A PDF of the Southland Conference football weekly release, with playoff bracket, is available on Southland.org:http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18400&ATCLID=205039155
2010 Southland Conference Media Guide:
http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18400&KEY=&ATCLID=204970653&SPID=10812&SPSID=97272
Nov. 30, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Stephen F. Austin Opens FCS Playoffs Saturday vs. Villanova
Lumberjacks take on defending national champion in second round on home field
FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin will play host to Villanova, the defending NCAA champion Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m., CST, and be televised on ESPN Game Plan and ESPN3.com. Tickets for the game are available through the SFA ticket office.
Stephen F. Austin finished the regular season with a 9-2 record and a 6-1 record in conference play to earn its second consecutive championship and fourth overall. The Lumberjacks, who are the Southland’s automatic qualifier into the playoffs, suffered losses at the hands of Texas A&M, a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision’s Big 12 Conference, and at home to Texas State. SFA won its final three games, including a 36-13 victory over Northwestern State in the regular-season finale. The Lumberjacks, who were tied with McNeese State for the conference lead entering the final Saturday of play, claimed the Southland title outright after the Cowboys stumbled at Central Arkansas. SFA shared the 2009 title with McNeese State.
Villanova is in search of its second consecutive national championship and enters the playoffs with a 7-4 overall record after earning an at-large bid into the playoffs. The Wildcats tied for third in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 5-3 record and snapped a two-game losing streak with a 28-21 overtime victory at Delaware the final Saturday of the regular season. Villanova’s four losses came by a touchdown or less.
Last year, Villanova defeated Montana, 23-21, to win its first national championship. Montana ended Stephen F. Austin’s playoff run in the quarterfinals, handing the Lumberjacks a 51-0 loss in Missoula. SFA opened the last year’s playoffs with a 44-33 victory over Eastern Washington.
Southland Conference in the Playoffs
Southland Conference schools own a 44-48 record all-time in the playoffs, highlighted by McNeese State’s 14 all-time appearances. When Stephen F. Austin defeated Eastern Washington last year in Nacogdoches, Texas, it marked the first playoff victory by the conference since Texas State stormed to the NCAA semifinals in 2005, where it lost 40-37 to Northern Iowa in overtime. The Lumberjacks’ quarterfinal appearance last year marked the 26th time the Southland has sent a team to the quarterfinals.
Southland teams have reached the semifinals 13 times and have played for a national championship six times, most recently in 2002 when McNeese State lost to Western Kentucky 34-14 in Chattanooga, Tenn. McNeese State lost the 1997 national title to Youngstown State, marking the first title game appearance by a Southland team since Stephen F. Austin lost 37-34 to Georgia Southern in 1989. The Southland had a participant in the championship game three times from 1986-89. The lone national champion from the Southland is former member Louisiana-Monroe, which won the 1987 title, beating Marshall 43-42 in Pocatello, Idaho. Former Southland member Arkansas State lost the title game to Georgia Southern in 1986.
Stephen F. Austin in the Playoffs
The Lumberjacks, which won back-to-back Southland Conference titles for the first time in school history, are heading to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1988-89. Stephen F. Austin is 7-5 (.583) in the playoffs, having advanced to the semifinals twice and played for the 1989 championship, a 37-34 loss to Georgia Southern.
Stephen F. Austin vs. Playoff Teams
Saturday’s game between Stephen F. Austin and Villanova will mark the first-ever meeting between the schools. Should the Lumberjacks beat Villanova, it would set up a meeting with either Western Illinois or Appalachian State. SFA is 2-2 against Western Illinois and 1-0 against Appalachian State.
SFA vs. Western Illinois
2005 SFA won 63-36
2007 Western Illinois won 34-13
2008 Western Illinois won 34-14
2009 SFA won 40-30
SFA vs. Appalachian State
1995 SFA won 27-17
Against the other teams that made this year’s field of 20, Stephen F. Austin is 17-17, including a 22-20 victory at Northern Iowa the third week of the season. The Panthers lost at home to Lehigh, 14-7, last Saturday in the first-round of the playoffs.
SFA Now No. 2 in Coaches Poll
Stephen F. Austin climbed to No. 2 in the FCS Coaches’ Poll and to No. 3 in The Sports Network/Fathead.com Top 25 following the final Saturday of the regular season. The Lumberjacks had peaked at No. 3 in the coaches’ poll in October before a loss to Texas State. They climbed to No. 5 in both polls before a shakeup in the polls on Nov. 20. The Lumberjacks, who trail only Eastern Washington in the coaches poll, are 9-2 overall and totaled one more point than Appalachian State in the coaches poll, despite only one first-place vote to the Mountaineers’ 12. The Lumberjacks are third in The Sports Network poll behind both Eastern Washington and Appalachian State.
There are no other Southland Conference teams in either poll, though both Central Arkansas and McNeese State received votes in the final regular-season poll.
Jeremy Moses Named Southland’s Overall, Offensive Player of the Year
Stephen F. Austin quarterback Jeremy Moses, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, was named the league’s overall player of the year and also the offensive player of the year Nov. 23. Moses, who was the Southland’s co-player of the year in 2009, has completed 303-of-499 passes (60.7 percent) for 3,658 yards and 34 touchdowns this season.
The senior from Baytown, Texas (Lee), leads the Football Championship Subdivision with 332.5 passing yards per game and has thrown only four interceptions. Moses, a five-time career conference offensive player of the week, is the Southland record holder in passing yards (13,061), total offense (12,853), completions (1,151) and touchdown passes (121). Those numbers are among the best all-time in the FCS. He ranks second in completions, fourth in touchdowns, sixth in passing yards and 10th in total offense. Moses is the only player from Stephen F. Austin to be named the overall player of the year and is the first repeat selection since Texas State’s Claude Mathis earned the honor in 1996 and 1997. Moses is the school’s fourth offensive player of the year.
