutherford led SFA with 50 rushing yards at Lamar as the Jacks finished with 105. Earlier this season, SFA assembled the program's first four-game stretch of 200-yard rushing performances since 1999. Its rushing total already exceeds the 2024 team's full-season mark by 112 yards.

BIG PLAYS AGAINST THE HUSKIES
>>> FOUR WAYS TO SIX: SFA scored rushing, passing, punt return and interception return touchdowns against HCU for the first time since September 20, 2025, against Cal Poly. The Jacks scored in all three phases during a 20-point third quarter behind Bugs Mortimer's 66-yard punt return, Clayton Wayland's 46-yard reception and Makai Frisby's 32-yard pick-six.
>>> THE PINE CURTAIN: SFA recorded eight sacks against HCU for the second straight season and a season-high 14 tackles for loss, led by two sacks apiece from Emmanuel Harris and K'Mard Kimble. The Jacks stopped 16-of-21 third downs and two-of-four fourth downs, allowing 265 yards and no touchdowns on three red-zone trips.
>>> FRISBY GETS A HAND ON FOUR: Frisby contributed three breakups and his fifth interception to SFA's season-high 10 passes defended. His second pick-six gave the Jacks an interception return touchdown in consecutive games.
>>> SPECIAL TEAMS DELIVER: Mortimer's two punt returns totaled 97 yards, setting up a touchdown and producing his program-record fifth career punt return score. AJ Rosen's first career field goal was a 51-yarder, matching Carlos Alvarado's season long, while Dillon McDougal and JT Kitna combined to place four punts inside the 20, including both Kitna punts inside the 10.

HISTORIC EFFORTS IN THIBODAUX
>>> THREE TIMES THE BUGS: Mortimer caught six passes for 103 yards and three touchdowns in the 56–0 win at Nicholls. He was the first Jack with three touchdown catches in a game since Kylon Harris against Texas A&M-Commerce in 2023.
>>> KYLON'S HISTORIC HOMECOMING: Harris became SFA's career receptions leader and its third player to reach 3,000 receiving yards. He finished the game with 244 career catches and 3,028 yards.
>>> GOING THE DISTANCE: Kitna's 94-yard touchdown run set a program record. He finished with 102 yards on four carries for his first career 100-yard rushing game.

CHUNK YARDAGE
SFA recorded eight offensive gains of at least 20 yards at Lamar, bringing its season total to 62 through ten games, including 19 of at least 40 yards. Clayton Wayland's touchdown catches of 22 and 79 yards and Bugs Mortimer's 71-yard scoring reception highlighted the passing game, which also produced gains of 36 yards to Derrick Bohler, 21 to Preston Alford and 20 to Mortimer. Chris Martinez added a 28-yard run on a fake punt, while Gavin Rutherford contributed a 27-yard scramble. JT Kitna's 94-yard touchdown run at Nicholls and Cameron Kelley's 81-yard touchdown reception against Southeastern Louisiana remain SFA's longest rushing and passing plays this season.

START SPREADIN' THE [NEWPORT] NEWS
Makai Frisby leads the Southland and ranks tied for fifth nationally with 0.50 interceptions per game, collecting five through ten games. His 10 passes defended—five interceptions and five breakups—rank tied for third in the conference and tied for 31st nationally at 1.00 per game. Frisby recorded four tackles at Lamar after contributing three breakups and a 32-yard interception return touchdown against HCU.

The first-year Lumberjack has returned two interceptions for touchdowns and blocked two field goals this season. He opened with two interceptions at McNeese, including a 35-yard touchdown return, and became SFA's first player with three interceptions through the first two games since Stephon Rhea in 2005. His two-pick performance was the program's first since Jaheim Mullen against Northwestern State in 2024 and its first on the road since Trent Perriman at Northwestern State in 2016. Frisby also intercepted a pass in the end zone to help preserve SFA's 28–26 victory over UIW.

The Newport News, Virginia, native blocked field goals in consecutive games at Prairie View A&M and against Northeastern State, becoming the first Lumberjack to accomplish that feat since at least 2002. He joined Ed Bobino as the only Jacks in that span to block kicks in consecutive games; Bobino blocked a field goal against Texas A&M-Commerce and an extra point against Utah Tech in 2023.

