Team of the Week:

No. 25 Sam Houston State Bearkats (5-3, 4-1)

Last Week: The SHSU defense was outstanding last Saturday as the Kats earned a huge 17-0 win at home over No. 9 Nicholls. The Bearkats held the Colonels to only 271 total yards of offense and 55 total rushing yards in the game and forced three turnovers. Hunter Brown led the defense with 10 tackles, seven solo, one quarterback hurry and recovered a fumble while Royce See added 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble for the Kats. Quarterback Ty Brock completed 6-of-13 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Humphries completed 5-of-6 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown while adding 39 yards rushing on 11 carries. Woody Brandom caught five passes for 90 yards.

The Verdict: SHSU head coach K.C. Keeler has said that this is the best defense he has ever coached, and the defense stood tall for a big win last week. The Kats have overcome multiple injuries to each quarterback on their roster and have placed themselves back in the conference race as they are currently in a four-way tie for first place. This week’s game will be huge for the Kats hopes of winning a conference title and earning a playoff bid.

This Week: SHSU begins a two-game road trip as they play No. 10 Central Arkansas on Saturday night at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.