2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team

2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football
NCAA Division I champion Southland champion
NCAA Division I Championship Game, W 23–21 vs. South Dakota State
Conference	Southland Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 1
FCS Coaches	No. 1
2020 record	10–0 (6–0 Southland)
Head coach	K. C. Keeler (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Ryan Carty (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Clayton Carlin (4th season)
Home stadium	Bowers Stadium (capacity: 12,593)
Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Southland Conference football standings
v t	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Sam Houston State $^		6	–	0					10	–	0
No. 20 Southeastern Louisiana		4	–	2					4	–	3
Incarnate Word		3	–	3					3	–	3
No. 23 Nicholls		3	–	3					4	–	3
McNeese State*		2	–	4					3	–	4
Lamar		2	–	4					2	–	4
Northwestern State		1	–	5					1	–	5
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant * – Ineligible for FCS postseason play due to NCAA sanctions Note: Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, and Stephen F. Austin played only in the fall and opted out of the spring season. Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Bearkats were led by seventh-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium.

Background[]

In August 2020, the Southland Conference canceled all fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with the hope that sports would be playable in Spring 2021. That decision canceled all 12 games of the Bearkats' original schedule, putting their season on hold indefinitely.^[1] A revised schedule for Spring 2021 was later released.

Preseason[]

Preseason poll[]

The Southland Conference released their spring preseason poll in January 2021. The Bearkats were picked to finish second in the conference.^[2]In addition, nine Bearkats were chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team^[3]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Nicholls	67 (7)
2	Sam Houston State	65 (6)
3	Southeastern Louisiana	48
4	McNeese State	45 (1)
5	Incarnate Word	32
6	Northwestern State	20
7	Lamar	17

Preseason All–Southland Teams[]

Roster[]

2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 2 Ife Adeyi So QB 3 Eric Schmid  Jr RB 4 Ramon Jefferson  Jr QB 5 Keegan Shoemaker So RB 6 Noah Smith So WR 7 Dewaylon Ingram Jr QB 10 Mike Dare QB 11 Gunner Capps  Fr WR 12 Jequez Ezzard WR 14 Ryan Humphries  So WR 15 Tony Williams  Jr TE 16 Isaac Schley  Sr QB 17 Matthew Soutern Fr QB 18 Trapper Pannell Fr WR 19 Brennon Tibbs  Sr RB 20 Daryon Triche Fr RB 24 Harrison Smith Fr RB 25 Donovan Williams Jr RB 26 Kyran Jackson Sr TE 27 Dalton Meyer  So RB 28 Charles Crawford III Fr OL 51 Jalen North  Fr OL 52 Colby Thomas Sr OL 56 Daniel Melendez Jr OL 57 Ethan Hagler So OL 59 Will Jones Fr OL 60 Seth Kohlscheen  Fr OL 61 Noah Barboza Jr OL 62 Anthony Turrubiartes  Jr OL 64 Ben Bankston  Jr OL 65 Ylijaah Hall  So OL 66 D'Ary Patton Fr OL 70 Miguel Garcia OL 71 Walter Harris III Sr OL 73 Moses Johnson  Jr OL 74 Kevin Brown Jr OL 75 Eleasah Anderson  Jr OL 76 Prince Pines So OL 77 Peyton Fifield  So WR 80 Dee Bownes  So WR 81 Derrick Rose  Fr WR 83 Quan Ardoin  Jr TE 84 Keontae Richardson  Fr TE 85 Rowsy Godwin Fr TE 86 Jarvis Brooks Sr WR 88 Chandler Harvin  So WR 89 Cody Chrest	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 1 Trevor Williams Jr DB 5 Darrel Hawkins-Williams So LB 8 Quentin Brown  Sr DB 9 Jaylen Thomas Sr DB 13 Isaiah Downes Jr DB 17 Ke'Shon Murray  Jr DB 21 Kameryn Alexander So DB 22 Zyon McCollum Sr DB 23 Tristin McCollum Sr S 24 Evrin Hawkins Jr DB 25 Truman Bexley Fr DB 26 R. J. Bendert Fr DB 27 Savien Arnett Fr LB 28 Rance McInnis  Fr LB 29 Danzell Sims  Sr DB 30 Taylen Blaylock Fr S 31 Immanuel Sutton  So LB 33 Markel Perry  Jr DB 34 Emmonte Davis  Fr DB 35 Tobias Weaver Fr DB 36 Braiden Clopton  Fr DB 38 Trey Smith  Jr DB 40 Carson Horner  Fr LB 42 Jaylen Phillips Fr LB 43 Trey Fields Fr DE 44 Juan Henry  So DB 45 Daniel North  Fr DB 46 Jalan Mayed  So LB 48 Goodness Nwawuihe Fr LB 50 Ysidro Mascorro Fr LB 51 Trey Mappe Fr LB 54 Nick Abengowe Fr DL 55 Jahari Kay Sr DE 58 L. J. Salazar  So DL 63 Roscoe Jones  So DL 90 Trace Mascorro Sr DT 92 Scean Mustin  Sr DL 93 Richard Outland Fr DL 94 Jevon Leon So DL 95 Joseph Wallace Sr DL 96 Zach Loane  Jr DL 97 Chris Scott  So DE 98 Briceon Haynes Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 37 Cameron Hearn  Sr K 39 Reed Honshtein  Fr LS 41 Noah Caldwell  Jr P 47 Matt McRobert  Sr LS 53 Tanner Boston So K 87 Seth Morgan Fr	Head coach K. C. Keeler (Head Coach) Coordinators/assistant coaches Ryan Carty (Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks) Clayton Carlin (Defensive Coordinator / Safeties) Gary McGraw (Special Teams Coordinator / Cornerbacks / Defensive Passing Game Coordinator) Terence Archer (Passing Game Coordinator / Wide Receivers) Chris Buckner (Running Backs) Chris Rogers (Offensive Line) Siddiq Haynes (Defensive Line) Joe Morris (Defensive Ends) Jared Hensley (Linebackers) Matt Merkens (Tight Ends) Clayton Barnes (Director of Football Operations & Player Personnel Parker Whiteman (Strength & Conditioning) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: July 16, 2021

