HAMMOND – The No. 21/23 Southeastern Louisiana football team will celebrate Homecoming, sponsored by the Felions and Alpha Sigma Tau, on Saturday, when it hosts Southland Conference rival Stephen F. Austin in a matchup of two 2014 Football Championship Subdivision playoff teams at 7 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium.  
 
The game between the host Lions (3-2, 2-1 Southland) and the visiting Lumberjacks (1-5, 1-3 Southland) will be televised on Fox College Sports and the Fox Sports Go app. In the Hammond area, fans can also access the game on WUPL (Charter Channel 16, DirecTV Channel 54, DISH Channel 54).
 
The contest can also be heard on KSLU-FM (90.9) and LionSports.net, as well as affiliates and Northshore Broadcasting stations Kajun 107.1 FM (WHMD) and The Highway 104.7 FM (WJSH).
 
The first 300 students in attendance to the Homecoming game will receive free t-shirts courtesy of Southeastern Athletics Marketing and Promotions. At halftime, the 2015 Southeastern Homecoming King and Queen will be announced.
 
Southeastern will be looking to bounce back from a 21-7 loss at No. 13/22 McNeese State last Saturday. The Lion defense came alive after falling in an early 14-0 hole and held the Cowboys scoreless over the final two quarters. SLU could never get fully on-track offensively, as MSU held the Lions to 239 total yards and eight first downs.
 
"We're disappointed with some of the mistakes we made that led to Saturday's result," Southeastern head coach Ron Roberts said. "We have to be better if we're going to get where we want to go. We knew win or lose last Saturday, we were going to be on the way home thinking that we need to win the next six games. So our mind set hasn't changed.
 
"But, we have to focus on Saturday," Roberts added. "We're playing a very good team in Stephen F. Austin and we'll need to execute at a high level to win this game."
 
Stephen F. Austin will head to Hammond with some momentum. The Lumberjacks rallied past Nicholls for a 28-24 home win last Saturday for its first win of the 2015 season. Among SFA's losses were defeats at the hands of FBS national championship contender TCU, as well as a trio of teams that have been ranked in the FCS Top 25 this season – Northern Arizona, Sam Houston State and McNeese State.
 
"SFA comes in with a lot of pieces back from a team that made the playoffs last season," Roberts commented. "Their quarterback can make plays with his arm and his feet and he's one of the main reasons they beat us last season. This is not a typical 1-5 team. We have to come ready to play."
 
Southeastern's lone Southland Conference loss in 2014 came at the hands of the 'Jacks. The Lions fell 27-17 last season in Nacogdoches, Texas.
 
Southeastern's potent rushing offense will need to get back on track after a 59-yard performance at MSU in order for the Lions to produce points on Saturday. Senior Xavier Roberson (255 yards, 3 TD), senior Kody Sutton (205 yards, 3 TD), junior D'Shaie Landor (152 yards, 3 TD) and freshman Julius Maracalin (145 yards) have all been effective on the ground for a SLU rushing attack that averages 213.6 yards per game.
 
The Lions will be facing a SFA defense that allows 467.2 yards per game – numbers belied by facing the top-ranked offenses in both FBS (TCU) and FCS (Sam Houston State). Senior linebacker Justin Owens leads the Lumberjacks with 48 tackles.
 
On offense, junior Zach Conque, son of SFA head coach Clint Conque, runs the show for the 'Jacks, throwing for 926 yards and seven touchdowns, while also rushing for 384 yards and six touchdowns. Sophomores Robert Sylvester and Aaron Piper are Conque's top targets with 22 catches each. Freshman Loren Easly (511 yards, 3 TD) and junior Joshawa West (275 yards, 1 TD) bolster the ground attack.
 
Conque and company will face a Lion defensive unit that has forced 15 turnovers and recorded 15 sacks through the first five games of the season. Seniors Jordan Batiste (29 tackles) and Micah Eugene (28 tackles) are the team's top tacklers, while senior Harlan Miller, a candidate for STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year, paces the roster with three interceptions and five pass breakups. Sophomore Ryan Sigers and senior Aaron Price share the team lead with three sacks.
 
Following Saturday's game, Southeastern will play its next two games on the road. The Lions will open the road swing with a 2 p.m. game next Saturday at Southland Conference foe Houston Baptist. The contest can be heard on KSLU-FM (90.9) and LionSports.net, as well as affiliates and Northshore Broadcasting stations Kajun 107.1 FM (WHMD) and The Highway 104.7 FM (WJSH). A live video stream, provided by HBU, will be accessible at LionSports.net.
 
The Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office has a limited amount of tickets for the HBU game available for $13. Contact the SLU Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 to purchase tickets.
 
The LAA is also offering a bus trip for fans to the game at HBU. 50 seats are available for $95 per seat on a first-come, first-serve basis. The $95 fee will also include one game ticket, breakfast and dinner. Reservations can be made via credit card only by visiting https://connect.southeastern.edu/laa-houston-baptist-trip-2015 .
 
The buses will leave on game day at 6 a.m. from the Dugas Center for Athletics and arrive at the official LAA tailgate, where free food and drinks will be served. The buses will return to Hammond immediately following the game. For more information on the bus trip, contact Southeastern Assistant Director of Athletic Development Tom Dawsey at (985) 549-5226.