Western Illinois @ Sam Houston State - Game Thread

[TexasTerror]

Sam Houston State Bearkats vs. Western Illinois
September 1, 2011 · 6 p.m · Bowers Stadium · Huntsville, Tx.

Following the Game
TV: KUBE 57 (Houston) (http://www.kube57.com/default.aspx) WGEM-Fox (Illinois)
Affiliate: SLC Affiliate List (http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18400&ATCLID=204784558)
Online Stream - SLCTV (https://www.nmnathletics.com/flexReg/Register.dbml?temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=18400) - KSAM (http://www.ksam1017.com)

Game Day Weather Information (courtesy of Weather Underground) -
Bowers Stadium (http://www.wunderground.com/sports/CFB/hometeam/Sam_Houston_State:Bearkats.html?st=1314903600)

Game Notes
WIU - Not available as of post time
SHSU - Not available as of post time

Twitter Feeds
@WIUFootball (http://twitter.com/#!/WIUFootball)
@BearkatSports (http://twitter.com/BearkatSports)

Team Web Sites
W. Illinois (http://www.goleathernecks.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12000&KEY=&SPID=4963&SPSID=50026)
SHSU (http://www.gobearkats.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19900&KEY=&SPID=11345&SPSID=92955)


Other Helpful Links
McDonough County Daily Voice (http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/)
Huntsville Item (http://www.itemonline.com)
Houstonian Online (http://www.houstonianonline.com/sports) (SHSU student newspaper)

Team Fan Sites
Leatherneck Nation (http://www.leathernecknation.com/)
SHSU KatFans.com (http://www.katfans.com/)

[TexasTerror]

Preview from College Sports Madness of Western Illinois...


2010 Record: (8-5, 5-3)
2010 Postseason: FCS Playoffs
Coach: Mark Hendrickson (13-15 at Western Illinois, 13-15 overall)

Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Caulton Ray, RB, 1,075 yards
Passing: Wil Lunt, QB, 16 yards
Receiving: Terriun Crump, WR, 888 yards
Tackles: Kevin Palermo, LB, 52
Sacks: Ryan Demming, DE, 2.0
Interceptions: Chris Boone, CB, 1; Keith Enderlein, S, 1; Kieron James, CB, 1; Ryan Waldron, S, 1

Western Illinois had an amazing turnaround. In 2009, the team went 1-10. During Coach Mark Hendrickson’s first full season with the team, they went 8-5 and finished second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 5-3 mark. There are some pieces to replace, some big pieces, but this team returns enough talent to make another playoff push.

http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/1847

[TexasTerror]

Has WIU filled that #1 starter role yet?


MACOMB — The No. 1 question for the Western Illinois football program is "Who’s No. 1?"

Four days into fall camp and the Leathernecks are no closer to naming a starting quarterback.

Juniors Wil Lunt, Josh Hudson and Cody Reardon have split time in the battle to replace the departed Matt Barr.

“It will not be filled immediately, and may not be filled soon,” coach Mark Hendrickson said at the program’s annual media day. “The good news is we’ll be satisfied with whoever wins that battle. We know it will be a good quarterback.”

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x919519705/WIU-football-has-holes-to-fill-on-both-sides-of-ball

[TexasTerror]

SHSU preview with some sound bytes via the Southland Conference...

http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205241672&DB_OEM_ID=18400

[blackfordpu]

Can't wait, this off-season seems like it has taken forever.

[Western_101]

Can't wait, this off-season seems like it has taken forever.

I second this sentiment. This summer has been exceptionally brutal with the heat. I can not remember another time where I have so looked forward to summer being over with and Fall and FOOTBALL arriving.

I like the OOC match-ups with the Southland.

[TexasTerror]

Texans cheerleaders in the house...

http://www.gobearkats.com/fls/19900/splash/Opening_Night.JPG

[blackfordpu]

TT, why are there Texans cheerleaders in the promo?

