Bearkats aim for 7 in a row over SFA

Sam Houston State looks to earn a record seventh consecutive win over Stephen F. Austin in Saturday’s Battle of the Piney Woods.

The game follows the first loss of the season last Saturday for the Bearkats (3-1) to 12th-ranked Central Arkansas, a game in which quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe tied Brian Bell’s school career record for touchdown passes (84).

Briscoe was impressive in last year’s contest against SFA, completing 25 of 33 passes for 438 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns on the way to a 63-28 win over the Lumberjacks. This year, the Bearkats’ offense is just as explosive, ranking in the top five in total offense and scoring nationally.

That offense also features sophomore wide receiver Nathan Stewart who, helped slay the Lumberjacks with five catches for 183 yards and two of scores in last year’s game. He had eight catches for 164 yards and three scores in the loss to Central Arkansas last Saturday.

Stewart also leads the conference in receiving with 127 yards per game.

Defensively, the Bearkats didn’t force a turnover for the first time all season against Central Arkansas. That snapped a streak of 15 consecutive games they registered at least one takeaway.

SFA (2-3) opened up its season with losses to SMU and Southern Utah before beating conference opponents Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian. It was crushed last Saturday by McNeese State, where SFA was outgained on the ground 342-61.

The Lumberjacks may face more of the same Saturday, fielding a defense that’s allowed 222 rushing yards per game this season while allowing 37 points per game. On offense, they’re not much better, ranking in the bottom 30 in the country in total and scoring offense.

But SFA can look to history for inspiration.

Since 1986, one team has come into the rivalry game ranked in the FCS top 25 and with the other unranked 16 times. Of those games, the unranked team won six times in that span.

The most recent scares came in 2015, when the Bearkats escaped with a 3428 win off the strength of two punt return touchdowns against a Lumberjacks team that ultimately went 4-7. In 2013, Sam Houston almost lost a four-touchdown fourth-quarter lead before an onside kick recovery helped it secure the victory.

A win for the Bearkats would have more lasting effects on the history books, though.

Sam Houston St. head coach K.C. Keeler is currently 18th in wins by FCS head coaches with 211 — just one win behind Wofford’s Mike Ayers. A victory would move him closer to former Bearkats head coach Ron Randleman, who is 16th (218 wins) on the all-time list.