Schedule[]

Sam Houston State had games scheduled against Mississippi Valley State and Tarleton State, but were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[4][5]

In the delayed 2020 season, played in early 2021, the Bearkats went 6–0 in regular season games. The team then won four games in the FCS Playoffs to complete an undefeated 10–0 season, including a 23–21 victory over South Dakota State in the FCS Championship Game, securing the Bearkats their first FCS title.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
February 27	6:00 p.m.	No. 18 Southeastern Louisiana	No. 17	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX	ESPN+	W 43–38	2,612
March 13	12:00 p.m.	No. 7 Nicholls	No. 12	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX	ESPN+	W 71–17	2,103
March 20	6:00 p.m.	at Lamar	No. 7	Provost Umphrey Stadium Beaumont, TX	ESPN+	W 62–7	2,845
April 1	6:00 p.m.	at Northwestern State	No. 5	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	ESPN+	W 24–16	1,221
April 10	4:00 p.m.	McNeese State	No. 5	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX	ESPN+	W 27–13	3,103
April 17	11:00 a.m.	at No. 25 Incarnate Word	No. 5	Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX	ESPN+	W 42–14	743
April 24	11:00 a.m.	No. 10 Monmouth*	No. 4	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs First Round)	ESPN3	W 21–15	2,078
May 2	2:00 p.m.	No. 6 North Dakota State*	No. 4	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)	ESPN	W 24–20	4,984
May 8	1:30 p.m.	No. 1 James Madison*	No. 4	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs Semifinals)	ABC	W 38–35	5,038
May 16	1:00 p.m.	vs. No. 2 South Dakota State*	No. 4	Toyota Stadium Frisco, TX (FCS Playoffs National Championship)	ABC	W 23–21	7,840
*Non-conference game Rankings from STATS All times are in Central time

^[6][7]

Game summaries[]

Southeastern Louisiana[]

Southeastern Louisiana at Sam Houston State

1 2 3 4 Total No. 18 Lions 7 10 14 7 38 • No. 17 Bearkats 10 10 14 9 43 Date: February 27, 2021 Location: Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX Game start: 6:05 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 4 hours and 6 minutes Game attendance: 2,612 Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Overcast, Muggy • Wind: 9 S MPH Referee: Vidal Jones Television network: ESPN+

