Greetings. Lion fans. This week, the Lions find themselves, while still on the road, back in the state of Texas. They take the short trip east to Nacogdoches to face the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin, coached by a former Lion, Colby Carthel.

It is unbelievable to be happy after a loss to go 0-3, but let’s take a closer look. The Lions went toe to toe with an FBS Group of Five school in Old Dominion that owned a victory over another FBS school in Virginia Tech and had a lead well into the fourth quarter against Wake Forest. Although the offense struggled for the first 55 plus minutes, with just over 4 minutes left in the game, and 75 yards away, they found that one good thing to happen that the staff here at The Wire said they needed.

What that thing was, was a clutch 75-yard drive, fueled by some great completions from the arm of Josh Magana, and clutch, tough running from Reggie Branch that put them on the Monarch 2-yard line with 28 seconds left. A perfectly thrown fade route to Keith Miller put them in a position where no one, including us, thought they would be. A chance to win or tie , and the ball in the Lions hands. At the time, it was our opinion that the Lions kick the extra point and play for overtime. Clint Dolezel opted to go for the two-point conversion and the win. It was the correct decision. To quote former NFL head coach Herm Edwards, “You play to win the game.” The Lions were sorely in need of a win, and they were exactly where they needed to be. This was a game the Lions can build off of.

The Lumberjacks come into this game with a record of 2-2, and on a bit of a downer. SFA had a 20-7 lead over Austin Peay late in the third quarter, only to come up on the short end of a 22-20 thriller. It’s been an up and down season, literally, so far this season for Colby Carthel and his team, after an opening loss to Troy on the road, they rallied with sound wins over Alcorn State and a fellow Southland Conference school to the Lions in Northwestern State.

This will be the first meeting in almost 25 years for the former Lone Star Conference foes, so let’s get right to it.

OVERALL:

Lion Offense:

Points: 8.3 ppg

Rush: 134.0 ypg

Pass: 113.0 ypg

Total: 247.0 ypg

Turnovers: 5

Lumberjack Defense:

Points: 21.7 ppg

Rush: 199.5 ypg

Pass: 121.7 ypg

Total: 321.3 ypg

Turnovers: 12

The Lumberjack defense has produced a lot of turnovers, and have been solid in the passing game, but give up almost 200 yards per game rushing, including a 24-yard touchdown last week in a 3rd and goal situation from the SFA 24-yard line that put Austin Peay right in the game. The big play has been a problem for the ‘Jacks this season.

It’s hard to believe that anyone would be happy with the offensive output from the Lions this season, and up until the last 5 minutes last week, there would still be grumbling. Peter Parrish is still struggling in the passing game, but Clint Dolezel, Bob Bounds, and the rest of the offensive staff somehow found a way to put a drive together when they so desperately needed it. The formations and play calling was far more diverse, and they found just the right blend of Parrish and Josh Magana to make a game of it at the end. While there are ton of things to fix, there are far more things that went right.

UP FRONT/TALE OF THE TAPE:

Lion Offensive Line: 6’2″ 319 lbs.

Lumberjack Front Six: 6’2″ 249 lbs.

The SFA front 6 are a good mix of size, speed, and experience. They are led up front by seniors Marje Smith (6’5″ 210 lbs.) and Ahmad Murray (6’5″ 255 lbs.). Red shirt junior Ta’Shyn Johnson (6’1″ 265 lbs.) and redshirt sophomore Edward Bobino (6’2″ 340 lbs.) round out this athletic and aggressive group.

A pair of linebackers lead SFA in tackles, junior Jermaine Brown (6’1″ 210 lbs.) and redshirt sophomore Luke Watson (6’2″ 213 lbs.) who have 26 tackles (10 solo) and 21 tackles (5 solo), respectively. Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Brandon Lane (6’3″ 300 lbs.) has 13 tackles (7 solo). Brown and Smith lead SFA in sacks with 2 each.

The Lion offensive line continues to improve by leaps and bounds. Although still having some issues, they are so much better than they were in Week 1. A trio of juniors anchor the front, Jadin Jones (6’5″ 311 lbs.), Santos Valdez (6’1″ 321 lbs.), and Michael Martin (6’1″ 345 lbs.), Sophomores Kyle Lofye (6’3″ 312 lbs.), and McKenzie Agnello (6’4″ 310 lbs.) fill out the rest of the line, which although a work in progress, continue to get better.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS/THE BACK LINE:

Lion Movers and Shakers: 5’11” 196 lbs.

Lumberjack Back Line: 6’0″ 197 lbs.

The Lumberjack back line is led by redshirt senior T’Kai Lloyd (5’10” 200 lbs.), a former Commerce commit, who followed Colby Carthel east. He is joined by senior Jeremiah Walker (6’0″ 200 lbs.), redshirt junior Bruce Harmon (6’0″ 200 lbs.), and redshirt sophomore Charles Demmings (6’1″ 185 lbs.). SFA has 6 different players with one interception each, due to pressure up front and a ball hawking secondary.

Sophomore Keith Miller (6’3″ 219 lbs.) is the leading receiver for the Lions, with just 5 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns. That doesn’t seem like much, but after a horrendous start, Miller has gotten better fast, and was at his peak so far when it counted last week. Senior Jabari Khepera (5’11” 198 lbs.) is developing into a very reliable #2 receiver, with 5 catches for 75 yards.

Peter Parrish (6’1″ 192 lbs.) has had more than his share of struggles throwing the ball this season completing 25 of 49, with for interceptions, for an average of 70.4 yards per game. He has shared time with junior Josh Magana (6’1″ 203 lbs.), who so far is 13 of 22 for 132 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.

VERY SPECIAL, INDEED: The Lumberjacks punter redshirt senior Max Quick (5’11” 210 lbs.) who averages an impressive 44.9 yards on 13 punts, with a long of 55 yards. Junior Chris Campos (5’11” 225 lbs.) was a preseason all-conference selection in the UAC, and is 9-12 on field goals, with a long of 49 yards, and is a perfect 14 of 14 on extra points.

The Lions still have no measurable punt returns, sophomore Sean Krystoff-King (5’9″ 184 lbs.) has shown some flashes of brilliance on kick returns, averaging 19.8 yards on 6 returns, with a long of 26 yards.

THE LIONS WIN THE MATCHUP IF: The offense continues to show what they did in the last drive of the Old Dominion game. The Lumberjacks Achilles Heel is stopping the run and giving up the big play. It will be of utmost importance for the Lions to again minimize the silly penalties and provide some protection.

Is it time for a change at the quarterback position? From a fan’s perspective, an argument could be made for both Parrish and Magana. Also, though, from a fan’s perspective, we only see the Saturday product. We’re not able to see practices and the day-to-day effort displayed by both. The decision, as it should, rests with Clint Dolezel and his staff.

Lion fans, the game this weekend is straight out of Rod Serling’s classic Twilight Zone. So many of you, just like Brian and I, just got so accustomed to seeing Colby Carthel prowl the sidelines in Commerce, clad in blue and gold, it just seems strange to see him on the opposite sidelines in purple and white.

For about 3 1/2 to 4 hours this Saturday, though, those feeling of nostalgia take a back seat. This is a game that the Lions need to and can win. They were able to gather a few embers last week and created some sparks.

Now is the time to build the fire.

See You in Nacogdoches.