Sam Houston State has been in this situation before, especially the past two seasons — a long trip to another Football Championship Subdivision opponent and one final tune-up before beginning Southland Conference play.
Two years ago, the Bearkats went to Missouri State and came away with a thrilling 20-17 victory. Last season, Sam Houston went way up north to battle North Dakota State, falling in a heartbreaker 41-38.
Today, the guys in the orange and white will face off with Gardner-Webb at 5 p.m. in Boiling Springs, N.C.
What makes this game important is that it is the Bearkats’ only true test before league action begins. Sam Houston opened the season with a rout of Division II East Central Oklahoma. After Hurricane Ike forced the Kats to cancel their FCS game against Prairie View A&M; on Sept. 13, the only other time SHSU has seen the field was a 38-14 loss to Kansas, the 18th-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision team in the country, last weekend.
So this is it, the opportunity to see how the Bearkats stack up on a level playing field.
“When you start off with a D-II it isn’t much of a test because you are supposed to win that game,” SHSU senior wide receiver Justin Wells said. “When you face a team like KU you aren’t expected to win, so it is tough to judge that too. So this is a good test because (Gardner-Webb) is FCS just like us. It should be a good test for our offense and defense.”
Even though the Kats would have loved to get in the game against Prairie View, today’s contest is exactly what they need before the start of conference. Sam Houston hopes to contend for an SLC championship this season, and things are going to be tough from the start.
The Bearkats (1-1) have to open at Central Arkansas on Oct. 11, the longest conference trip of the year, and the Bears have dominated SHSU the past two seasons in Huntsville. That’s what makes today key, a long road trip against an SLC-caliber program in the Bulldogs (2-1) since that will be the scenario in two weeks.
“I like playing on the road early because it is like the road that is going to show up in the Southland Conference and that is a tough trip,” SHSU head coach Todd Whitten said. “I think that this is going to be good for us. I regret that we lost the game against Prairie View, but I like taking tough road trips early. It gives us a chance to fight through them and play well.”
The Sam Houston State offense has proven it can move the ball against a Division II and FBS opponent, averaging 429.5 yards a game in the win over East Central and the loss to Kansas.
Sam Houston also played well defensively. The Bearkats’ starting unit didn’t allow the Tigers to put points on the board (ECU scored two touchdowns against backups) and held the high-powered Jayhawks scoreless for most of the first half.
There have been a few areas of concern for SHSU this season on offense, defense and special teams, but with the chance to play back-to-back games for the first time, the Kats could bring it all together today.
“Traveling on the road is a good test and it keeps everybody together,” SHSU junior linebacker Luke McCall said. “As far as Gardner-Webb, they are a lot like a Southland Conference team. They mix up the pass and run as far as the offense goes. I think it will be a good game for us heading into conference because we will know where we stand going into conference.”
Sports
One last opportunity for Kats
Sam Houston hopes to see where it stands against Gardner-Webb
- Sports
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- Kats beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-3
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Alive and kicking: Bearkats still in hunt at SLC baseball tourney
With the possibility of going home early from the Southland Conference Tournament and a chance of their season coming to an abrupt end, the Bearkats needed some quality starting pitching and production from their bats in the worst way.
Like he has done all year long, Sam Houston senior Justin Jackson delivered a lights-out performance on the mound and the offense made the kind of impact the Bearkats have been looking for Thursday morning.
Both elements came together at the exact right time as the Kats stayed alive in the tourney with a 7-1 victory over McNeese State in an elimination game at Bobcat Ballpark. -
Bad day for Bearkats
The Bearkats’ road to the NCAA tournament just got a little bit tougher.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi broke out for four runs before top-seeded Sam Houston even stepped to the plate Wednesday afternoon, but the Kats couldn’t find a way to counter that first punch.
Sam Houston connected for eight hits, but could not get enough of those in a row to make a dent in the deficit and are now one loss away from being eliminated from the Southland Conference tournament following a 9-2 loss at the hands of the eighth-seeded Islanders on Wednesday afternoon at the Bobcat Baseball Ballpark. -
Schallenberg: Time is now for Bearkats in Southland tourney
The Bearkats look to take care of business this week in the Southland Conference baseball tournament.
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Alpha Omega Academy trio shine at state track meet
Freshman brings home four medals, including two golds
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Tough night for Kats against Rice
The Bearkats had a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression for a potential at-large bid in the NCAA tournament with fifth-ranked Rice coming to town. Sam Houston’s bats couldn’t get going early enough or be able to link enough hits together against the Owls pitching staff and succumbed to a 5-0 loss in the final game of the season at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday night.
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BEARKAT BASEBALL — Plenty up for grabs against fifth-ranked Rice
For several reasons, today’s game against fifth-ranked Rice is going to be a biggie for the Bearkats.
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SHSU MEN'S BASKETBALL — Kats sign ‘winner’ from Trinity Valley
Will Bond, a 6-3 guard from Trinity Valley Community College, has signed a letter-of-intent to attend Sam Houston State University and play men’s basketball for head coach Jason Hooten.
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BEARKATS BASEBALL — Sam Houston wasn't going to be denied regular-season title
With four conference games left to play, all that kept Sam Houston from a Southland Conference regular season championship was just one win. Whether it was at Central Arkansas later in the week or in the Kats’ conference home finale on Sunday, just one victory would hand Sam Houston it’s first regular season conference title in 23 years. Relaxed and ready to pounce, Sam Houston jumped all over Southeastern Louisiana’s pitching staff early and relied on a strong starting pitching performance from senior Michael Oros. The Kats cruised to an 8-3 victory over the second-place Lions and the celebration was on.
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