Note: † – Dixie State, Presbyterian, and Tarleton State played only in the spring. All other teams listed played only in the fall. Presbyterian was in a scheduling agreement with the Pioneer Football League, which it fully joined in July 2021.
The Southland Conference released their original preseason poll in July 2020. The Lumberjacks were picked to finish eighth in the conference, prior to their schedule split from the rest of the league.[1]In addition, one Lumberjack was chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team[2]
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Central Arkansas*
190 (12)
2
Sam Houston State
170 (4)
3
Nicholls
169 (6)
4
Southeastern Louisiana
157
5
McNeese State
113
6
Incarnate Word
104
7
Abilene Christian*
101
8
Stephen F. Austin*
60
9
Houston Baptist*
59
10
Northwestern State
49
11
Lamar
38
(*) These teams opted out of playing in the revised spring 2021 Southland schedule, and instead played as Independent in the fall of 2020.
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) • Wind: E 15 mph
Game attendance: 6,047
Referee: Rodney Burnette • Umpire: Stephen Marshal • Linesman: Lea Bailey • Line judge: Joshua Fath • Back judge: Brandon Spencer • Field judge: Parker Anderson • Side judge: Adrian Carson • Center judge: Nathan Jastram
Game weather: Indoors • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 6,611
Referee: Chris Bynum • Umpire: Joe Nanus • Linesman: Tony Sands • Line judge: Nicholas Therio • Back judge: Sean Woodson • Field judge: Lark Jones • Side judge: Dustin Drawhorn
TV announcers (ESPN2): Lincoln Rose, LaDarrin McLane
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: SE 12 mph
Game attendance: 7,898
Referee: Nate Black • Umpire: Michael Powell • Linesman: Adam Loudin • Line judge: Lance Thompson • Back judge: Victor Firth • Field judge: Glen Wilson • Side judge: Ryan Robinson
TV announcers (ESPN+): David Saltzman, LaDarrin McLane
Game information
First quarter
(12:34) SMU – Ulysses Bentley IV 33-yard run, Chris Naggar kick blocked (Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:26; SMU 6–0)
(6:52) SMU – Danny Gray 11-yard pass from Shane Buechele, Chris Naggar kick (Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 3:36; SMU 13–0)
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: SE 8 mph
Game attendance: 5,035
Referee: Scott Hardin • Umpire: Jeremy Epps • Linesman: Justin Gragg • Line judge: Matt Stellges • Back judge: TJ Riley • Field judge: Chris Bailey • Side judge: Nolan Dumas
TV announcers (ESPN3): Luke Hamilton, John Wilkowski