[TexasTerror]

TT, why are there Texans cheerleaders in the promo?

They come annually to add more 'buzz' and to help promote the Battle of the Piney Woods...

[TheRevSFA]

I'm actually considering driving to Huntsville to watch this game.

[TheRevSFA]

They come annually to add more 'buzz' and to help promote the Battle of the Piney Woods...

and by promoting SFA they'll actually be promoting a team who can win

[crossfire07]

I suppose using the Texan cheerleaders will go over good with Texan fans but how well do you think it goes over with the Cowboy fans? I don't think it does much to invite them into the fold and there are more Cowboy fans than there will EVER be Texan fans.

[TheRevSFA]

I suppose using the Texan cheerleaders will go over good with Texan fans but how well do you think it goes over with the Cowboy fans? I don't think it does much to invite them into the fold.

That's why it sucks living near Houston and being a Cowboy fan....

[TexasTerror]

Parking and game day info...

http://www.gobearkats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19900&ATCLID=205246606

[katstrapper]

They come annually to add more 'buzz' and to help promote the Battle of the Piney Woods...


Annually? They just started coming a year or so ago.xconfusedx

[TexasTerror]

Annually? They just started coming a year or so ago.xconfusedx

Got to get with the new traditions, katstrapper.

The BOPW is doing as well, if not better than anticipated... Texan cheerleaders will be an annual thing, even if this is year #2.

[TexasTerror]

Bearkats could see WIU use both QBs...


MACOMB —The first game of the 2011 regular season is just a week away for the Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks but the questions surrounding a starting quarterback seem far from being answered.

"We haven't determined who that guy is yet," said head coach Mark Hendrickson. "They've both performed well in practice and we're excited to see them both perform on game day."

Hendrickson went on to say that there is a strong possibility that both Wil Lunt and Josh Hudson could see time in the opener.

http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/sports/x767795495/Western-s-Dual-Threat

[TexasTerror]

A preview story on WIU...


A year ago, the Western Illinois football team had nowhere to go but up. Now the stakes are raised for the Leathernecks, whose 2010 FCS playoff appearance marked their return to the national landscape.

Western lost its offensive and defensive stars off a team that went 8-5 and reached the second round of the playoffs. But one thing that separates this year’s team from last is the depth at almost every position.

“At this level of competition that’s always a challenge,” Western coach Mark Hendrickson said. “It’s a challenge to have 22 starters, but the bigger challenge is to have 22 backups.”

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x626594768/Loss-of-top-Western-Illinois-players-won-t-be-a-crutch-chase-for-league-crown

[TexasTerror]

SHSU 'D' is ready!


One of the key factors in Sam Houston's surge during the 2010 Southland Conference football race was improvement on the defensive side of the ball.

The SHSU defense was a force against the run, holding opposing teams in check on the scoreboard for the most part. Entering the third full season under defensive coordinator Scott Stoker, the Bearkats look to be even stingier in 2011.

"We had a drastic improvement last year," senior linebacker Kash David said, "and that's because of these guys in the secondary being here for two years in the system and everybody maturing and getting the system down. Everybody has played football now, so nobody is new. It looks good."

http://www.gobearkats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19900&ATCLID=205251571

[TexasTerror]

Preview of WIU from GoBearkats...


Led by quarterback Matt Barr, the 2010 Western Illinois Leathernecks went from a 1-10 record and last place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference to become an 8-5 NCAA Division I national playoff participant.

That seven-victory improvement from 2009 to 2010 was the most in conference history. WIU won their first round playoff 17-10 over Coastal Carolina before falling in the round of 16 to Appalachian State 42-14.

Ranked among the top 25 in all the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision preseason polls, the Leathernecks must replace both Barr at quarterback and leading receiver Lito Senatus.

http://www.gobearkats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205252187&DB_OEM_ID=19900

[TexasTerror]

Another preview of WIU...