Scoring summary 1 09:47 SHSU Ramon Jefferson 59-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (9 plays, 89 yards, 3:51) SHSU 7–0 06:08 SELA Austin Mitchell 1-yard pass from Cole Kelley (Mateo Rengifo kick) (8 plays, 74 yards, 3:32) TIE 7–7 03:01 SHSU Seth Morgan 39-yard field goal (9 plays, 54 yards, 3:07) SHSU 10–7 2 14:33 SELA Taron Jones 4-yard rush (Mateo Rengifo kick) (10 plays, 72 yards, 3:24) SELA 14–10 12:21 SHSU Noah Smith 4-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (5 play, 80 yards, 2:07) SHSU 17–14 06:16 SELA Mateo Rengifo 36-yard field goal (16 plays, 56 yards, 6:05) TIE 17–17 00:00 SHSU Seth Morgan 21-yard field goal (8 plays, 64 yards, 1:26) SHSU 20–17 3 12:43 SHSU Ife Adeyi 6-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 12 yards, 0:37) SHSU 27–17 05:01 SELA Tim Wilson Jr. 4-yard pass from Cole Kelley (Mateo Rengifo kick) (8 plays, 93 yards, 2:58) SHSU 27–24 04:15 SHSU Ife Adeyi 78-yard pass fr4om Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (2 plays, 81 yards, 0:41) SHSU 34–24 00:34 SELA CJ Turner 11-yard pass from Cole Kelley (Mateo Rengifo kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 3:41) SHSU 34–31 4 14:05 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 30-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan PAT failed) (4 plays, 81 yards, 1:23) SHSU 40–31 08:21 SELA CJ Turner 10-yard pass from Cole Kelley (Mateo Rengifo kick) (8 plays, 68 yards, 3:14) SHSU 43–38

Over/under
SHSU −4.5	54

Statistics	Southeastern Louisiana	Sam Houston State
First downs	27	26
Total yards	536	672
Rushing yards	74	244
Passing yards	462	428
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	33:02	26:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southeastern Louisiana	Passing	Cole Kelley	36/53, 462 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Morgan Ellison	12 carries, 29 yards
	Receiving	CJ Turner	11 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TDs
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	25/40, 428 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Ramon Jefferson	12 carries, 139 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Chandler Harvin	7 receptions, 118 yards

Nicholls[]

Nicholls at Sam Houston State

1 2 3 4 Total No. 7 Colonels 7 3 7 0 17 • No. 12 Bearkats 7 23 20 21 71 Date: March 13, 2021 Location: Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX Game start: 12:05 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 34 minutes Game attendance: 2,103 Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Overcast, Humid • Wind: 10 S MPH Referee: Christopher Watson Television network: ESPN+

Scoring summary 1 11:36 NICH Dai'Jean Dixon 14-yard pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (2 plays, 21 yards, 0:40) NICH 7–0 01:26 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 14-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 70 yards, 3:01) TIE 7–7 2 12:32 SHSU Seth Morgan 24-yard field goal (5 plays, 74 yards, 2:28) SHSU 10–7 08:53 SHSU Noah Smith 29-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (6 plays, 80 yards, 2:14) SHSU 17–7 08:44 SHSU Jahari Kay 24-yard interception returned (Seth Morgan kick) (1 play, 0 yards, 0:09) SHSU 24–7 02:34 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 55-yard pass from Eric Schmid (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (5 plays, 80 yards, 2:02) SHSU 30–7 00:00 NICH Gavin Lasseigne 29-yard field goal (7 plays, 55 yards, 0:36) SHSU 30–10 3 11:37 SHSU Dewaylon Ingram 5-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan PAT failed) (9 plays, 75 yards, 3:26) SHSU 36–10 10:50 SHSU Noah Smith 6-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (4 plays, 18 yards, 0:44) SHSU 43–10 07:00 SHSU Trevor Williams 79-yard fumble returned (Seth Morgan kick) (11 plays, 58 yards, 3:45) SHSU 50–10 00:03 NICH Dai'Jean Dixon 5-yard rush (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (6 plays, 32 yards, 2:13) SHSU 50–17 4 11:23 SHSU Dee Bowens 10-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 3:40) SHSU 57–17 08:22 SHSU Kyran Jackson 2-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (6 plays, 24 yards, 2:51) SHSU 64–17 00:48 SHSU Mike Dare 4-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 67 yards, 4:12) SHSU 71–17

