For the first time in team history, the Colonels football team improved its Southland Conference record to 2-0 with a 37-12 victory over Sam Houston State in Guidry Stadium last Saturday.
The Colonels (4-4, 2-0 SLC) rushed for 323 total yards, and five players scored touchdowns in the Homecoming victory against Sam Houston (1-7, 0-3 SLC).
“Our kids played their brand of football, and I think they played a physical football game on both sides of the ball,” Daryl Daye, Colonels head coach, said. “I have to tip my hat off to the defensive effort. They basically shut them (Sam Houston) down pretty well.”
Wasting no time jumping on the scoreboard, the Colonels scored 14 points in the first six minutes of the game. After giving Sam Houston six points through the first half, the Colonels outscored the Bearkats 23-6 in the second half to put the game out of reach.
Senior running back Phillip Brock led the Colonels rushing attack with 82 total yards. Senior quarterback Josh Son added 77 yards, junior running back Travis Felder added 63 yards and two touchdowns and junior running back Colt Colletti added 57 rushing yards and one touchdown.
In the air, Son completed four of his seven passes for 68 yards. Junior wide receiver Vince Butler grabbed three receptions for 56 yards, and senior wide receiver Isiah Mitchell caught one pass for 12 yards.
After the game, Felder said the offensive line played a big role in his two touchdown runs.
“They came off the ball pretty hard,” Felder said. “I believe everybody was on one accord, and they went out there and executed very well coming off the ball. They adjusted to the many things they threw at us.”
In the past two games against Florida Atlantic and Northwestern, the Colonels offensive backfield fumbled the ball more than 10 times. Against Sam Houston, the Colonels did not turn the ball over once.
“We go from putting the ball on the ground seven times at Northwestern to not any at all tonight, so that tells you that hard work has paid off,” Daye said.
Another advantage for the Colonels offense was the starting position the punt and kickoff return teams gave them on special teams. Senior punter John Manly averaged 38 yards per punt, and sophomore kicker Jay Jones made a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter.
With 132 total kickoff yards, sophomore defensive back Chris Crawford gave the Colonels good field position the entire game.
“It’s always important to get good field position. Coach Daye has a real good scheme on special teams and kickoff return, and I give a lot of credit to my blockers because they really opened it up for me,” Crawford said.
Despite giving Sam Houston 408 total offensive yards, the Colonels defense stopped the Bearkats from scoring more points by forcing two turnovers.
Senior linebacker Travis Douglas led the Colonels with six tackles. Junior linebacker Larry McNeal added four tackles and one pass breakup; freshman linebacker Chris Bua added five tackles; and junior defensive back David Willis added five tackles and an interception.
Junior defensive back Gareth DiBetta added two pass breakups, and senior defensive lineman Phillip Robin and Zo Walker added two sacks for the Colonels defense.
The Colonels will take the field tonight at 6 p.m. against Southland Conference foe Texas State (3-6, 0-2 SLC). The game will be shown nationally on Fox Sports Net.
With momentum on their side after winning two consecutive conference games, Willis said it is important the Colonels do not overlook Texas State.
“We just got to keep going one game at a time and don’t look at the finish line or you’re going to trip over the hurdle,” Wills said. “And Texas State is our next hurdle.”Laginappe: The Colonels have now outscored their opponents at home 172-17 this season…The Colonels are only 51-yards shy of breaking the all-time record for most net rushing yards in a single season…By scoring five rushing touchdowns against Sam Houston, the Colonels now have 35 touchdowns on the season, which breaks the all-time single season rushing record…The Colonels are now 34-62 lifetime during the month of November and are 1-4 when playing on Nov. 1.