Last season's 8-5 record, No. 20 national ranking, and mini-run in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs simply marked the beginning of a new era of Western Illinois football - not an anomalous blip, or a sign that 2011 will represent a rebuilding season for a team that graduated one of the finest quarterbacks in program history.

Or at least that's how Leathernecks coach Mark Hendrickson sees it - and his players and coaching staff apparently agree.

Hendrickson likes what he has seen thus far during summer preseason practices, but he knows that his team needs to continue to strive for bigger and better performances if it expects to match or better last year's showing.

http://www.westerncourier.com/sports/leathernecks-hope-to-build-off-last-season/article_4b72c882-cf72-11e0-8a2b-001a4bcf6878.html

[SF State Gaters]

Both good teams, from different regions, different styles, should be an exciting game!

[TexasTerror]

Game notes, game specifics...

http://www.gobearkats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205252304&DB_OEM_ID=19900

[TexasTerror]

Lessons learned...


There's not an awful lot about last year's game against Western Illinois that the Bearkats would like to remember, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Behind the arm of Walter Payton award finalist, Matt Barr, the Leathernecks churned up and down the field for 500-plus yards against a young Sam Houston defense and rolled the Kats 56-14.

Since that early September game in Macomb, Ill., the Bearkat defense has admittedly grown up a lot. With another meeting with the Leathernecks coming up Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Bowers Stadium, Sam Houston is looking to avoid the same fate in its season opener.

http://www.gobearkats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205254911&DB_OEM_ID=19900

[TexasTerror]

FYI...

Southland TV Network Affiliate List for Western Illinois vs. Sam Houston State

LIVE COVERAGE
Texas
Amarillo KCPN 19.2 (MyNetwork)
Beaumont-Port Arthur KUIL 12.3 (MYTX/MyNetwork)
Dallas-Fort Worth WFAA 8.3 (Live Well Network)
Houston KUBE 57.1
Laredo KTXW 8.2 (CW)
Midland-Odessa KWWT 30.2 (Retro TV)
Rio Grande Valley KRGV 5.3 (Retro TV)
San Antonio KCWX 2.2 (This TV)
Tyler-Longview KYTX 19.2 (MYTX/Retro TV)
Waco-Temple-Bryan KCEN 6.2 (MYTX/This TV)

Arkansas
Little Rock-Pine Bluff KARZ 42.1 (MyNetwork)
Texarkana KPXJ 21.2 (MeTV)

Louisiana
Baton Rouge WBTR 41
Hammond WSTY 23 (My Family TV)
Lafayette KLWB 50.1 (MeTV)
Lake Charles Suddenlink 14
Morgan City-Houma KWBJ 22
Shreveport KPXJ 21.2 (MeTV)

Illinois
Quincy-Macomb WGEM 10.3 (FOX)
Rock Island-Moline WHBF 4.2 (Retro TV)

Mid-Atlantic Region
Washington, D.C./ The Comcast Network
Maryland/Virginia

Online
SLC NOW southland.org
ESPN3 espn3.com
iPhone/iPad/Android WatchESPN app

TAPE-DELAYED COVERAGE
Texas
Abilene-Sweetwater KTXS 12.3 (This TV) 10 p.m. Thursday
Corpus Christi KIII 3.1 (ABC) 12:30 a.m. Friday
Lubbock KJTV 34.2 (FOX34 NewsNOW) 10 p.m. Thursday

National Fox College Sports Central 1 p.m. Friday

http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205263842&DB_OEM_ID=18400

[leatherneck177]

Western has named Wil Lunt as the starting quarterback. He started the final 7 games of the 2009 season, losing them all. He was just a reshirt freshman at the time and clearly wasn't ready yet. However he has a heck of an arm, not sure on his mobility though.

Should be interesting.

http://www.wgem.com/story/15355728/lunt-picked-to-start-at-qb-for-western-illinois

[leatherneck177]

The Pick:

Necks 27
Bearkats 24

[TexasTerror]

Some game day reads...