Over/under
SHSU −2.5	63

Statistics	Nicholls	Sam Houston State
First downs	19	23
Total yards	337	556
Rushing yards	118	190
Passing yards	219	366
Turnovers	4	2
Time of possession	28:54	31:06

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing	Lindsey Scott Jr	14/35, 186 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Dontaze Costly	3 carries, 41 yards
	Receiving	Dai'Jean Dixon	5 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	21/32, 366 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Daryon Triche	5 carries, 60 yards
	Receiving	Jequez Ezzard	3 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TDs

at Lamar[]

Sam Houston State at Lamar

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 7 Bearkats 7 31 17 7 62 Cardinals 0 0 0 7 7 Date: March 20, 2021 Location: Provost Umphrey Stadium Beaumont, TX Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 22 minutes Game attendance: 2,845 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy & Cool • Wind: 8 NE MPH Referee: Scott Hardin Television network: ESPN+

Scoring summary 1 10:34 SHSU Eric Schmid 16-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (5 plays, 70 yards, 1:27) SHSU 7–0 2 14:52 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 35-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 25 yards, 1:03) SHSU 14–0 13:43 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 80-yard punt returned (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 1 yard, 1:09) SHSU 21–0 10:20 SHSU Eric Schmid 9-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 58 yards, 0:58) SHSU 28–0 04:10 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 41-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (4 plays, 81 yards, 1:15) SHSU 35–0 00:00 SHSU Seth Morgan 36-yard field goal (7 plays, 56 yards, 1:14) SHSU 38–0 3 12:16 SHSU Eric Schmid 10-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 2:44) SHSU 45–0 06:06 SHSU Eric Schmid 5-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (8 plays, 69 yards, 3:27) SHSU 52–0 01:12 SHSU Seth Morgan 44-yard field goal (7 plays, 12 yards, 2:52) SHSU 55–0 4 13:33 LAMR Jaylon Jackson 42-yard pass from Austin Scott (Bailey Giffen kick) (5 plays, 79 yards, 2:34) SHSU 55–7 04:59 SHSU Donovan Williams 29-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (6 plays, 82 yards, 3:00) SHSU 62–7

Over/under
SHSU −29.0	61

Statistics	Sam Houston State	Lamar
First downs	22	9
Total yards	531	181
Rushing yards	181	28
Passing yards	350	153
Turnovers	4	4
Time of possession	27:57	32:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	19/29, 343 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Donovan Williams	7 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jequez Ezzard	4 receptions, 130 yards, 2 TDs
Lamar	Passing	Austin Scott	10/19, 123 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Jaylon Jackson	6 carries, 40 yards
	Receiving	Jaylon Jackson	3 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD

at Northwestern State[]

Sam Houston State at Northwestern State

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 5 Bearkats 7 7 7 3 24 Demons 0 3 0 13 16 Date: April 1, 2021 Location: Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA Game start: 6:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 35 minutes Game attendance: 1,221 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny and Clear • Wind: 11 SW MPH Referee: Ed Bourgeois Television network: ESPN+

Scoring summary 1 11:43 SHSU Cody Chrest 28-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (6 plays, 51 yards, 1:40) SHSU 7–0 2 02:19 SHSU Ife Adeyi 19-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (8 plays, 76 yards, 3:14) SHSU 14–0 00:00 NSU Eddie Godina 35-yard field goal (12 plays, 62 yard, 2:12) SHSU 14–3 3 05:55 SHSU Donovan Williams 6-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 70 yards, 2:12) SHSU 21–3 4 13:44 NSU Marquise Bridges 20-yard pass from Bryce Rivers (Eddie Godina PAT blocked) (1 play, 20 yards, 0:06) SHSU 21–9 10:13 SHSU Seth Morgan 41-yard field goal (8 plays, 50 yards, 3:30) SHSU 24–9 00:21 NSU Javon Antonio 7-yard pass from Bryce Rivers (Eddie Godina kick) (12 plays, 85 yards, 2:12) SHSU 24–16

