BOZEMAN, Mont. —
All week long, the Bearkats have heard over and over again about how cold it was going to be in Montana with forecasted temperatures in the 20s and a serious possibility of snow.
The Kats did not have to wait long to get some experience with the cold stuff firsthand.
As soon as Sam Houston’s blue, orange and white-clad chartered plane touched down at Gallatin Field at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, the Bearkats were treated to snowflakes falling from the sky in a frigid 32 degrees.
Thrust into an unfamiliar environment, the Sam Houston players were feeling pretty good, considering they thought it was going to be much worse.
“Coming into this week, we knew it was going to be in Montana, obviously, and it was going to be cold. When we got off the plane, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Bearkats quarterback Brian Bell said. “I think the weather’s probably going to get a little worse or cold, I guess you’d say. Right now, it’s really not that bad.
“Of course it’s going to be cold, but it’s not going to be deathly cold. It’s not going to kill us,” added Bell. “We’re just excited to be out there for a football game. We’re not really worried about the weather.”
As soon as the team buses arrived at the Holiday Inn hotel approximately 10 minutes later, the Bearkats quickly put their things in their rooms and began to have a little fun in the snow, making snowmen and having a playful impromptu snowball fight in the courtyard.
Looking ahead to today’s FCS quarterfinal playoff game against Montana State, the Bearkats quickly recalled last season’s semifinal contest against Montana (a 31-28 victory at Bowers Stadium) in which the temperatures were in the 40s with wind gusts ranging between 10 to 25 mph.
“The Montana game was similar to this kind of weather. That was probably colder,” Kats defensive end Andrew Weaver said. “The weather shouldn’t be a factor.”
With how Sam Houston operates its offense with some triple option, a healthy dose of handoffs to running back Timothy Flanders, as well as screen passes to receivers near the sideline, Bell is confident that the conditions, in which the temperature will be about 32 degrees with a wind chill of 21 degrees and winds that are expected to reach 17 mph with a 40 percent chance of snow, won’t be a detriment to the Kats’ effectiveness.
“Our strength is running the ball and throw it every now and then,” Bell said. “Hopefully, the weather permits us to go out and play our game.”
Defensively, the Bearkats have a tough assignment in trying to contain Montana State quarterback DeNarius McGhee and the Bobcats running backs on a surface that will be slick because of the snow.
Like the offense, the Kats on the defensive side of the ball like their chances even in the adverse conditions.
“We just have to have that razor-sharp focus when we go out there and play. We have to be razor sharp. Everything has to be on point,” Weaver said. “(The coaches) gave us some sweats, so we’re going to be warm but still be effective.
“I’m looking forward to playing in the snow. Along with my teammates, we’re going to go out and have fun.”
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Sam Houston State defensive lineman Forbes Baggett, left, Brian Bell, background, and other members of the Bearkats football team play in the snow after arriving at their hotel in Bozeman, Mont., late on Thursday afternoon. Tonight at 7 Central time, the Bearkats battle Montana State in an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal playoff game. The game will be televised on ESPN2. D.J. Shafer
Discussion
BEARKAT FOOTBALL — Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
Wintry weather no big deal to Bearkats
- Sports
-
-
BEARKAT BASEBALL — Kats win again, head into conference tourney with plenty of momentum
Having already clinched the outright Southland Conference regular-season championship on Friday night and the No. 1 seed in this week’s conference tournament a night earlier, the Bearkats didn’t have much to gain from Saturday afternoon’s series finale against Central Arkansas. Still, the Kats certainly didn’t want to go into this week on the heels of a loss and rallied late to end the regular season with 6-5 victory as well as completing a series sweep against the Bears.
-
BEARKAT BASEBALL — Kats repeat as outright conference champs
Thanks in large part to one of starting pitcher Cody Dickson’s finest performances of the season, Sam Houston State beat Central Arkansas 4-0 and clinched the Southland Conference regular-season championship outright for a second straight season.
-
BEARKAT BASEBALL — Kats one step closer to repeating as outright conference champs
Sam Houston State took care of business with a 7-3 victory over the Bears on Thursday night and clinched at least a share of the Southland Conference title and secured the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament.
-
UIL STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS: On the medal stand ...
Remember that saying, “Good things happen to those who wait?” Well, the Lady Hornets waited and waited, then waited some more.
When a long day, and four special seasons, concluded late Friday night at the UIL State Track and Field Championships, great things happened for a tight group of Huntsville girls. -
Kats catcher stays strong on and off field
Catcher Ashley Isbell remembers the Bearkats’ softball doubleheader against Houston Baptist like it was played yesterday.
The Kats were trailing the Huskies 4-3 going into the bottom of the seventh of the first game. Isbell was coming to the plate. Isbell, who was named to the All-Southland Conference team earlier this week, fouled a ball off the plate. Crazily, the ball bounced up and hit Isbell in the mouth. -
SOUTHLAND NOTEBOOK: Southland Conference regular-season title race looks to come down to the wire
Usually at this time of the year, there’s a team or two or three looking to make a push for the league’s top seeds as well as the regular-season championship. With just two more weekends — just six conference games — to go, the regular-season title is still very much up for grabs for most of the conference.
-
RUNNING SHORTS: Polish Pickle 5K has strong Huntsville following
One thing’s for sure, Huntsville will be well-represented at the 25th Annual Polish Pickle 5K (3.1 miles) in Bremond on June 22.
-
BEARKATS BASEBALL — Bearkats take it to Nicholls, run-rule Colonels 12-2
The Bearkats never trailed, jumping all over Colonels pitching and even had an inside-the-park home run. The Kats pulled away late in the game to run-rule Nicholls for the second time in three days with a 12-2 victory.
-
BEARKATS BASEBALL — Kats fight to the end, rally to beat Nicholls 13-8
From cruising right along, the Bearkats had to find a way to pick up some ground and quick in Saturday’s contest against Nicholls. Giving up seven runs thanks to three errors in the fourth, the Kats didn’t panic and regrouped late. Sam Houston State rallied from an 8-4 deficit midway through the game and scored five runs in the sixth, plus four more in the eighth to pull away with a wild 13-8 victory.
-
LADY HORNETS SOFTBALL — Season over for Huntsville girls
For the second day in a row, Huntsville’s varsity squad did not do enough in an area-round playoff series against fourth-ranked Little Cypress-Mauriceville. That’s why the Lady Hornets’ season ended Saturday following a 12-2 five-inning loss to the Lady Bears.
- More Sports Headlines
-
BEARKAT BASEBALL — Kats win again, head into conference tourney with plenty of momentum
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
AP CEO: Records Seizure 'Unconstitutional'
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
