blackfordpu
November 10th, 2005, 06:31 PM
Got this from TT's post on katfans.com. A good article on the upcoming games in teh SLC.
Kevin Gore, Cox East Texas Daily Lulfkin News
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Texas State and Nicholls State – the two survivors in games last week involving one-loss teams in the Southland Conference – both face challenging road trips in their quests to win or share the league championship.
Texas State plays SFA at 1 p.m. Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium.
Nicholls State travels to Hammond, La., for a game against Southeastern Louisiana.
Texas State and Nicholls State represent a change at the top of the league.
Those teams finished third and fourth in the league, respectively, last season.
Meanwhile, the game that used to mean just about everything in the league race – Northwestern against McNeese – has little significance.
Northwestern, which shared the league title with Sam Houston last season, takes a 4-4 overall mark up against a McNeese team that is coming off one of its worst losses in league history.
Sam Houston plays Northern Colorado in the other game involving the SLC.
To the games of the week:
Texas State (7-2, 3-1 at SFA (5-4,. 1-3): SFA first-year coach Robert McFarland said it's basically a waste of time searching for weaknesses with Texas State, which defeated McNeese 49-7 last week in San Marcos.
“They are dominating on offense and defense,” the coach said. “They have great players, across the board.”
The Bobcats' offense is averaging 35.5 points in league play, led by senior quarterback Barrick Nealy, who should be in the NFL next season.
Nealy (6-5, 230) has thrown for 1,701 yards and is the team's top runner, with 530 yards.
He has had a hand in 22 of the team's 32 scores this season.
Senior defensive tackle Fred Evans (6-5, 285) is another pro player in the making. He has 30 tackles, including 11 for losses.
While the game looks like a mismatch, there are underlying reasons to expect a competitive game.
McFarland said his team continued to practice hard, even when it was in the middle of a three-game losing streak. That diligence finally paid off with last week's 27-17 win against a UC Davis team that held a 17-7 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Texas State coach David Bailiff watched that gamefilm and came away from it with what he already knew about SFA.
The Lumberjacks' effort is there.
“They've scored 126 points in the fourth quarter of games this season,” the coach said. “We haven't won there since 1991.”
He's correct on both accounts, which should make for an interesting match-up, at least for a while, Saturday.
Nicholls State (4-3, 3-1) at Southeastern Louisiana (3-5, 2-3): The only SLC team that SFA had defeated, Nicholls State is in position to win the league with victories in its next two games.
The Colonels' running game was dominant at scoring points and eating up the clock in their 31-24 overtime decision against Northwestern State.
But the Colonels are traveling for the second time in as many weeks and will meet a Southeastern Louisiana team that just got through with a grueling two-game road trip to SFA and Sam Houston.
This game matches Nicholls' option running game against SLU's passing offense.
SLU coach Dennis Roland, whose team was impressive in defeating SFA two weeks ago when it was healthy, is banged up a bit on its return home.
Nicholls has more at stake, but SLU is 2-1 at home – the only setback being to Texas State.
Flip a coin.
Northwestern State (4-4, 2-2) at McNeese (4-3, 2-2): Neither team has an excuse in this game, according to the head coaches.
McNeese coach Tommy Tate was asked if his team – which was displaced for about a month due to Hurricane Rita – hit a wall in its effort to stay in the league race last week.
“We hit a wall called Texas State,” he said. “That's what we hit.
“We have got every excuse in the world, if we want to look for them. We couldn't stop their offense, and our offense couldn't make a first down.”
Saturday's game with Northwestern will be just the second at Cowboy Stadium, which will be filled up with a homecoming crowd.
His team out of the league race and the playoff picture, Northwestern coach Scott Stoker is worried about the team's mental state after the Demons played Nicholls State to a 24-24 game, only to lose in overtime.
“Our players are down, understandably so,” the coach said. “We've got to regroup.
“There are enough excuses to make for a lifetime. But, we're not going to make them.”
Sam Houston (3-5, 2-3) at Northern Colorado (3-5): First-year head coach Todd Whitten can't figure out his Bearkats.
He called his team's 31-26 loss to McNeese State “as bad a performance as I've been associated with, as a coach and player.”
The Bearkats followed it up with a solid 35-18 victory against Southeastern Louisiana, when backup quarterback Wade Pate threw three touchdowns and rushed for two others.
What will the Bearkats do against a mediocre Northern Colorado team that was beat 45-0 by North Dakota State last week?
“We're decent at home, and we're bad on the road,” Whitten said.
