Bearkats rally, then hang on
Comeback holds up after Lumberjacks’ last-minute field goal attempt misses wide right
Sam Houston football coach K.C. Keeler places Battle of the Piney Woods just below playing for the national championship in order of significance. He’s well versed on both, having won an FCS national title this spring with the Bearkats.
Keeler remains unbeaten in his seven games against rival Stephen F. Austin. It did not come easy on Saturday before a crowd of 25,007 at NRG stadium.
With its star quarterback ruled out for the game for medical reasons, Sam Houston mounted a fourthquarter comeback to squeak past the Lumberjacks 21-20, scoring the final 15 points.
“I always think this team is going to win,” Keeler said. “Championship teams, this is what they do. A huge rivalry without our starting quarterback, that’s what we. And when they get it done, that just proves they’re a great team.
“We played with a different mindset in that second half. We calmed ourselves down. We’re going to keep on playing to the very end.”
The outcome wasn’t decided until SFA’s Chris Campos’ 51-yard field goal sailed wide right with 40 seconds remaining in the game. He had plenty of leg on the ball.
SFA’s last victory over Sam Houston was in 2010, a 31-28 decision at NRG.
Sam Houston’s stout defense kept themselves in the game until the offense got untracked late.
Keegan Shoemaker led the comeback as the Bearkats (4-0) overcame a 14point deficit in winning for the 10th straight time in the series and extending its overall winning streak to 15 games.
After a slow start Shoemaker passed for 222 yards and two touchdowns, completing 16-of-29 passes. Shoemaker, who played in place of Eric Schmid, is on partial scholarship and Keeler said postgame that would be changing shortly.
“I felt comfortable in the first half, but we figured it out after halftime, trusting the O-Line and stuff.”
SFA, which outgained Sam Houston 311-289, led 13-6 at the half.
Stymied for three quarters, Sam Houston’s offense came alive in the fourth. The Bearkats put together a 97-yard scoring drive that got them within six points, and with 2:37 left, a 4-yard run by Trapper Pannell out of the shotgun formation tied the game, followed by Christian Pavon’s gamewinning extra point.
In getting to 20-14, Shoemaker teamed with Ife Adeyi on a 26-yard scoring pass with 9:08 to play and then found Cody Chrest on the 2-point conversion.
Over its first six possessions, Sam Houston had no points and managed only four first downs, turning the ball over twice on fourth downs. Without Schmid, the spring 2021 Southland Conference Player of the Year, the offense had trouble extending drives.
Sam Houston didn’t score until its seventh series. Jequez Ezzard scored from 5 yards on a pass from Shoemaker to get the Bearkats to within 13-6 with 1:32 left before the half. Cameron Hearn’s kick failed, bouncing off the right upright. Hearn was kicking in place of Seth Morgan, who did not play on Saturday.
The Bearkats’ 77-yard, nine-play drive got a boost when strong safety Tkai Lloyd was disqualified for targeting.
“We’re a great football team,” Bearkats defensive end Jahari Kay said. “We don’t get startled, we like the moment.”
The Bearkats had not trailed at any point in their previous three games.
SFA took a 20-6 lead with three seconds remaining in the third quarter. Trae Self threw a 9-yard scoring pass to Lawton Rikel, completing a one-play drive that was set up by a fumble recovery by Amad Murray.
Carthel got what he wanted out of Self, who supplied 215 passing yards, completing 17-of-34 passes. Self found success throwing the ball as well as running effectively. Xavier Gipson was a featured player for the Lumberjacks, catching nine passes for 100 yards and one touchdown.
Bruce Harmon had an interception for the Lumberjacks, who led 13-6 at the break. Zyon McCollum collected a pick for Sam Houston.
Campos’ 49-yard firstquarter field goal that gave SFA a 3-0 lead was the initial indicator the Lumberjacks meant business. The Lumberjacks went ahead 10-0 in the final minute of the quarter on a 15-yard scoring pass from Self to Gipson.