9-7 sports pages_layout 1 9/7/14 12:04 am page 1
sunDaY, septemBer 7, 2014
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Sports lSU 56, Sam HoUSTon STaTe 0
Overmatched
Joshua Yates/the huntsville item
lsu receiver travin Dural (83) leaps high in the air and hauls in an 18-yard touchdown catch during the second quarter as sam houston state cornerback Xavier smith defends on saturday night. the Bearkats were shut out for the first time since 2000, losing to the 12th-ranked tigers 56-0.
In front of 100,000-plus, bearkats blanked by 12th-ranked Tigers by PaUl TIerney HUnTSvIlleITemSPorTS@gmaIl.com
BATON ROUGE, La. — Sam Houston State beat No. 12 LSU in the coin toss Saturday at Tiger Stadium, but that was about it. The Bearkats spent the entire night having their game plan thrown back in their face by an opponent that proved laughably superior on both sides of the football. It didn’t matter where the Tigers’ offense started with the ball, what adjustments Sam Houston made or what calls the referees made or missed. The final score could likely have been whatever LSU wanted it to be, but it was 56-0 when the clock finally ran out. Saturday was the first time Sam Houston has been shut out since the Kats lost to Western Illinois 31-0 in 2000. Before the second half kicked off, the stadium was barely half full and several writers in the press box were already streaming other games on their laptops, hoping to catch the last bit of action from marquee matchups around the country. “We talked all week about
Joshua Yates/the huntsville item
With pressure coming from his left, sam houston quarterback Jared Johnson eyes a receiver down the opposite sideline during saturday’s game against lsu. Johnson had a rough night, completing only 8 of 25 passes for 142 yards with two interceptions thrown.
how people didn’t think we could win,” Bearkats coach K.C. Keeler said after the game.
“Quite honestly, they were probably right in terms of that mindset. But if you’re going to be a
guy who is afraid to take a challenge or is afraid to do something out of the ordinary, then
you probably shouldn’t be playing for me.” Sam Houston (1-2) gave up 584 yards of total offense, 399 of which came in the first half. The Bearkats’ quarterbacks were sacked seven times, committed three turnovers and completed only nine of 28 passes. While preparing for LSU (20), Keeler said his plan was to stop the run and force the Tigers’ inexperienced quarterbacks — Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris — to throw the football. Keeler found out quickly that his game plan was not going to work. Three of Jennings’ seven completions on the night were touchdown throws, one of which went 94 yards to sophomore Travin Dural on LSU’s first offensive play for the longest touchdown pass in LSU history. Harris took care of Sam Houston’s plans of thwarting the Tigers’ rushing attack when he broke five tackles on his way to a 46-yard touchdown run to make the score 35-0 at halftime. See blanked, page 4B
RG3, Manziel and Sam: NFL has more storylines than a TV soap The long wait is over for America’s pro football-starved public. As the National Football League gets back to business, the new season already has a number of clear storylines, as well as numerous others certain to materialize. Are you ready for some football? The answer is about as safe a bet as asking Warren Buffett if he’s eager to make another big deal. Here’s a look at what fans will talk about — and no doubt wager their hard-earned income on — as the season unfolds. Can RG3 bounce
back? Robert Griffin III was a big splash in his rookie season, but the dash-andflash didn’t carry over to 2013. Perhaps it was his aching knees. Maybe it was a difference with his coaches, or quite ToM possibly LiNdLey it was a quirky personality. Griffin gets a fresh start and new coach in Jay Gruden, so hype and
hope are riding high in Washington. The controversy over the team’s nickname is enough of a distraction, so Griffin needs to step up and show his winning form from the start.
What of the wild, wild NFC West?
There’s a good chance the next Super Bowl champ will come from the NFC West — not much argument there. Saying with certainty who it will be is another matter. The Seattle Seahawks are defending champs, so count them in. Then there
are the San Francisco 49ers, who are loaded with talent although a few off-field issues raise concerns. The Arizona Cardinals are no slouch, and the St. Louis Rams looked strong until quarterback Sam Bradford got sidelined for the year.
Keep an eye on Johnny Football
Some think Johnny Manziel will be a standout quarterback once he gets a chance to run an NFL offense, others believe he’ll be a bust. The only certainty is that the Eyes of Texas — and those of just about every-
one else — will focus upon him when takes the field. Manziel clearly has style, now he’s got to prove again he’s got substance. Cleveland hasn’t had much to cheer about in a long time, but the Browns are banking on him to change their fortunes. Confidence and charisma are his calling cards.
Who will face the ugly truth?
Pro football is a roughand-tumble game, there’s no denying that. All one has to do is check out the week’s injury report. But
the mere mention of concussions keeps the league’s brass up at night, worrying about the impact of devastating blows to players’ heads and the continuous pounding they take. The good news is the NFL has acknowledged the problem. The bad news is that no one has fashioned an answer about how to lessen its impact.
Where does Michael Sam’s quest lead?
The former defensive standout at the University See nfl, page 3B