Here we go again. Another Southland Conference football season is upon us, so it’s time for the annual speculation of how Sam Houston State is going to fare when the dust has settled.

It has been a weird season so far. Hurricane Ike has made it seem like an eternity since Bearkat fans had the chance to see their team in action with the cancellation of a home game sandwiched between a bye week and two nonconference road games.

But there has been no reason to fret because of the three games Sam Houston State has played, and from what has been seen (by few), heard or read about, this squad has a lot of potential.

After back-to-back second-place finishes in the SLC, it is this sports writer’s opinion that this is the year the Kats finally get over the hump, or at least, this is the best team SHSU has fielded since the 2004 championship season. Call it optimism, the glass half full synopsis or whatever you want, but the Bearkats are going to be in the mix come late November.

Why? It’s simple. This team has come a long way and quarterback Rhett Bomar finally has the weapons he needs to make this offense explosive. So far it has shown on the field with plenty of playmakers such as Justin Wells, James Aston, Jason Madkins and Catron Houston, to name a few, sharing the load. Oh, and the defense has gotten better too.

In two easy wins over East Central Oklahoma and Gardner-Webb, Sam Houston State scored on every single offensive possession by the first team, winning by a combined margin of 107-47. For those counting at home, that is 15 drives which resulted in 14 touchdowns and one field goal.

Besides a 38-14 loss to No. 16 Kansas (it was 28-14 well into the third quarter), the Bearkats have been unstoppable. SHSU is averaging 40.3 points and 411 yards a game and Bomar has been solid. In three games (actually only about two because he was pulled at the half against ECU and after one drive in the third quarter at Gardner-Webb), Bomar has thrown for 878 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, which all came at Kansas. He has also run for two scores.

So what if it is hard to tell where this team stands heading into Saturday’s opener at Central Arkansas? After all, the Bearkats rolled a Division II team, played (closer than anyone expected) a top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision program and beat down a far-from-great Football Championship Subdivision squad.

Here’s why: This team is playing with a lot of confidence and expects to win, regardless of who they are playing, every time it steps on the field. This is an older and more experienced group of Bearkats and it is translating into their actions.



What has changed?

There are two differences that stand out from the 2007 Kats and the 2008 edition at this point. The first goes back to last season’s opener against Angelo State. Sam Houston had to fight and hold on for dear life in a 17-13 victory over the Division II Rams. It was a win, but it was ugly and wasn’t the tone the Bearkats were hoping to set to begin the year.

Flash forward to this season. Granted Angelo State was a better team than East Central Oklahoma, but Sam Houston came out more focused and took the Tigers behind the woodshed, building a 52-0 lead by the break en route to a 58-14 victory.

The significance was that the Bearkats were able to get some of the younger players and backups a chance to get their feet wet with valuable playing time, which didn’t happen in ’07. You never know when one of those guys might have to step in and contribute if someone goes down unexpectedly.

Moving on.

There is no question that the turning point last year came on the road in Fargo, N.D. It’s beating a dead horse, but when the Bearkats wasted the perfect opportunity to not only win on the road, but knock off one of the top FCS teams in the country, it changed the complex of the season.

When North Dakota State scored the game-winning touchdown with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter, the heartbreaking 41-38 setback sent Sam Houston State on a downward spiral. It was the beginning of a four-game skid, including two losses to start SLC play, and by the time the Bearkats recovered it was too late.

Again, Gardner-Webb is a far cry from North Dakota State, but any time Sam Houston State can win a nonconference road game against an FCS opponent, it’s a big deal. Throw in the fact that the Bearkats open the Southland with a trip to Central Arkansas, and the win is even more important.



What needs to happen?

The next two games are going to make or break Sam Houston State’s SLC title aspirations. Unfortunately for the Bearkats, they once again have to open league play with back-to-back games against Central Arkansas and McNeese State, two of the best teams the conference has to offer.

But to be the man, you have to beat the man. The Kats have the talent and the team to do it, they just need to, as head coach Todd Whitten likes to say, “play clean.” Sam Houston has struggled with penalties and some other correctable mistakes, but if that trend continues, an 0-2 SLC start is staring the Bearkats in the face.

But it all starts this weekend. Central Arkansas has had Sam Houston’s number each of the past two seasons at Bowers Stadium, and now it’s time to return the favor on the Bears’ home turf. Saturday’s game is the ultimate test — a tough road game against a solid team.

If the offensive line can continue to give Bomar time to get the ball into the hands of those talented weapons and the defense can come up with some stops against the Bears’ high-powered offense (they don’t have to completely shut them down), Sam Houston can come away from Conway with a win.

One last thing, and arguably the most important, the Bearkats must stay healthy. The backups didn’t move the ball at all in the second half against Gardner-Webb, and the Tigers outscored SHSU 23-7.

Until then, grab a hold of your seat because this season has all the makings of wild ride.