Sam Houston State
From NCAA College Football Information & Resource
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The Sam Houston State Bearkats football team is an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision team representing the Sam Houston State University in the Southland Conference. Sam Houston State started its football program in 1912, playing as an independent team with then head football coach S.R. Warner on the helm. The team tallied a 2-2 win-loss record on its first season and 3-2 on the second. The team spent the first 12 seasons of the program independently before being admitted in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1924. In 1930, the Bearkats, coached by J.W. Jones captured SHSU's first ever title, the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship after winning all four of its conference assignments. After the 1930 season, SHSU left TIAA to join the Lone Star Conference but it took some time for the 'Kats to find their mark in the LSC as they had to go through six seasons of losing records before finally achieving a .500 winning mark in 1937. In 1952, the Bearkats achieved another milestone by appearing on their first ever postseason Bowl Game where the team dismantled Northeastern State, 41-20 in the Shrimp Bowl to give SHSU its first Bowl victory. The following year, Coach Paul E. Pierce duplicated the feat with an SHSU victory over Albertson in the Refrigerator Bowl. In 1955 and '56, SHSU claimed the LSC championship with a 5-1-0 and 6-0-0 record in conference play, respectively giving the team its first title in two plus decades. 1956 also marked SHSU's third straight Bowl victory in five years, winning the Refrigerator Bowl over Middle Tennessee State. The team added a few more championships in the SHSU trophy case when it won the 1961 and '64 LSC title, as well as the team's first national title, the NAIA National Championship in 1964 after a 9-1-1 performance in the season. In 1984, Sam Houston joined the Gulf Star Conference and although it was only a three season stint, the stay was productive for the Bearkats as they were able to win the GSC titles in 1985 and '86. The team joined the Southland Conference in 1987 and since then, SHSU has been two-time Southland Conference champions (2001 and 2004).
Thus far, the Bearkats have tallied over 400 wins and just a shade under the .500 mark in terms of overall winning percentage. Sam Houston's main rival are the Stephen F. Austin State Lumberjacks, with the two teams facing each other off in a rivalry game called "Battle of the Piney Woods" (as of 2006, SHSU leads the head-to-head series, 46-33-2).
Contents |
Ranking
- Have not ranked in the final major college polls.
| Year | Record | NCAA Rank | Sports Network Rank | USA/ESPN Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 9-3-0 | 11 | ||
| 1987 | 8-3-0 | 19 | ||
| 1991 | 8-3-1 | 12 | ||
| 2000 | 7-4-0 | 21 | ||
| 2001 | 10-3-0 | 7 | 8 | |
| 2004 | 11-3-0 | 4 | 4 |
Scouting Report
| Category | SLC Rank | Nat'l Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring Offense | 4 | 55 |
| Scoring Defense | 3 | 46 |
| Total Offense | 3 | 21 |
| Total Defense | 5 | 91 |
| Turnover Margin | 3 | 35 |
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 4 | 73 |
| Kickoff Returns | 3 | 71 |
| Net Punting | 1 | 15 |
| Passing Offense | 1 | 16 |
| Passing Defense | 5 | 71 |
| Passing Efficiency | 2 | 46 |
| Punt Returns | 7 | 108 |
| Rushing Offense | 5 | 62 |
| Rushing Defense | 6 | 86 |
Championships
National Championships
- 1964 - NAIA National Champions
Conference Championships
- 1930 - Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions
- 1955 - Lone Star Conference Co-Champions
- 1956 - Lone Star Conference Champions
- 1961 - Lone Star Conference Champions
- 1964 - Lone Star Conference Champions
- 1985 - Gulf Star Conference Co-Champions
- 1986 - Gulf Star Conference Champions
- 2001 - Southland Conference Co-Champions
- 2004 - Southland Conference Co-Champions
SHSU Bowl History
- No Major Bowl Games Played.