SACK-OGDOCHES
SFA leads the FCS with 40 sacks and 4.0 sacks per game, adding three sacks for 19 yards at Lamar. The Jacks have recorded 11 sacks over their last two games and also lead the national tackles-for-loss listing with 86 TFLs and 8.6 per game. Lowote Jurkin led the effort in Beaumont with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Jaydon Eason, Emmanuel Harris and A'Amear Walton each contributed a half-sack.

Eason leads SFA with seven sacks and has 8.5 tackles for loss, while Jurkin has six sacks and a team-high 11 TFLs in eight appearances. Jurkin ranks second in the Southland and tied for 18th nationally at 0.75 sacks per game; Eason ranks fourth in the league and tied for 24th nationally at 0.70. Harris has five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, with Walton adding four sacks and eight TFLs. Eason's three-sack performance at Prairie View A&M was SFA's first since John Franklin against West Alabama in 2016, and he has forced two fumbles this season.

SOUTHLAND'S BEST
>>> LOWOTE JURKIN — DEFENSE | SEPTEMBER 7
Jurkin earned his first career weekly honor following SFA's 44–7 victory over East Texas A&M. He recorded two tackles, 1.5 sacks, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. His effort helped the Jacks limit the Lions to 187 total yards, including 56 rushing yards, while forcing four turnovers.
>>> CARLOS ALVARADO — SPECIAL TEAMS | SEPTEMBER 7
Alvarado scored 14 points against East Texas A&M, converting three field goals and all five extra-point attempts. His field goals covered 23, 37 and 26 yards, marking his second career three-field-goal performance. His first extra point pushed him to 100 career points at SFA, and the award was his second career Southland weekly honor.
>>> GAVIN RUTHERFORD — OFFENSE | OCTOBER 5
Rutherford received his first career weekly honor after directing SFA's 28–26 victory over UIW. He completed 26-of-34 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns, matching his career high in completions. His 25-yard run helped set up the go-ahead touchdown, while a 53-yard completion to Clayton Wayland positioned the Jacks for their final touchdown.
>>> KYLON HARRIS — SPECIAL TEAMS | OCTOBER 26
Harris returned three kickoffs for 83 yards in SFA's 45–24 homecoming victory over No. 23/24 Southeastern Louisiana. Returns of 38 and 36 yards gave the Jacks starting positions at their own 40 and 42, respectively, and both possessions ended in touchdowns. The recognition was his first weekly award of 2026 and third career conference weekly honor, including his 2023 UAC offensive award.
>>> CLAYTON WAYLAND — OFFENSE | NOVEMBER 2
Wayland earned his first career weekly honor after catching six passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns in SFA's 37–6 victory over Houston Christian. He scored on receptions of 35 and 46 yards, recording his third career game with multiple touchdown catches. His receiving yardage established a career high at the time, and the performance marked his second 100-yard game of the season.