That last comment by Whitten is a little of what ticks me off about him! :mad:
Kevin Gore, Cox East Texas Daily Lulfkin News
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Texas State and Nicholls State – the two survivors in games last week involving one-loss teams in the Southland Conference – both face challenging road trips in their quests to win or share the league championship.
Texas State plays SFA at 1 p.m. Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium.
Nicholls State travels to Hammond, La., for a game against Southeastern Louisiana.
Texas State and Nicholls State represent a change at the top of the league.
Those teams finished third and fourth in the league, respectively, last season.
Meanwhile, the game that used to mean just about everything in the league race – Northwestern against McNeese – has little significance.
Northwestern, which shared the league title with Sam Houston last season, takes a 4-4 overall mark up against a McNeese team that is coming off one of its worst losses in league history.
Sam Houston plays Northern Colorado in the other game involving the SLC.
To the games of the week:
Texas State (7-2, 3-1 at SFA (5-4,. 1-3): SFA first-year coach Robert McFarland said it's basically a waste of time searching for weaknesses with Texas State, which defeated McNeese 49-7 last week in San Marcos.
“They are dominating on offense and defense,” the coach said. “They have great players, across the board.”
The Bobcats' offense is averaging 35.5 points in league play, led by senior quarterback Barrick Nealy, who should be in the NFL next season.
Nealy (6-5, 230) has thrown for 1,701 yards and is the team's top runner, with 530 yards.
He has had a hand in 22 of the team's 32 scores this season.
Senior defensive tackle Fred Evans (6-5, 285) is another pro player in the making. He has 30 tackles, including 11 for losses.
While the game looks like a mismatch, there are underlying reasons to expect a competitive game.
McFarland said his team continued to practice hard, even when it was in the middle of a three-game losing streak. That diligence finally paid off with last week's 27-17 win against a UC Davis team that held a 17-7 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Texas State coach David Bailiff watched that gamefilm and came away from it with what he already knew about SFA.
The Lumberjacks' effort is there.
“They've scored 126 points in the fourth quarter of games this season,” the coach said. “We haven't won there since 1991.”
He's correct on both accounts, which should make for an interesting match-up, at least for a while, Saturday.
Nicholls State (4-3, 3-1) at Southeastern Louisiana (3-5, 2-3): The only SLC team that SFA had defeated, Nicholls State is in position to win the league with victories in its next two games.
The Colonels' running game was dominant at scoring points and eating up the clock in their 31-24 overtime decision against Northwestern State.
But the Colonels are traveling for the second time in as many weeks and will meet a Southeastern Louisiana team that just got through with a grueling two-game road trip to SFA and Sam Houston.
This game matches Nicholls' option running game against SLU's passing offense.
SLU coach Dennis Roland, whose team was impressive in defeating SFA two weeks ago when it was healthy, is banged up a bit on its return home.
Nicholls has more at stake, but SLU is 2-1 at home – the only setback being to Texas State.
Flip a coin.
Northwestern State (4-4, 2-2) at McNeese (4-3, 2-2): Neither team has an excuse in this game, according to the head coaches.
McNeese coach Tommy Tate was asked if his team – which was displaced for about a month due to Hurricane Rita – hit a wall in its effort to stay in the league race last week.
“We hit a wall called Texas State,” he said. “That's what we hit.
“We have got every excuse in the world, if we want to look for them. We couldn't stop their offense, and our offense couldn't make a first down.”
Saturday's game with Northwestern will be just the second at Cowboy Stadium, which will be filled up with a homecoming crowd.
His team out of the league race and the playoff picture, Northwestern coach Scott Stoker is worried about the team's mental state after the Demons played Nicholls State to a 24-24 game, only to lose in overtime.
“Our players are down, understandably so,” the coach said. “We've got to regroup.
“There are enough excuses to make for a lifetime. But, we're not going to make them.”
Sam Houston (3-5, 2-3) at Northern Colorado (3-5): First-year head coach Todd Whitten can't figure out his Bearkats.
He called his team's 31-26 loss to McNeese State “as bad a performance as I've been associated with, as a coach and player.”
The Bearkats followed it up with a solid 35-18 victory against Southeastern Louisiana, when backup quarterback Wade Pate threw three touchdowns and rushed for two others.
What will the Bearkats do against a mediocre Northern Colorado team that was beat 45-0 by North Dakota State last week?
“We're decent at home, and we're bad on the road,” Whitten said.
That last comment by Whitten is a little of what ticks me off about him! :mad: