HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS – The Sam Houston State University football team never let visiting University of the Incarnate Word even think about upsetting the 11
th ranked team in the country on Saturday night. The Bearkats won 59-7 at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
The Bearkats (3-2, 3-1) dominated all facets of the game in dispatching the Cardinals (3-3, 2-2). They scored four times in the first quarter and four times in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 52-0 lead. Their two quarterback system worked to perfection. Jeremiah Briscoe was 6-of-9 for 118 yards and a touchdown in the first half while Jared Johnson was 7-of-8 for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
The Sam Houston State defense also forced three first half turnovers. P.J. Hall, Mikell Everette and Collins Okotcha each had interceptions in the half. Okotcha batted a pass at the line of scrimmage, caught it, spun away from a tackle and went 60 yards for a touchdown.
The total yardage figures for the first half showed the Bearkats gaining 423 yards on 51 plays while limiting the Cardinals to 97 yards on 31 plays.
The game slowed down in the second half as the Cardinals defense did a much better job of keeping the Bearkats out of the end zone. The Cardinals were able to get on the board on their first drive of the third quarter.
Trent Brittain (Eastland/Eastland HS) picked up a first down through the air and on the ground and then he completed an 11-yard pass to
Jamari Gilbert (Baytown/Baytown Lee HS) on fourth down to keep the chains moving. Two plays later, Brittain scrambled for 11 yards, but was knocked out of the game on a hit to the helmet that resulted in a targeting penalty on the Bearkats.
Dorland Fields (Sweeny/Sweeny HS) was able to finish off the drive with a 1-yard plunge for his first career touchdown.
The star of the game for the Cardinals was senior outside linebacker
Myke Tavarres (Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Ridge HS) who set one school record and tied another one. He finished the game with a 17 tackles, including 14 solo stops and tied the school record with three sacks in the game. He finished with four tackles for loss. He accomplished all of that despite not playing in the fourth quarter. The previous school record for most tackles in a game was 16 by Chaz Pavliska against Eastern New Mexico on November 7, 2009. Tavarres has made 32 tackles in the last two weeks and now has 14 tackles for loss on the season and is one away from setting a new school single season record.
The Cardinals finished the game with 177 yards of total offense. Brittain finished the game 11-of-26 for 108 yards and three interceptions while
Jordan Scelfo (Tucson, AZ/Salpointe Catholic HS) was 4-of-10 for 18 yards. Gilbert had five receptions for 31 yards while
Jordan Hicks (Arlington/Juan Seguin HS) snagged four catches for 48 yards. Fields led the team with 19 yards rushing on eight carries. Ramon Coto (Houston/Westfield HS) averaged 44.5 yards per punt and had four pin the Bearkats inside the 20-yard line.
The Bearkats finished the night with 596 yards on 86 total plays. They gained 293 yards on the ground and 303 through the air. Remus Bulmer led the ground attack with 17 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown while Cory Avery added 91 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Gerald Thomas had five catches for 63 yards while LaDarius Brown had four receptions for 115 yards and two scores. Luc Swimberghe was a perfect 8-for-8 on extra point tries and set the new career Sam Houston State record for most career extra points.
Sam Houston State finished the night with three sacks, six tackles for loss and 11 pass breakups. Myke Chatman had two sacks and a pass breakup. Andre Moseley led the team with five total tackles.
The Cardinals will be off this upcoming week with a bye and then return home to host Abilene Christian on October 24 at Benson Stadium on Homecoming.
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