Heavyweight Clash in the Pineywoods
The saws are buzzing in Nacogdoches as #2 Stephen F. Austin State (7-0; 4-0) prepares to host #23 Southeastern Louisiana (4-3; 2-2) in a highly anticipated Top 25 showdown at Homer Bryce Stadium.
Game Details
- When: Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 5:00 P.M.
- Where: Nacogdoches, Texas (Homer Bryce Stadium)
- TV: ESPN+
Stephen F. Austin enters the weekend looking every bit like a national championship contender. The Lumberjacks feature the conference's #1 scoring offense (41 points per game) and the #1 scoring defense (13 points allowed per game). Averaging nearly 500 yards of total offense per game, SFA has dominated its opponents on both sides of the ball.
Southeastern Louisiana, meanwhile, brings a battle-tested squad looking to play spoiler. While SFA leads the historic all-time series 11-10-1 (dating back to October 14, 1950), the Lions have held the upper hand recently.
SLU has won three straight meetings and five of the last seven against the Lumberjacks, giving them plenty of historical confidence heading into this hostile environment.
SLU Scoring 28.43 pts a game surrendering 28.29 on defense
Average 172 yards a game on the ground (5 YPC) giving up 148 (4 YPC)
The passing attack averages 169 yards while defense gives up 249 a game
Key Players to Watch
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
- Speedy Jones (RB): The engine of the ground game, Jones leads the conference in rushing, averaging 72 yards per game.
- Bugs Mortimer (WR): A constant deep threat and chain-mover, Mortimer leads the conference in receiving with 78 yards per game.
- #6 Kyle Lowe (SR, QB): The veteran signal-caller stands at 5-10, 195 lbs. Lowe is executing efficiently, completing 64% of his passes (110 completions) for 1,162 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.
- #22 Carter Hanberry (JR, LB): A true sideline-to-sideline playmaker at 6-0, 215 lbs, Hanberry anchors the Lions' defense with a team-leading 60 tackles.
- #25 Richard McKneely (SR, DB): The 6-0, 190 lbs defensive back is a menace in the backfield and the secondary. He leads SLU with 5.5 tackles for loss, while adding 4 pass breakups and an interception.
Axe'Em!
