Game 8 | SLC Game 3 | Southeastern (3-4, 2-0 SLC) vs. Stephen F. Austin (4-2, 2-1 SLC)
Oct. 19, 2024 | 4 p.m. | Strawberry Stadium (7,408) | Hammond, La.
Series History: SFA leads, 11-9-1
Last Meeting: Southeastern 47, Stephen F. Austin 30 (Hammond, La. | Nov. 2, 2019)
Television: ESPN+
            Announcers: Lucas Hill, Chase Gispert and Alexis Genovese
Radio: Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM
            Announcers: Allen Waddell, Robbie Mahfouz, Chris Coleman and Robbie Rhodes
 
HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University football team will host Stephen F. Austin Saturday at 4 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium for the annual Homecoming game.
 
The game between SLU (3-4, 2-0 SLC) and the visiting Lumberjacks (4-2, 2-1 SLC) will be televised on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM). The Homecoming parade will roll at noon.
 
Southeastern improved to 2-0 in SLC play with a dominant 37-7 league road win at HCU last Saturday. The Lions have started 2-0 in Southland games for the seventh time in school history and advanced to the FCS playoffs the last four times they won the first two conference contests.
 
The Southeastern offense is run by quarterback Eli Sawyer, who has thrown for 825 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Darius Lewis has been his top target with 42 catches for 389 yards and a score, while Cade Collier and Brandon Hayes share team-high honors with two touchdowns apiece.
 
Antonio Martin Jr. is fourth in FCS with 830 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to lead the SLU ground attack. Harlan Dixon (246 yards, 1 TD) has been a good compliment to Martin Jr., while Rodeo Graham Jr. topped 100 yards on the ground for the first time in his collegiate career in the Lions' win at Houston Christian.
 
The Southeastern defense has yet to allow a conference opponent to score in double digits. Donte' Daniels leads SLU with 52 tackles, followed by KK Reno (49), Coryell Pierce (38), Khamron Ford (33) and Kaleb Proctor (30).
 
Southeastern finished with a season-high seven sacks at HCU. Joshua Randall leads the team with 3.5 sacks this fall, while Proctor (2.5), Warren Peeples (2), Kadan Lewis (2), Jordan Okoye (2) and Shemar Pearl (1.5) have also contributed to the pass rush.
 
After breaking off punt returns of 62 and 55 yards last Saturday, Darius Lewis was named the SLC Special Teams Player of the Week Monday. His season average of 17.3 yards per punt return currently ranks fifth in the nation. 
 
Stephen F. Austin held off a late rally by No. 22 Lamar for a 27-20 SLC road win last Saturday and moved above .500 in league action.
 
The Lumberjacks feature one of the most prolific offenses in FCS, averaging 491.8 yards and 42.5 points per contest. Sam Vidlak has thrown for 1,565 yards, 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions for SFA.
 
Kylon Harris (38 catches, 501 yards, 5 TD) has been Vidlak's top target. The one-two punch of Qualan Jones (578 yards, 5 TD) and Jaylen Jenkins (333-3 TD) have paced the Stephen F. Austin ground attack.
 
Josiah Cotton leads the SFA defense with 32 tackles, while Jaheim Mullen has a team-high three interceptions. Tony Anyanwu paces the Lumberjacks with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
 
Chris Campos is 8-for-9 on field goals and has made all 33 of his PATs to lead the SFA special teams.
 
Stephen F. Austin made its return to the Southland Conference for the 2024 season and Saturday's game will be the 22nd meeting all-time between the two teams with the Lumberjacks holding a 11-9-1 advantage. The teams last met in 2019 with SLU earning a 47-30 victory in Hammond.
 
Saturday's game is the first of two straight at home for the Lions, who will host UIW next Saturday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium. The game with the visiting Cardinals will be televised on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM).
 
Saturday's game versus UIW will also be a Gold Out, as fans are encouraged to wear their best gold Southeastern gear to the contest. The game versus the Cardinals will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Southeastern faculty and staff can present their ID at the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office to receive a free general admission ticket for SLU's matchup with the Cardinals. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. – noon.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on X, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and follow lionupfootball on Instagram.
 
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics observes a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.