INDIVIDUAL — THROUGH TEN GAMES
>> Gavin Rutherford and Clayton Wayland — Rutherford leads the Southland in passing efficiency (170.24), touchdown passes (25) and completion percentage (67.6%), ranking fifth, eighth and 11th nationally, respectively. His 2,374 passing yards rank second in the conference. Wayland has 35 receptions for 637 yards and seven touchdowns, ranking third in the Southland in receiving yards per game (63.7) and receiving touchdowns. He has totaled 15 catches, 298 yards and four touchdowns over his last two games, including a career-high 173 yards at Lamar. His seven touchdown catches rank tied for 21st nationally.
>>> Jaylen Jenkins and Speedy Jones — Jenkins leads SFA with 632 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He ranks third in the Southland at 63.2 rushing yards per game. Jones has 441 yards and two touchdowns on 62 carries, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt and ranking sixth in the league at 55.1 yards per game.
>>> Bugs Mortimer — Mortimer has 40 catches for 602 yards and eight touchdowns in nine appearances. He ranks second in the Southland in receiving yards per game (66.9) and touchdown receptions, with his eight scores tied for 13th nationally. He caught eight passes for 124 yards and a touchdown at Lamar, his second 100-yard receiving game this season. Mortimer also averages 14.1 yards on 13 punt returns, third in the Southland, and owns SFA's career record with five punt return touchdowns.
>>> Jaydon Eason, Lowote Jurkin and Emmanuel Harris — Eason leads SFA with seven sacks, ranking fourth in the Southland and tied for 24th nationally at 0.70 per game. Jurkin has six sacks in eight appearances, ranking second in the league and tied for 18th nationally at 0.75 per game. His 11 tackles for loss rank third in the conference at 1.38 per game, while Harris ranks fourth at 1.05, totaling 10.5 TFLs and five sacks. Jurkin recorded 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFLs at Lamar; Eason, Harris and A'Amear Walton each added a half-sack. Walton has four sacks and eight tackles for loss this season.
>>> Malachi Williams, Eli Ennis and Kyran Moore — Williams leads SFA with 66 tackles in nine appearances, ranking 10th in the Southland at 7.3 per game after recording 10 at Lamar. Ennis has 58 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Moore led the Jacks with 11 tackles at Lamar, joining Williams in double figures, while Cam Brooks added nine.
>>> Makai Frisby, Davonta Morgan-Collins, Jaiydyn Johnson and Chance Sautter — Frisby leads the Southland and ranks tied for fifth nationally at 0.50 interceptions per game, collecting five interceptions in 10 games. Frisby and Morgan-Collins each have 10 passes defended, ranking tied for third in the conference and tied for 31st nationally at 1.00 per game. Johnson has eight pass breakups, while Sautter recorded eight tackles and two breakups at Lamar, bringing his season totals to 36 tackles, three breakups and one interception.
>>> JT Kitna — Kitna scored his fifth rushing touchdown and threw his first touchdown pass of the season at Lamar, connecting with Mortimer for a 71-yard score. He has 146 rushing yards and 224 passing yards, with his program-record 94-yard touchdown run at Nicholls remaining SFA's longest rush this season.
>>> Carlos Alvarado — Alvarado ranks second in the Southland with 75 points and 7.5 points per game, converting eight field goals and 51-of-52 extra points. He made all four extra-point attempts at Lamar and shares SFA's season-long field goal of 51 yards with AJ Rosen.

TEAM — THROUGH TEN GAMES

Category	SFA mark	FCS rank	Southland rank
Sacks per game	4.00 — 40 total	1st	1st
Kickoff return defense	13.18 yards per return	2nd	1st
Interceptions	13	T-4th	2nd
Scoring defense	16.6 points per game	7th	1st
Scoring offense	39.6 points per game	7th	1st
Rushing defense	106.5 yards per game	9th	1st
Completion percentage	66.6%	13th	1st
Offensive first downs	227	16th	2nd
Total defense	341.8 yards per game	T-28th	3rd
Kickoff returns	22.70 yards per return	31st	4th
Third-down defense	29.2% — 45-of-154	T-5th†	2nd
Total offense	469.1 yards per game	8th†	2nd
Rushing offense	203.6 yards per game	15th†	1st

>>> THE PINE CURTAIN — SFA leads the FCS with 40 sacks and 4.0 sacks per game, including 11 over its last two contests. The Jacks also rank seventh nationally in scoring defense, ninth in rushing defense and tied for fourth in interceptions. Opponents have scored touchdowns on 13-of-26 red-zone possessions, while SFA has held six opponents to 14 points or fewer.
>>> BALANCE ON OFFENSE — SFA averages 469.1 yards and 39.6 points per game, leading the Southland in scoring, rushing offense, passing efficiency (167.71) and fourth-down conversion rate (75.0%, 9-of-12). The Jacks have outgained opponents by 1,273 yards despite running 37 fewer plays and have produced a 100-yard receiver in six consecutive games.
>>> WINNING FIELD POSITION — SFA ranks second nationally and first in the Southland in kickoff return defense, allowing just 13.18 yards per return. The Jacks average 22.70 yards on kickoff returns, fourth in the conference, while Mortimer's 14.1-yard punt return average ranks third in the league.

HOW THE 2026 JACKS STACK UP THROUGH TEN GAMES
Since Carthel's first season of 2019
>>> Through ten games, SFA's 396 points and plus-230 scoring margin are Carthel-era highs, surpassing the previous bests of 375 points and plus-207 in 2024. The Jacks' 166 points allowed rank second behind last season's 154. SFA has also established ten-game highs with 4,691 yards of total offense and 2,036 rushing yards, exceeding the 2024 team's full-season rushing total by 112 yards. The Pine Curtain's 40 sacks are six more than the previous ten-game best of 34 in 2025, while its 106.5 rushing yards allowed per game trail only last season's 65.0.

AXE MARKS
>>> OCTOBER TREATS: SFA went 4–0 in October, its third unbeaten October under Colby Carthel, joining the 2020 and 2025 squads. The 37–6 win over Houston Christian was the Jacks' eighth straight October victory and improved Carthel's record in the month to 19–11 overall and 12–3 at home. October is SFA's winningest month under Carthel, both in total wins and winning percentage (.633). SFA has also won its last three Halloween games.
>>> BAYOU BUSINESS: Carthel owns an 10–6 career record against Louisiana programs, including an 10–5 mark against the Southland's four Louisiana schools since arriving at SFA in 2019. He is 6–4 and a winner in four-straight games played in the Pelican State. The Jacks have also won six consecutive meetings with Louisiana opponents.
>>> WELCOME HOME: The Jacks improved to 44-41-1 all-time in homecoming games with the 21-point win over Southeastern Louisiana. SFA moved to 4-3 in such games under Carthel and have won three-straight homecoming matchups for the first time since 2013-2015 which was part of a five-game HOCO streak that began in '11.
>>> 625-PLUS UNDER CARTHEL: SFA piled up 642 yards of total offense in its 56–0 win at Nicholls, the most against a Division I opponent under Colby Carthel. The Jacks rushed for 354 yards and passed for 288 in their second game of at least 625 yards under Carthel. Only the 675-yard effort against North American in the 2024 opener ranks higher during his tenure.
>>> SLC SHUTOUT: SFA's 56–0 victory at Nicholls marked its first shutout of a Southland Conference opponent since a 33–0 win at Northwestern State on November 19, 2011. The 56-point margin is the largest margin of victory in a shutout of a Division I opponent in program history and it established the largest victory in the SFA–Nicholls series, surpassing the Jacks' 56–3 win in 1995.
>>> OUTTA JACKS WEEK: Since Carthel's first season in 2019, the Jacks are 6-4 in games immediately following an open week.
>>> 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.
>>> ROAD WARRIORS: SFA became the first team in the program's Division I era and just the third in school history to win three road games in its first four games of a season.
>>> THE CHAMPS ARE HERE: SFA took down defending conference champs in consecutive weeks (ACU, PVAMU) for the second-straight season (UIW, ACU in 2025). Prior to last season, a such feat had not happened since 2006 when SFA knocked off defending SLC co-champs Texas State and Nicholls.
>>> ROAD DAWGS: With the Week 2 victory over then #23/25 Abilene Christian, the Jacks beat a Top 25 team on the road for a third-straight season after earning wins at #20 Incarnate Word (2025) and at #22 Lamar (2024).
>>> LABOR DAY: Following thorough research, the 2026 Lumberjacks are believed to be the first NCAA Division I team (FBS & FCS) to win two conference games in the same season before Labor Day. Since the NCAA split Division I into 1-A and 1-AA in 1978, the Jacks are believed to be the fourth team to start a season 2-0 before the holiday.
>>> HOME OPENERS: SFA moved to 7-1 in home openers under Carthel and has now won seven-straight after beating East Texas A&M. SFA holds an overall record of 60-37-3 (.611) and is 8-1 overall in such contests since 2018.

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 CAMPAIGNS
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.

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 240 victories with last season marking the fifth double-digit win season as a DI member.

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 112 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 53 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 SFA's win against Southeastern Louisiana set a new program record for league wins with 27.

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#AxeEm x #EastTexasTough