| Year | Bowl Game | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Championship Bowl - NAIA Championship Game | Concordia-Moorhead | T | 7-7 |
| Dec 06, 1958 | Christmas Festival Bowl | Northwestern State | L | 11-18 |
| Dec 01, 1956 | Refrigerator Bowl | Middle Tennessee State | W | 27-13 |
| Dec 06, 1953 | Refrigerator Bowl | Albertson | W | 14-12 |
| Dec 27, 1952 | Shrimp Bowl | Northeastern State | W | 41-20 |
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08.28.08 | East Central Oklahoma | Huntsville, TX | W, 58-14 |
| 09.13.08 | Prairie View A&M | Huntsville, TX | Postponed |
| 09.20.08 | #19 Kansas | Lawrence, KS | L, 14-38 |
| 09.27.08 | Gardner-Webb | Boiling Springs, NC | |
| 10.11.08 | Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | |
| 10.18.08 | McNeese State | Huntsville, TX | |
| 10.25.08 | Northwestern State | Natchitoches, LA | |
| 11.01.08 | Stephen F. Austin | Huntsville, TX | |
| 11.08.08 | Nicholls State | Thibodaux, LA | |
| 11.15.08 | Southeastern Louisiana | Huntsville, TX | |
| 11.22.08 | Texas State-San Marcos | Huntsville, TX |
Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown (Prev School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Catron Houston | WR | 5-11 | 184 | Sr. | Houston (Texas Tech) (Spring Woods) |
| 3 | Chris Lucas | WR | 5-10 | 174 | Jr. | Hazel Green, AL (Troy) |
| 4 | Jason Madkins | WR | 6-5 | 223 | Jr. | Mart, TX (Mart) |
| 5 | Randy Stewart | DB | 5-11 | 184 | So. | Magnolia |
| 7 | Rhett Bomar | QB | 6-2 | 215 | Sr. | Grand Prairie (Oklahoma) (Grand Prairie) |
| 8 | Chris Brown | DE | 6-2 | 220 | Jr. | Texarkana (Texas) (Texas) |
| 9 | Trey Payne | WR | 5-9 | 178 | Sr. | LaMarque (Baylor) |
| 10 | TyMagic Robinson | RB | 5-8 | 175 | So. | Klein (Klein Forest) |
| 11 | Bryan Randolph | QB | 6-3 | 185 | So. | Simi Valley, CA (Moorpark) (Simi Valley) |
| 13 | Wonseleh Brewer | DB | 5-8 | 165 | Jr. | Dallas (Richardson) |
| 14 | Ryan Hinojoza | QB | 6-2 | 197 | Sr. | Hurst, TX (Trinity) |
| 15 | Justin Wells | WR | 5-10 | 182 | Sr. | Huntsville |
| 16 | Jeff Welch | QB | 5-11 | 189 | Fr. | Cypress (Cy Falls) |
| 17 | Taylor Wilkins | K | 5-7 | 151 | Jr. | LaMarque |
| 18 | Taylor Weidman | QB | 6-1 | 199 | Fr. | Saginaw (Boswell) |
| 19 | Billy Skinner | DB | 5-11 | 212 | Sr. | Arlington (BYU) (Lamar) |
| 20 | Jarvis Pippins | DB | 5-9 | 156 | So. | Longview |
| 21 | Jeff Sparks | DB | 6-1 | 207 | Sr. | Houston (Texas Lutheran) (Mayde Creek) |
| 22 | James Aston | RB | 5-8 | 203 | Jr. | Katy, TX (Katy) |
| 23 | Femi Ogundare | CB | 5-8 | 200 | Sr. | Houston, TX (Bellaire) |
