HUNTSVILLE, Texas – In a battle fitting of a pair of Southland Conference champions, No. 19 Sam Houston State battled past No. 9/11 Southeastern Louisiana, 21-17, in the first round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday afternoon at Bowers Stadium.   
 
The Lions (9-4) held a 10-0 halftime lead, but freshman Donovan Williams' five-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter gave Sam Houston State (9-4) a lead that it would not relinquish. The Bearkats advance to the second round of the FCS playoffs, where they will face No. 3 seed and Ohio Valley Conference champion Jacksonville State next Saturday at 1 p.m. in Jacksonville, Alabama.
 
The Southeastern defense highlighted the Lion effort on Saturday, forcing four SHSU turnovers and limiting the Bearkats to 269 total yards. Playing in his final game, SLU senior Tyler Stoddard led Southeastern with 12 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Juniors Micah Eugene and Harlan Miller each had an interception for the Lions, while senior Jacob Newman recorded a sack.
 
Southeastern senior quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate Bryan Bennett gutted out his final game on an injured foot. The Southland Offensive Player of the Year tied the school career record with a pair of rushing touchdowns, while also throwing for 181 yards on 17-of-48 passing. The senior finished his Southeastern career with 31 rushing touchdowns and 38 passing touchdowns, giving the Lion star a career school record 69 touchdowns accounted for in his two years at Southeastern.
 
With Bennett not at 100 percent, the Lion offense was limited to 305 total yards. Senior Devante Scott led SLU with five catches for 53 yards, finishing his senior season with 50 catches for 1,064 yards – the second-highest single-season total in school history. Junior Jeff Smiley also had five catches for SLU.
 
Sam Houston State was hampered by its own key injury, as senior Keshawn Hill missed the game after suffering an injury on the opening kickoff. Freshman Donovan Williams stepped in and rushed for two touchdowns, while sophomore Jalen Overstreet also scored a rushing score.
 
Senior Michael Wade led the Bearkats with 15 tackles, while freshman P.J. Hall had four tackles for loss to lead SHSU.  
 
Southeastern received a gift on the opening kickoff, as Stoddard fell on a muffed return attempt by senior Ridgeway Frank. The turnover gave Southeastern great field position and set up a 25-yard field goal by senior Ryan Adams to give the Lions a 3-0 lead just over a minute into the game.
 
The defenses took over for the remainder of the quarter, before SLU added to its lead in the opening minute of the second quarter. Bennett capped an eight-play, 62-yard scoring drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to put SLU up, 10-0, with 14:19 left in the first half.
 
Sam Houston State finally got something going on its ensuing drive. However, facing a fourth-and-goal at the SLU one-yard line, Eugene chopped down Williams for a five-yard loss to keep the Bearkats off the board. From that point forward, the defenses held firm and Southeastern went into the break with a 10-0 lead.
 
The two defenses continued to dominate early in the third quarter, before Sam Houston State finally got on the board. Overstreet scored from three yards out to cap a six-play, 50-yard drive and cut the SLU lead to 10-7 with 7:14 in the third quarter.
 
Southeastern kept Sam Houston State at bay until senior Devante Scott fumbled a punt inside the five-yard line on the final play of the third quarter. Two plays later, Williams scored from a yard out to give the Bearkats a 14-10 lead with 14:57 left in the game.
 
After being stifled offensively, the Lions finally put together a good drive to answer. Bennett scored from two yards out to cap a 10-play, 58-yard march and allow the Lions to retake the lead, 17-14, with 11:11 left in the contest. The rushing touchdown was his 31^st of his career, tying the school career record held by Horace Belton.
 
SLU had a chance to add to its lead when a 40-yard punt return by Scott set the Lions up at the SHSU 33-yard line. However, Adams' 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Hall to keep the lead at three. The Bearkats rode the momentum to a seven-play, 65-yard scoring drive, as Williams scored from five yards out to put SHSU back up, 21-17, with 7:10 left.
 
After the two teams traded punts, SLU turned the ball over on downs in its own territory, after Scott was stopped short on a fourth-and-10 with just under four minutes left. Senior Brad Dunavant downed a punt at the Southeastern one-yard line.
 
Southeastern managed to get out of the shadows of its own goal posts, as Bennett found senior Chris Malott for 36 yards. However, a sack and a penalty put Southeastern in a fourth-and-23 situation and Bennett's throw to Scott sailed wide. The Bearkats were able to run out of the clock without Southeastern getting another chance.