Over/under
SHSU −27.5	67

Statistics	Sam Houston State	Northwestern State
First downs	23	24
Total yards	445	453
Rushing yards	133	43
Passing yards	312	410
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	32:30	27:30

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	22/41, 312 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Ramon Jefferson	18 carries, 107 yards
	Receiving	Ife Adeyi	6 receptions, 134 yards, 1 TD
Northwestern State	Passing	Bryce Rivers	29/51, 410 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Scooter Adams	13 carries, 34 yards
	Receiving	Javon Antonio	10 receptions, 190 yards, 1 TD

McNeese State[]

McNeese State at Sam Houston State

1 2 3 4 Total Cowboys 3 0 3 7 13 • No. 5 Bearkats 7 10 10 0 27 Date: April 10, 2021 Location: Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX Game start: 4:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 18 minutes Game attendance: 3,103 Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Clear & Sunny • Wind: 9 N MPH Referee: Dan Lewis Television network: ESPN+

Scoring summary 1 07:09 MCNS Jacob Abel 19-yard field goal (12 plays, 79 yards, 5:31) MCNS 3–0 02:53 SHSU Noah Smith 19-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (8 plays, 64 yards, 4:11) SHSU 7–3 2 03:27 SHSU Ramon Jefferson 1-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 47 yard, 3:28) SHSU 14–3 00:00 SHSU Seth Morgan 21-yard field goal (11 plays, 34 yards, 2:17) SHSU 17–3 3 12:17 SHSU Seth Morgan 33-yard field goal (6 plays, 49 yards, 2:37) SHSU 20–3 07:43 SHSU Donovan Williams 2-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 85 yards, 3:06) SHSU 27–3 04:58 MCNS Jacob Abel 25-yard field goal (10 plays, 68 yards, 2:45) SHSU 27–6 4 11:18 MCNS Joshua Matthews 24-yard pass from Cody Orgeron (Jacob Abel kick) (4 plays, 45 yards, 1:23) SHSU 27–13

Over/under
SHSU −15.0	59

Statistics	McNeese State	Sam Houston State
First downs	19	19
Total yards	328	392
Rushing yards	37	190
Passing yards	291	202
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	30:02	29:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
McNeese State	Passing	Cody Orgeron	27/42, 291 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Cody Orgeron	18 carries, 18 yards
	Receiving	Joshua Matthews	6 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	12/24, 202 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Eric Schmid	15 carries, 92 yards
	Receiving	Jequez Ezzard	3 receptions, 87 yards

at Incarnate Word[]

Sam Houston State at Incarnate Word

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 5 Bearkats 0 14 14 14 42 No. 25 Cardinals 0 7 7 0 14 Date: April 17, 2021 Location: Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX Game start: 11:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes Game attendance: 743 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: 19 SSW MPH Referee: Dan Lewis Television network: ESPN+

Scoring summary 2 14:52 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 21-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (12 plays, 90 yards, 5:21) SHSU 7–0 07:04 SHSU Ife Adeyi 4-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (10 plays, 91 yards, 4:11) SHSU 14–0 00:22 UIW Tre Wolf 1-yard pass from Cameron Ward (Carson Mohr kick) (10 plays, 77 yards, 2:39) SHSU 14–7 3 11:02 SHSU Eric Schmid 11-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 3:58) SHSU 21–7 07:34 UIW Jayden Jones 8-yard pass from Cameron Ward (Carson Mohr kick) (9 plays, 63 yards, 3:17) SHSU 21–14 06:08 SHSU Donovan Williams 4-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (4 plays, 75 yards, 1:26) SHSU 28–14 4 08:32 SHSU Ramon Jefferson 6-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (13 plays, 84 yards, 6:30) SHSU 35–14 03:24 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 36-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (5 plays, 71 yards, 2:38) SHSU 42–14