| 24 | Colby Lange | S | 6-0 | 198 | Fr. | Harker Heights, TX (Harker Heights) |
| 25 | Darrell Armstead | WR | 6-1 | 176 | Jr. | Copperas Cove, TX (New Mexico Military) (Copperas Cove) |
| 27 | Mike Littleton | DB | 6-0 | 190 | Fr. | Galveston, TX (Ball) |
| 28 | Trevor Brazil | DB | 6-0 | 195 | Fr. | Huntsville, TX (Huntsville) |
| 29 | Will Clay | RB | 6-1 | 200 | Fr. | Snyder, TX (Snyder) |
| 30 | Cameron Jenkins | DB | 5-9 | 158 | Jr. | Richardson |
| 31 | Stanley Garrett | DB | 5-10 | 189 | Sr. | Arlington |
| 32 | Chris Hardy | RB | 5-9 | 168 | Jr. | Galena Park |
| 34 | Edward Decambre | DE | 6-2 | 239 | So. | Austin (Austin) |
| 35 | Bryant Lagasse | DB | 5-10 | 190 | Fr. | Austin, TX (Lake Travis) |
| 38 | Justin Rock | LB | 5-10 | 197 | Fr. | McAllen |
| 39 | Derrick Raymer | P | 6-1 | 215 | Sr. | Goodland, KS (Garden City) (Goodland) |
| 40 | Matthew Powledge | FB | 6-0 | 219 | Jr. | Huntsville |
| 41 | Will Henry | LB | 5-10 | 225 | Fr. | Waco, TX (La Vega) |
| 42 | Luke McCall | LB | 6-0 | 227 | Jr. | Corpus Christi (Calallen) |
| 43 | Brandon Bruce | LB | 5-11 | 202 | So. | Hughes Springs |
| 44 | Zack Paty | LB | 6-1 | 215 | Fr. | Edmond, OK (Edmond) |
| 45 | Shane Richburg | LB | 5-11 | 234 | Sr. | Houston (North Shore) |
| 46 | J.D. Standley | TE | 6-3 | 235 | Fr. | Madisonville, TX (Madisonville) |
| 47 | Nolan Bucek | LB | 5-10 | 202 | Sr. | Cy Creek |
| 48 | Justin Humphrey | DS | 6-4 | 248 | Jr. | Huntsville |
| 49 | Shawn Weatherford | LB | 5-11 | 221 | Sr. | Paul's Valley, OK (Trinity Valley) (Paul's Valley) |
| 50 | Jeremy Werland | LB | 6-0 | 206 | Sr. | Columbus (Blinn JC) (Columbus) |
| 51 | Patrick Robinson | DT | 5-10 | 223 | Sr. | Baytown, TX (Lee) |
| 52 | Jordan Bowersox | OL | 6-2 | 277 | Sr. | Wichita, KS (Coffeyville) (Wichita Heights) |
| 53 | Nick Grimes | OL | 5-11 | 278 | Sr. | College Station (Tulsa) (A&M Conso) |
| 54 | Andrew Lester | DT | 6-1 | 292 | Fr. | Spring (Klein Oak) |
| 55 | Frank Simon | LB | 5-10 | 232 | Sr. | Chickasha, OK (NE Oklahoma) |
| 56 | John Goree | DL | 6-0 | 240 | Sr. | Marshall (Marshall) |
| 57 | Kevin Smith | DL | 6-2 | 308 | Jr. | Klein (Klein Forest) |
| 59 | J.T. Cleveland | DL | 6-0 | 285 | Fr. | Baytown, TX (Lee) |
| 61 | Chris Crockett | OL | 6-3 | 283 | So. | Converse (Judson) |
| 63 | Aaron Saunders | OL | 6-7 | 314 | Sr. | San Antonio (Missouri) (Jay) |
| 64 | Travis Best | OL | 6-2 | 302 | Jr. | Houston (Cy Falls) |
| 65 | John Dirk | OL | 6-3 | 285 | Sr. | Stephenville (Missouri) |
| 67 | Riley Smith | OL | 6-4 | 275 | Fr. | Huntsville, TX (Huntsville) |
| 68 | Eric Mikolajchak | DL | 6-4 | 315 | Sr. | Mayde Creek |
| 69 | Chris Stewart | DL | 6-1 | 263 | Jr. | Magnolia |