Williams Named League’s Top Defender
Stephen F. Austin linebacker Jabara Williams was named the Southland’s defensive player of the year. Also a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, Williams becomes fifth Lumberjack and the second in a row to be named the league’s defensive player of the year, following Tim Knicky who shared the award last year. Williams has made 98 tackles this season, including six tackles for losses of 18 yards and two sacks totaling 12 yards. The senior from Garrison, Texas (Garrison), also had one interception, four pass breakups and three interceptions. For his career, Williams has made 402 career tackles, including 25 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
Harper Repeats as Coach of the Year
Stephen F. Austin coach J.C. Harper was named the Southland Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. He guided the Lumberjacks to a 9-2 record overall and 6-1 in Southland Conference play for the school’s second consecutive conference championship and fourth in school history. After sharing the title last season, the Lumberjacks won the title outright this year, the first time that has happened since 1989. Harper, a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, has guided SFA from an 0-11 season in 2007, to a No. 2 ranking in the FCS Coaches’ Poll and No. 3 in The Sports Network Top 25 this week. His squad had a first-round bye in this year’s playoffs before a second-round date Saturday vs. Villanova, the defending national champion. The Lumberjacks are 23-24 in Harper’s four seasons in Nacogdoches.
Central Arkansas’ Love, Sam Houston State’s Flanders are Top Freshmen
Central Arkansas defensive back Jestin Love and Sam Houston State running back Tim Flanders were named the league’s co-freshmen of the year.
Love led the league with six interceptions, all during conference play. The rookie from West Memphis, Ark., returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a 98-yard score at Nicholls. He followed it the next week with a 25-yard score against Southeastern Louisiana and had two interceptions in each of those games. His 166 yards off interception returns rank third in a single season at Central Arkansas. Love made 39 tackles this season and had a career-high seven stops against Stephen F. Austin. He is the first UCA player to be named the league’s freshman of the year.
Flanders, a redshirt freshman from Midwest City, Okla., was also named co-freshman of the year. He is the second Bearkat to lead the Southland Conference in rushing. He totaled 948 yards on 172 carries for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. He scored 13 touchdowns and averaged 94.8 yards per game while setting the school record with seven 100-yard rushing performances. The transfer from Kansas State reached 100 yards or more in six consecutive games, which also was a Sam Houston State record. Flanders is the third Bearkat to be named freshman of the year.
McNeese State’s Anderson is Top Newcomer
McNeese State tailback Andre Anderson was named the Southland’s newcomer of the year after he totaled 855 yards and five touchdowns in guiding the Cowboys to a second-place finish in the Southland. The transfer from Michigan State, averaged 77.7 yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry this year. He ran for a season-high 171 yards against Nicholls and then totaled 170 yards two weeks later in a win over Texas State before finishing the season with 101 yards at Central Arkansas. Anderson is the third McNeese State player to be named the newcomer of the year and the first since Roderick Royal picked up the award in 2002.
Stephen F. Austin Places 13 on All-Conference Teams
Stephen F. Austin had nine first-team selections and placed a total of 13 student-athletes on the two all-conference teams. Both numbers led the league. Quarterback Jeremy Moses was the first-team quarterback, while Jabara Williams earned first-team honors at linebacker for the third consecutive season. They were joined on the first team by receiver Cordell Roberson, offensive lineman George Bias, defensive linemen Kenneth Charles and Sean Warren, defensive back Josh Aubrey and Gralyn Crawford, who was honored at halfback and at return specialist. Second-team honorees include offensive linemen John Steel and Corey Dickerson, defensive back Andre Banks and punter Drew Nelson.
McNeese State had nine all-conference selections, followed by Central Arkansas (8), Sam Houston State (6), Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana (5) and Nicholls and Texas State (3).
There are 16 student-athletes who have been named to the all-conference teams previously, including Southeastern’s Tommy Connors, who is a four-time selection. Texas State’s D.J. Hall and Stephen F. Austin’s Williams are three-time honorees. Williams is a three-time first-team selection, becoming just the second Lumberjack to accomplish that feat. Other players with repeat selection to the first team include Hall and McNeese State’s Desmund Lighten and Malcolm Bronson.
SFA Headlining National Awards Lists
Stephen F. Austin has three individuals who have been named finalists for the three major awards in the Football Championship Subdivision. Quarterback Jeremy Moses is a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the subdivision’s most outstanding player, and linebacker Jabara Williams is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the outstanding defensive player in the FCS. Lumberjacks’ coach J.C. Harper, is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award for the second consecutive season, after finishing as the runnerup last season in one of the closest votes in the award’s history. Moses finished sixth in balloting in 2009 and was the top vote-getter among returning players this season. All three awards will be presented Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, which will be played at Pizza Hut Park.
Tickets On Sale Now for NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
Tickets are now on sale for the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship game, which will be played Jan. 7, 2011 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Tickets are available online at ncaa.com/fcs. Fans may purchase tickets for any of the three seating locations within the stadium, including midfield ($40), sideline ($35) or end zone ($30). The championship game, which will be hosted by the Southland Conference, the City of Frisco and the Hunt Sports Group, will be played at 23,500-seat, multi-purpose Pizza Hut Park each of the next three years. The championship game will be the culmination of a newly expanded 20-team championship bracket.
Texas Has Hosted Championship Before
The NCAA Division I Football National Championship Game has been played in Texas three times previously, all in Wichita Falls. Florida A&M beat Massachusetts 35-28 in the first championship game in 1978. Wichita Falls also hosted the game in 1981 and 1982. Idaho State beat Eastern Kentucky, 34-23, in 1981. The next year, Eastern Kentucky beat Delaware, 17-14.
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