Box Score



HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana senior wide receiver Simmie Yarborough became the Southland Conference's career leader in receptions, but it was not enough as No. 4 Sam Houston State remained unbeaten with a 38-9 win over the Lions in Southland Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Strawberry Stadium.

The Lions (2-7, 0-5 Southland) remained winless in Southland play, despite nine catches for 114 yards from Yarborough. The Brookhaven, Miss. native now has 217 catches in his three-plus seasons with the Lions, surpassing the previous league standard of 211 by Sam Houston State's Matt Dominguez, who played for the Bearkats from 1997-2000.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter, the Bearkats (9-0, 6-0 Southland) rebounded with 38 unanswered points. The win, coupled with Central Arkansas' 45-20 win at Northwestern State, gives SHSU at least a share of the Southland Conference title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

Sam Houston State limited Southeastern to 267 total yards and forced the Lions into four turnovers. Neither of Southeastern's junior quarterbacks – Brian Young or Nathan Stanley – could get on track, as the duo combined to complete 22 of 56 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Yarborough and senior Kory Theodore were the lone productive performers for the Lions. Theodore, a New Orleans native, finished with six catches for 58 yards and Southeastern's only touchdown. The Lions also were limited to 57 yards on the ground, led by junior Sam Fairley with 33 yards on 10 carries.

Southeastern had several standouts on defense, despite allowing 394 yards to the Bearkats. Three Lions finished with double-digit tackles, as freshman Tyler Stoddard was credited with 13 tackles, followed by senior Keiron Jones and junior Tay Alford with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Jones and junior Robert Alford each had an interception for Southeastern, while junior Devan Walker contributed three tackles for loss.

Richard Sincere led the way for the Bearkat attack with nine carries for 137 yards and a score to go with two catches for 58 yards. Tim Flanders also had 100 total yards for the Bearkats, scoring a touchdown both rushing and receiving. Despite the two interceptions, Brian Bell was solid under center for SHSU, completing 11 of 20 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a pair of scores.

Southeastern was set up with good field position to open the game by a 50-yard kickoff return by freshman Jordan Wells. Wells, who finished the game with 140 kickoff return yards, increased his Southland Conference single-season record kickoff return yardage total to 1,311 yards – 100 shy of the FCS national single-season record, currently held by David Primus of Samford in 1989. Southeastern moved the ball to the Bearkat 28, but sophomore Seth Sebastian's 45-yard field goal try sailed wide left.

After forcing SHSU to go three-and-out on its first drive, Southeastern got on the board first. Yarborough caught two passes for 58 yards on a drive that Sebastian capped with a 36-yard field goal to give Southeastern a 3-0 lead with 8:39 left in the opening quarter.

Sam Houston State answered with a six-play, 56-yard scoring march, highlighted by a 39-yard gain by Flanders on a shovel pass. Flanders capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to put the Bearkats up, 7-3, with 5:54 remaining in the opening quarter.

The two teams traded punts on the next several possessions, but the Bearkats increased their lead on their first possession of the second quarter. On fourth-and-goal from inside the Lion one-yard line, Bell scampered in to cap a nine-play, 65-yard drive and put SHSU up, 14-3.

Southeastern was forced to punt on its next drive, but sophomore Matt McCormick pinned the Bearkats inside the five-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Jones intercepted Bell to set the Lions up in SHSU territory. The Bearkats defense stiffened, however, and forced Sebastian into a 47-yard field goal try.

In what was arguably the turning point in the game, Preston Sanders broke free to block Sebastian's attempt. The loose ball rolled all the way to the Lion 38-yard line, where Mike Littleton pounced on the loose ball.

Bell then hooked up with Sincere on a 34-yard pass to set up first and goal inside the Southeastern five-year line. On the next play, Bell ran in from four yards out to push the Bearkat lead to 21-3 going into the half.

The two teams traded empty possessions for the majority of the third quarter before a Southeastern miscue set up Sam Houston State deep in Lion territory. On his first snap of the game, Stanley was stripped by Kenneth Jenkins. Jenkins fell on the loose ball to give the Bearkats the ball at the Southeastern 20-yard line. On the next play, Bell found Flanders in the back right corner of the end zone to move the Bearkat lead to 28-3, with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter.

After Southeastern turned the ball over on downs, Sam Houston State put the game further out of reach with an 11-play, 63-yard drive that carried into the fourth quarter. Craig Alaniz capped the march with a 22-yard field goal to put the Bearkats up, 31-3, with 12:28 remaining.

On the first play of the next drive, Stanley was intercepted by Dax Swanson to give Bearkats the ball at the Lion 40-yard line. Two plays later, Sincere scampered around left end for a 38-yard score to move the Bearkats up, 38-3.

Southeastern finally cut into the lead with an eight-play, 69-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. Theodore accounted for the final 19 yards, spinning away from a SHSU defender for his third receiving touchdown of the season. Will Henry blocked Sebastian's point after attempt to keep the Bearkat lead at 38-9.

Southeastern got the ball back one more time with just over two minutes remaining, but Bookie Sneed intercepted Young to allow the Bearkats to run out the clock.

Southeastern will close out its road schedule next Saturday, when it travels to face Stephen F. Austin at 6 p.m. in Nacogdoches, Texas. Next Saturday's contest will be broadcast in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net.