Over/under
SHSU −14.0	79

Statistics	Sam Houston State	Incarnate Word
First downs	29	21
Total yards	599	340
Rushing yards	229	35
Passing yards	370	305
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	32:52	27:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	25/34, 370 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Ramon Jefferson	13 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jequez Ezzard	7 receptions, 155 yards, 1 TD
Incarnate Word	Passing	Cameron Ward	32/53, 305 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Kevin Brown	9 carries, 64 yards
	Receiving	Robert Ferrel	9 receptions, 98 yards

Monmouth (First Round)[]

Monmouth at Sam Houston State

1 2 3 4 Total No. 10 Hawks 0 0 0 15 15 • No. 4 Bearkats 7 7 7 0 21 Date: April 24, 2021 Location: Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX Game start: 11:00 a.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 9 minutes Game attendance: 2,078 Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: 11 NW MPH Referee: Andrew Speciale Television network: ESPN

Scoring summary 1 04:22 SHSU Cody Chrest 13-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (8 plays, 47 yards, 3:52) SHSU 7–0 2 02:52 SHSU Ramon Jefferson 56-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 65 yards, 1:10) SHSU 14–0 3 09:49 SHSU Ramon Jefferson 3-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (5 plays, 85 yards, 2:35) SHSU 21–0 4 13:09 MONM Juwon Farri 1-yard rush (Tony Muskett two-point conversion pass to Gene Scott) (17 plays, 90 yards, 8:12) SHSU 21–8 05:58 MONM Terrance Greene Jr. 30-yard pass from Tony Muskett (Kaeon Torres kick) (15 plays, 86 yards, 5:32) SHSU 21–15

Over/under
SHSU −11.0	63

Statistics	Monmouth	Sam Houston State
First downs	27	9
Total yards	412	267
Rushing yards	115	134
Passing yards	297	133
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	39:41	20:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Monmouth	Passing	Tony Muskett	29/46, 297 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Juwon Farri	25 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Terrance Greene Jr.	9 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	12/24, 133 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Ramon Jefferson	9 carries, 95 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Cody Chrest	8 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD

North Dakota State (Quarterfinals)[]

North Dakota State at Sam Houston State

1 2 3 4 Total No. 6 Bison 0 2 15 3 20 • No. 4 Bearkats 10 0 7 7 24 Date: May 2, 2021 Location: Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX Game start: 2:04 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 2 minutes Game attendance: 4,984 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: 11 SW MPH Referee: Jeff Knight Television network: ESPN

Scoring summary 1 07:55 SHSU Seth Morgan 24-yard field goal (12 plays, 47 yards, 4:17) SHSU 3–0 02:27 SHSU Ramon Jefferson 1-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 38 yards, 2:10) SHSU 10–0 2 05:13 NDSU Team Safety (3 plays, 2 yards, 1:22) SHSU 10–2 3 08:39 SHSU Noah Smith 23-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (12 plays, 75 yards, 6:21) SHSU 17–2 08:27 NDSU Christian Watson 94-yard kickoff return (Jake Reinholz kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00) SHSU 17–9 06:43 NDSU Braylon Henderson 76-yard punt returned (Cam Miller two-point conversion pass to Christian Watson) (3 plays, -3 yards, 1:44) TIE 17–17 4 08:17 NDSU Jake Reinholz 33-yard field goal (20 plays, 60 yards, 9:44) NDSU 20–17 03:39 SHSU Eric Schmid 6-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (9 plays, 72 yards, 4:38) SHSU 24–20

Over/under
NDSU –2.5	46

Statistics	North Dakota State	Sam Houston State
First downs	13	16
Total yards	229	317
Rushing yards	139	90
Passing yards	90	227
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	30:03	29:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota State	Passing	Cam Miller	7/18, 90 yards, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Hunter Luepke	12 carries, 57 yards
	Receiving	Christian Watson	1 reception, 35 yards
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	25/37, 227 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Eric Schmid	10 carries, 36 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Noah Smith	10 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD

James Madison (Semifinals)[]

James Madison at Sam Houston State

1 2 3 4 Total No. 1 Dukes 0 24 3 8 35 • No. 4 Bearkats 3 0 28 7 38 Date: May 8, 2021 Location: Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX Game start: 1:36 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 27 minutes Game attendance: 5,038 Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny & Clear • Wind: 15 S MPH Referee: Drew Myers Television network: ABC

