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November 7, 2009

Bearkats need to halt losing streak against McNeese

Sam Houston State hasn’t topped Cowboys since ’04 championship season

By Cody Stark

Sam Houston State knows what is at stake tonight in Lake Charles, La.

A win over McNeese State and the Bearkats are alive and kicking in the race for the Southland Conference championship. A loss means the only thing left to play for in the final two games is pride.

With the conference race as tight as ever (four schools are 3-1 heading into today), three losses probably aren’t going to cut it this season and Sam Houston (2-2 in SLC, 4-4 overall) has a tough task ahead.

The Bearkats are going to have to do something that has only been done one time since the they joined the SLC — win at Cowboy Stadium. That has happened since a 20-3 victory in 1999.

“It’s going to be a long battle and we always expect that from McNeese,” senior defensive end Chris Brown said. “The intensity is going to be great. The thing about McNeese is that they try to intimidate you with their reputation and the crowd. It’s mainly a mental thing.”

And it works for the Cowboys (3-1, 6-2).

McNeese State has been the dominate team in the Southland for years. The Cowboys have won a record 12 league championships, have been to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs 13 times and played in two national championship games.

The Bearkats have struggled against McNeese. Sam Houston has only beaten the Cowboys three times in SLC play and have lost 18.

Even the 2004 Kats team, which was arguably the best in school history and was a game away from playing for a national title, got all it could handle from McNeese. Sam Houston held on for a 52-47 victory at Bowers Stadium against a Cowboys squad that won one conference game that season.

“It’s a huge game,” SHSU head coach Todd Whitten said. “We beat McNeese in ’96, we beat them in ’99 and we beat them in ’04. I think that is it in the last 20 years. The way I see it we are due. If we go play well, hang onto the football, play better in the red area, then we have a chance.”

The key for Sam Houston State is going to be the offense.

The Bearkats, when healthy, have put up impressive numbers this season. In four wins, SHSU has averaged 488.25 yards of total offense and 41.75 points with only three turnovers.

That’s night and day compared to Sam Houston’s four losses (268.25 yards, 13.75 points and eight turnovers).

“I think we just need to start off fast,” senior wide receiver Jason Madkins said. “When we start off fast, I think we have more confidence in our offense and we get rolling. If we have some negativity early, it is hard for us to get rolling.”

The Bearkats have to find a way to move the ball on the Cowboys. McNeese State, as usual, has one of the top defenses in the conference.

The Cowboys are ranked first in passing defense (172 yards per game) and third in both scoring defense (24 points) and total defense (341.8 yards).

“Our quarterback (Blake Joseph) needs to play well. If he is on, we have a chance,” Whitten said. “Blake is an accurate thrower and they play a lot of man-to-man. The receivers also have to execute and the guys up front have to protect.

“What makes McNeese so tough is that they are the fastest team in the league in my opinion.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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