Who:

Versus

No. 11 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

When: Saturday, September 5, 7 PM

Where: Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, TX

Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Scattered T-Storms at Kickoff. Very Humid.

Watch/Listen/Stats-

TV-https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/e120e3e4-12f0-4ebb-b196-5b7396ba4fb7

Radio-88.9 KETR (Commerce) Charlie Chitwood, (Play by Play), Brock Callaway (Color/Analysis)

Stats-https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=661970&vislive=tame

Streaming-ww.KETR.org

Overall-Last week, ET almost continued the weekend trend of FCS schools shocking ranked or bigger schools and was literally inches away from going to overtime against a good football team, on the road, and on ESPN in front of a national audience. The first half was a nightmare and the second half was ALMOST a dream come true. QB Eric Rodriguez took command of the offense and the Lion offense came alive and racked up 383 total offensive yards while the defense played outstanding all game long. If it had not been for the defense, the team would not have been the position to win it at the end. It’s the simple. Dolezel has been prepping for this game and with the targets he hopes to get back

SFA comes into this matchup with SLC titles aspirations and started in kind by knocking off McNeese 38-27. SFA ran out to a 31-7 lead in the late 3rd quarter before McNeese stormed back, but the Jacks held off the Pokes, but did give up 407 yards of total offense. This could bode well for the Lions if they continue the effort they put forth in the second half of last week’s game. Gavin Rutherford, who was the Quarterback for SFA when ET defeated them 2 years ago, is the now the full time guy and The Lion defense sacked him 5 times and put constant pressure on him. That is the key for the Lion defense, in addition to covering home run threat Bugs Motimer. The Lion Secondary only allowed 189 yards through the air last week. DC Jesse Thompson knows the task ahead of him.

In between the lines, this is one where Colby Carthel, probably the 3rd or 4th best head coach in program history and a beloved former coach, comes back to the place that made him a well known coaching name and won East Texas 3 conference titles and a National Title and brought Lion football back to national prominence for the first time since the 1990’s. Clint Dolezel, while feeling disappointed about last week’s oh so close loss, is obviously ready to after SFA and has been preparing in ernest. The last time he went down to Nac, SFA slapped ET into reality after th Lions almost beat an FBS Old Dominion team, but this team is LIGHT YEARS better than 2023 in every way, shape, and form, but in 2024, Dolezel delivered the first win over SFA since the 1980’s. SFA left the LSC back then and the Lions hardly if ever played them again until 2014, but it nonetheless was a hump to get over.

As Dolezel said in his presser after the Mercer game, no rest for the weary as the Lions prepare for their second ranked opponent in as many weeks, but this game means a lot more. For conference, for history, and for pride.