Bearkats ready to make a statement


HUNTSVILLE — Football’s a tough enough game when everyone’s pulling together and everyone knows what they’re doing. But for a team that lacks a true identity, one that is youthful and inexperienced, the game can be doubly difficult.

That was the case for the Bearkats last fall when they took on a seasoned Western Illinois squad in Macomb, Ill.

http://itemonline.com/sports/x803539352/Bearkats-ready-to-make-a-statement
---

Gabelmann, Leathernecks look to build on playoff experience


MACOMB, Ill. - Nearing the completion of his degree work in the classroom, accounting major Josh Gabelmann treated himself to an art class this summer at Western Illinois.

The Leathernecks' starting fullback from Bettendorf enjoyed the chance to have some artistic freedom as he created his works.

http://qctimes.com/sports/college/gabelmann-leathernecks-look-to-build-on-playoff-experience/article_deda3864-d448-11e0-b4d4-001cc4c03286.html

[Twentysix]

Gameday streaming access (video) is free for all southland schools? That is freaking awesome. I wish NDSU/MVFC would do it for free. I spent like 50 bucks watching OOC football games last year.

[TexasTerror]

Gameday streaming access (video) is free for all southland schools? That is freaking awesome. I wish NDSU/MVFC would do it for free. I spent like 50 bucks watching OOC football games last year.

SLC TV games are free... individual games are not pending the school.

[TexasTerror]

FINAL
SHSU 20
WIU 6

Wish I could've given more feedback, but on the road in Missisippi.

[lionsrking2]

FINAL
SHSU 20
WIU 6

Wish I could've given more feedback, but on the road in Missisippi.

I watched most of it ... Sam played very well defensively and did enough on offense ... Bell managed the game well and made some plays downfield.

I wasn't very impressed with Western Illinois ... bland offensively and not much team speed ... they did hit a 92-yard deep ball late to get on the board, but Sam pretty much dominated from start to finish ... good win for the Bearkats.

[crossfire07]

Good win for Sam indeed.

[TexasTerror]

Photos...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samhoustonstateu/sets/72157627449836583/

[katstrapper]

Solid win for the Kats. Offense did enough to get points, however we were missing two starting OL due to injuries so overall I think they did a nice job stepping up to the challenge.

Defense looked GOOD! They were flying around all over the place. #99 DL Forbes Baggett was a force last night. He disrupted the offense and was in the backfield most of the night as well as #38 Darnell Taylor. Secondary did a great job and showed much improvement. CB's Sneed and Swanson shut down the outside for most of the night until the long pass late in the game.

Overall, solid performance by the Kats. Need to cut down on stupid penalties. I was pleased with what I saw!

New Mexico is a terrible program better be ready to play in two weeks or they might get embarrased once again. Hopefully we will have the two OL back in a couple of weeks.

[X-Factor]

clearly WIU is going to suffer from all of their lost seniors from last year's playoff run. Can they avoid a 2009 esque performance when they were on the other side of the SHSU/WIU outcome? Somehow I am doubtful but I wish them luck!

[alvinkayak6]

Western Illinois missing Matt Barr & Lito Senatus = Average/below average MVFC team. it looks like this team needs 200+ receiving yards from Crump to win against a decent team. Coach's son dropped a punt early on. Playoffs seem deeply unlikely right now.

[MplsBison]

I hope it was just hotter n' heck down there. Maybe having his brains steam in the heat for 3 hours will be enough to wake up MVFC athletic directors - DON'T schedule Southland teams early in the season!

Don't give them the advantage. You don't have to.

[kingkat99]

it was 100 degrees at kickoff and 92 when the game was over...that's no more advantage than playing in a dome....

[DG Cowboy]

Solid win for the Kats.

Playing at away venues just steels a team for the playoffs. Snow, ice, and domes with AT are are lot more fair than heat. Yep, you right.

[X-Factor]

Playoffs seem deeply unlikely right now.
You'd have to be a homer to think they ever were in the cards.