Bearkats know where they stand

By Cody Stark

FARGO, N.D. — It was a tough one to swallow, but the Bearkats have nothing to hang their heads about following Saturday night’s heartbreaking loss at North Dakota State.

The Sam Houston State coaches had the team ready to play and they almost walked away with an upset over the fourth-ranked Bison. The Kats took North Dakota’s best shots and kept fighting and clawing until the final seconds ticked off the clock.

They didn’t get beat, there just unfortunately had to be a winner and loser on the scoreboard at the end of one of the best college football games to date in this young season.

This is a different team from the one that took the field against Angelo State three weeks ago. The Kats finally found the leadership they needed. Quarterback Rhett Bomar put the team on his shoulders in the fourth quarter, and the rest of the offense responded. The wide receivers Catron Houston, Justin Wells, Darnell Jones and tight end Blake Martin made plays and the offensive line did their part. They were confident and never gave up even when the Bison took a 34-21 lead in the second half.

SHSU head coach Todd Whitten said earlier in the week that there was some doubt as to what exactly this team was capable of doing and where they stood at the Football Championship Subdivision level after opening the season with a pair of Division II opponents. But any questions about how explosive this offense could be were answered, and Bearkat fans can rest easy because this team proved they are one of the top FCS squads in the country.

The Kats compiled close to 500 yards of total offense and put up 38 points against a good North Dakota State defense.

Now, the only question that remains is can the SHSU defense get things turned around?

The Bison, with the exception of McNeese State, are arguably the best FCS team the Bearkats will face in the regular season.

NDSU has a solid quarterback, a good group of receivers and some talented ball carriers. But the Bearkats gave up too many big plays Saturday including the game-winning touchdown in only three snaps with 26 seconds left in the game.

There were quite a few times where the Bison receivers were wide open without an SHSU defender within 10 yards. NDSU averages a staggering 16.4 yards a completion and gained 414 yards of offense on 58 plays (an average of 7.1 a snap). And it also didn’t help that the Bearkats struggled in kick coverage.

North Dakota State had eight drives start at its own 36-yard line or better and two inside Bearkat territory following a punt or a kickoff. The Bison’s final drive began at their own 46 following a squib kick and ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass to escape with a 41-38 victory.

Starting field position didn’t make things easier on the SHSU defense, but they still gave up a lot of yardage like the 75-yard touchdown pass on third and 14 in the third quarter.

There are still a few weeks to make some adjustments before the start of Southland Conference action, and the defense doesn’t necessarily have to pitch shutouts every time out. The offense proved they can score points, so the defense just has to come up with some key stops along the way kind of like the 2004 SLC championship run.

Saturday’s loss wasn’t the end of the season, but the Bearkats are probably going to have to win the conference outright to make it to the playoffs. And the team that left it all on the field at the Fargodome, has what it takes to do just that.

It’s not going to be an easy journey with four SLC games on the road. But the Bearkats showed they can go into an unfriendly environment packed full of close to 19,000 screaming fans and compete with the nation’s elite.

They just need to put this one behind them and concentrate on the next one.

Players of the game

It’s not a surprise on offense. Bomar had his best game as a Bearkat, throwing for 358 yards and four touchdowns. He also picked up 103 yards on the ground.

Honorable mention goes to Wells, who caught five passes for 88 yards and two scores including a 55-yard touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

On defense, safety Byran Richmond turned in another solid performance. The senior played like a beast and led the Kats in tackles with 11, one for a loss and half a sack. Defensive end Chris Brown was a close second. The transfer from the University of Texas finished with five stops and recorded 1 1/2 sacks.