Week 5 Southland Conference Game Breakdowns
The Southland Conference completes its two-week rollout of the league season this week with one Thursday game and three Saturday contests. It can be kind of confusing when you consider four teams have played a game already and others have not. There really isn’t one big conference showdown this week, but the games should still be exciting.
#7 Sam Houston State at Texas Southern, Thursday, 7:00
Expect a lot of orange-clad fans and seats for this game, which is held at BBVA Compass Stadium, the home of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo. Sam Houston State is an uncharacteristic 1-2 overall following a 24-20 loss to Central Arkansas in the Southland opener for both schools. Tim Flanders ran for 125 yards in the loss for the Bearkats. Sam Houston State is 0-2 on the road, but the Bearkats have outscored opponents 97-79 in their first three games. Texas Southern has been on a tailspin as of late, dropping three games in a row following a season-opening victory. Texas Southern fell 42-13 to Alabama A&M last week. This should be the week the Bearkats get back on track, but Texas Southern won’t make things easy.
Projected score: Sam Houston State 28, Texas Southern 17
Southeastern Louisiana at Lamar, Saturday, 3:00
Although Southeastern Louisiana is tied atop the Southland Conference, there are a lot of things wrong with this team. It recovered in week 4 with a 25-24 victory over McNeese State, but Southeastern Louisiana has been outscored 140-55 this season. Losses to Missouri, South Dakota State and Tennessee-Martin have put this team in a deep hole, but a 2-0 start in Southland play will go a long way toward erasing any thoughts about a bad start. Michael Chaney’s two-point run with 2:39 to go in the game provided the final margin of victory. Lamar (2-2) has had a rather schizophrenic state this season. When Lamar isn’t losing 40-0 to Louisiana-Lafayette or 54-2 to Hawaii, it is beating Prairie View A&M and Langston by 31-0 scores. This game will be closer.
Projected score: Lamar 27, Southeastern Louisiana 25
#16 Central Arkansas at Stephen F. Austin, Saturday, 6:00
Central Arkansas has to go away from the comforts of home, where it is 2-0, and travel on the road to Stephen F. Austin. Central Arkansas (3-1) is the other team in Southland play with a 1-0 record, and the Bears have this mark after a slow start to the season against Ole Miss. Central Arkansas has three wins in a row, including last week’s 24-20 win over Sam Houston State. Wynri Smothers threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns. Central Arkansas’ rushing game still hasn’t broken out (95 yards last week) and that could be a problem if Stephen Austin explodes. As for the Lumberjacks, who beat Southwestern Oklahoma to start the season, two of their last three losses have been by a combined 12 points. Brady Attaway had 385 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, and Gus Johnson had 15 carries for 104 yards and two scores.
Projected score: Central Arkansas 38, Stephen F. Austin 34
Northwestern State at McNeese State, Saturday, 7:00
The final Southland game of the night puts Northwestern State into league action following a 2-2 start to its non-conference campaign. The Demons have alternated losses to Texas Tech and Nevada with wins over Arkansas-Monticello and Mississippi Valley State, the latter by a 45-14 margin. Brad Henderson didn’t have a huge night passing (127 yards) but he threw for three touchdowns and that was enough to help the Demons win. McNeese State lost 25-24 to Southeastern Louisiana last week to fall to 3-1 and drop into the Southland basement. This will be a fairly close contest, as both teams have plenty of offensive weapons.
Projected score: McNeese State 30, Northwestern State 22
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