| 71 | R.C. Fairchild | OL | 6-3 | 294 | Sr. | The Woodlands |
| 73 | Travis Watson | OL | 6-4 | 289 | Fr. | Norman, OK (North) |
| 74 | Hadji Woods | LB | 6-2 | 180 | Fr. | Klein, TX (Klein Forest) |
| 77 | Kaleb Hobson | OT | 6-6 | 255 | Fr. | Early, TX (Early) |
| 78 | Hunter Schmidt | OL | 6-3 | 304 | Jr. | Alvin (Alvin) |
| 80 | Kevin Matthews | WR | 5-9 | 175 | Fr. | Galveston, TX (Ball) |
| 81 | Felix Adeyeye | WR | 6-3 | 201 | Sr. | Gahanna, OH (Redwoods JC) (Lincoln) |
| 83 | T.J. Jones | TE | 6-3 | 235 | Fr. | Tyler, TX (Lee) |
| 84 | Paul Mansfield | TE | 6-3 | 227 | Sr. | Orangefield (Blinn JC) (Blinn JC) |
| 85 | John Dobbs | DE | 6-3 | 206 | Jr. | Mineral Wells (Mineral Wells) |
| 86 | Jonathon Clark | TE | 6-4 | 245 | Jr. | El Mirage, AZ (Glendale CC) (Alhambra) |
| 87 | Freddie King | WR | 5-10 | 180 | Fr. | Port Arthur, TX (Memorial) |
| 88 | Jake Lebens | WR | 6-4 | 191 | Jr. | Round Rock (McNeil) |
| 89 | Melvis Pride | WR | 5-11 | 175 | Fr. | Odessa, TX (Permian) |
| 92 | Coty Gatewood | DL | 6-2 | 260 | So. | Kilgore |
| 93 | Justin Childs | DT | 6-3 | 281 | Jr. | Richmond, TX (Richmond) |
| 95 | Ryan Gloston | DE | 6-2 | 265 | Sr. | Houston (Blinn) (Westside) |
| 96 | Marlowe Poitier | DB | 6-3 | 240 | Fr. | Liberty Hill, TX (Liberty Hill) |
| 97 | Antonio Cobb | DL | 6-0 | 267 | So. | Pflugerville |
| 98 | Quentin Horn | DT | 6-2 | 255 | Fr. | Waco, TX (Waco) |
| 99 | Trace Choate | DT | 6-4 | 233 | Sr. | Lumberton, TX (Lumberton) |
Coaches/Team Officials
- Head Coach: Todd Whitten
- Assistant Football Coaches:
- James Ferguson - offensive coordinator
- Duane Dirk - defensive coordinator
- B. J. Anderson - offensive line
- Trent Grona - defensive backs/ special teams
- Tommy Mainord - wide receivers
- Mike Salinas - linebackers / special teams
- Mike Walton - cornerbacks
Notable Alumni in NFL
Sam Houston State Bearkats in NFL
- Scorpio Babers - Miami Dolphins, CB
- Keith Davis - Miami Dolphins, DB
- Keith Heinrich - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, TE
- Josh McCown - Miami Dolphins, QB
References
- CSTV Division I-AA Rankings
- NCAA.org's 2006 Southland Team Report
- Sam Houston State Alumni Tracker
- Sam Houston State Bearkats Football Historical Data
- Sam Houston State University Wikipedia
External Links
- Gobearkats.com/Football
- Sam Houston State Bearkats Football on USA Today
- Sam Houston State University Website
| Southland Conference Football Teams |
|---|
| Central Arkansas • McNeese State • Nicholls State • Northwestern State • Sam Houston State • Southeastern Louisiana • Stephen F. Austin • Texas State |