Scoring summary 1 09:14 SHSU Seth Morgan 29-yard field goal (7 plays, 26 yards, 2:13) SHSU 3–0 2 10:26 JMU Ethan Ratke 26-yard field goal (10 plays, 55 yards, 4:57) TIE 3–3 06:09 JMU Cole Johnson 1-yard rush (Ethan Ratke kick) (7 plays, 71 yards, 3:00) JMU 10–3 01:26 JMU Antwane Wells Jr. 4-yard pass from Cole Johnson (Ethan Ratke kick) (6 plays, 89 yards, 1:47) JMU 17–3 00:10 JMU Clayton Cheatham 7-yard pass from Cole Johnson (Ethan Ratke kick) (4 plays, 51 yards, 0:58) JMU 24–3 3 08:14 SHSU Ramon Jefferson 7-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (7 plays, 80 yards, 2:42) JMU 24–10 03:00 JMU Ethan Ratke 48-yard field goal (10 plays, 29 yards, 5:14) JMU 27–10 02:22 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 69-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (2 plays, 75 yards, 0:38) JMU 27–17 00:42 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 80-yard punt return (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 8 yards, 1:40) JMU 27–24 00:00 SHSU Eric Schmid 20-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 32 yards, 0:42) SHSU 31–27 4 12:16 SHSU Eric Schmid 11-yard rush (Seth Morgan kick) (5 plays, 30 yards, 2:39) SHSU 38–27 10:14 JMU Scott Bracey 34-yard pass from Cole Johnson (Cole Johnson two-point conversion rush) (6 plays, 72 yards, 2:02) SHSU 38–34

Over/under
JMU –1.5	47

Statistics	James Madison	Sam Houston State
First downs	23	18
Total yards	430	336
Rushing yards	159	118
Passing yards	271	218
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	35:54	24:06

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
James Madison	Passing	Cole Johnson	16/26, 271 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	24 carries, 98 yards
	Receiving	Antwane Wells Jr.	7 receptions, 89 yards, 1 TD
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	13/27, 218 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Ramon Jefferson	15 carries, 60 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jequez Ezzard	4 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD

South Dakota State (National Championship)[]

Sam Houston State vs. South Dakota State

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 4 Bearkats 0 14 3 6 23 No. 2 Jackrabbits 7 0 0 14 21 Date: May 16, 2021 Location: Toyota Stadium Frisco, TX Game start: 1:04 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 4 hours and 6 minutes Game attendance: 7,840 Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C) • Weather: Light Rain • Wind: 12 S MPH Referee: Steve Cadorette Television network: ABC

Scoring summary 1 07:33 SDSU Isaiah Davis 1-yard rush (Cole Frahm kick) (5 plays, 41 yards, 2:16) SDSU 7–0 2 11:16 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 35-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (3 plays, 56 yards, 1:16) TIE 7–7 01:21 SHSU Jequez Ezzard 15-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan kick) (9 plays, 74 yards, 3:32) SHSU 14–7 3 00:37 SHSU Seth Morgan 45-yard field goal (10 plays, 39 yards, 4:20) SHSU 17–7 4 13:12 SDSU Isaiah Davis 28-yard rush (Cole Frahm kick) (5 plays, 72 yards, 2:25) SHSU 17–14 05:41 SDSU Isaiah Davis 85-yard rush (Cole Frahm kick) (2 plays, 85 yards, 0:19) SDSU 21–17 00:16 SHSU Ife Adeyi 10-yard pass from Eric Schmid (Seth Morgan PAT failed) (16 plays, 65 yards, 5:25) SHSU 23–21

Over/under
SDSU –6.0	49

Statistics	Sam Houston State	South Dakota State
First downs	19	17
Total yards	353	362
Rushing yards	144	239
Passing yards	209	123
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	31:09	28:51

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Sam Houston State	Passing	Eric Schmid	20/37, 209 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Ramon Jefferson	16 carries, 96 yards
	Receiving	Jequez Ezzard	10 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TDs
South Dakota State	Passing	Keaton Heide	11/22, 107 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Isaiah Davis	14 carries, 178 yards, 3 TDs
	Receiving	Zach Heins	3 receptions, 44 yards

References[]