(RV) STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE (1-0; 1-0) VS. (RV) TEXAS TECH (1-0; 0-0)
WHEN: SEPT. 11 (SAT.) 6:00 P.M.
WHERE: LUBBOCK, TEXAS (JONES AT&T STADIUM)
TV: XII NOW/ESPN+
RADIO: TTSN/Q107.7
The Lumberjacks of SFA made history last Saturday night, starting off the 2021 season with the first WAC victory in 9 years (2012) which amazingly is also the last year that SFA started the season 1-0.
Yes, it has been quite awhile since that 1-0 start, wellit also helps tremendously when you hold off your money game until the second game of the season, which brings us to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech and the Celebrate America Game.
The last time these two programs met was in 2016 with the Red Raiders crusing to a 69-17 victory. This will be the 4th meeting between the two schools, and when it comes to football the Lumberjacks are 0-3, in a it's never been close in the series type. But the good news is the program is on an up tick projectory when it comes to scoring in the series, so maybe SFA cracks the 20's in this one.
2001: 3-58
2013: 13-61
2016: 17-69
This will be SFA's 5th FBS matchup in their last 12 games, so there should be no intimidatition factor in the confines of Jones Stadium. The Jacks did fair pretty well against their FBS competition in 2020 and actually hung around in a few of those games with many opportunities to win.
Now, the defense will take a hit of another sort, when last Saturday night it came to not one, but two (questionable) targeting fouls late in the game that will render the Jacks of the services of two starting safeties, in MYLES HEARD and TREY RAMOS for the entire first half of the Tech game. But look at the positive, Heard and Ramos will have the freshes legs at the start of the second half when they re-enter the game.
Also, last Saturday night on ESPN, the Red Raiders in front of a crowd of over 43,000 fans at NRG Stadium took on the Cougars of the University of Houston. In that game we saw Houston jumped out quickly to a 21-7 lead going into halftime before Tech realed off 31 unanswered points in the second half scoring from all ends, in passing, rushing, as well as on defense with a pick six. The Red Raider defense held the high scoring Houston offense to 251 total yards on 73 plays, that's only 3.4 yards per play. Houston QB CLAYTON TUNE threw 4 picks and was sacked 4 times.
The main offense output from the Red Raiders came not from the pass, but from the run with sophomore #28 TAHJ BROOKS 5-10; 220 rushing for 134 yards on 15 carries (9.0 avg.) and 2 TDs. Through the air it was junior WR #13 ERIK EZUKANMA 6-3; 220 with his 7 receptions for 179 yards from Junior QB #12 TYLER SHOUGH 6-5; 225.
The defensive unit was led by senior linebacker #17 COLIN SCHOOLER 6-2; 230 with a team high 10 tackles 2 of those for a loss.
Maybe we see the Jacks that we saw in 2020 that made that trip to Memphis and hung with the Tigers up to the 4th quarter before getting gassed. Could we see the Jacks play that kind of inspired football again, or will we see this, being only the second game of the season, as well as the money game, with the coaching staff having more of a short leash on the starters and pulling them quickly if this gets out of hand fast?
And one can't help but to think about former SLC foe, HBU in their 2020 game with the Red Raiders just falling short (33-35) of a major upset.
Could we finally see SFA win a FBS game for the first time on over 20 years?
Axe'Em
