Sam Houston State football may have faced its toughest opponent of the season, and at the end of the game, it showed.
The Bearkats fell to No. 12 – now No.10 – Louisiana State University 56-0 in Baton Rouge, La. on Saturday.
SHSU didn’t have many things to be proud of from Saturday’s showing. Heading into the game, the Bearkats’ defense was questionable on how they would size up against a powerhouse Southeastern Conference team.
Long story short, the Kats’ defense continued to be exposed.
The Tigers’ offense had a total of 584 yards with 334 yards alone from the rushing attack.
SHSU struggled to keep the Tigers’ offense off the field as LSU controlled the time of possession 35 minutes to the Bearkats 25. The Tigers were able to convert on third downs eight of 12 times.
LSU’s quarterback Anthony Jennings completed seven of 13 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns.
Poor tackling and bad coverage once again were a struggle for the Bearkats as SHSU proved that big plays causes big problems. Every time LSU’s wide receiver Travin Dural touched the ball, he scored. Dural finished with three touchdowns with 140 receiving yards.
The defensive side of the ball for the Bearkats did not create an interception but did manage to create a fumble that was lost by LSU.
The Tigers rotated backups in with the starters and utilized true freshmen running backs Leonard Fournette, Darrel Williams and senior Kenny Hilliard, who each scored a touchdown.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Bearkats weren’t able to find any rhythm on offense by only picking up 206 total yards and had three turnovers.
Sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson saw overthrown passes and trouble with accuracy leading to multiple three-and-outs and turnovers.
Redshirt freshman Yedidiah Louis was the only diamond in the rough for the Kats, catching four passes for 102 yards. His highlight play was a 48-yard bomb that led the Bearkats to their only trip inside the redzone.
“It was our boys against their men,” SHSU head coach K.C. Keeler said.
The Bearkats return to Huntsville for a game Saturday against Colorado State-Pueblo.