# 2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team

The 2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Bearkats were led by seventh-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium.

## Background

In August 2020, the Southland Conference canceled all fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with the hope that sports would be playable in Spring 2021. That decision canceled all 12 games of the Bearkats' original schedule, putting their season on hold indefinitely. A revised schedule for Spring 2021 was later released.

## Preseason
### Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their spring preseason poll in January 2021. The Bearkats were picked to finish second in the conference. In addition, nine Bearkats were chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Nicholls | 67 (7) |
| 2 | Sam Houston State | 65 (6) |
| 3 | Southeastern Louisiana | 48 |
| 4 | McNeese State | 45 (1) |
| 5 | Incarnate Word | 32 |
| 6 | Northwestern State | 20 |
| 7 | Lamar | 17 |

### Preseason All–Southland Teams
## Schedule

Sam Houston State had games scheduled against Mississippi Valley State and Tarleton State, but were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the delayed 2020 season, played in early 2021, the Bearkats went 6–0 in regular season games. The team then won four games in the FCS Playoffs to complete an undefeated 10–0 season, including a 23–21 victory over South Dakota State in the FCS Championship Game, securing the Bearkats their first FCS title.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| February 27, 2021 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 18 Southeastern Louisiana | No. 17 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ESPN+ | W 43–38 | 2,612 |
| March 13, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 7 Nicholls | No. 12 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ESPN+ | W 71–17 | 2,103 |
| March 20, 2021 | 6:00 p.m. | at Lamar | No. 7 | Provost Umphrey StadiumBeaumont, TX | ESPN+ | W 62–7 | 2,845 |
| April 1, 2021 | 6:00 p.m. | at Northwestern State | No. 5 | Harry Turpin StadiumNatchitoches, LA | ESPN+ | W 24–16 | 1,221 |
| April 10, 2021 | 4:00 p.m. | McNeese State | No. 5 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ESPN+ | W 27–13 | 3,103 |
| April 17, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 25 Incarnate Word | No. 5 | Gayle and Tom Benson StadiumSan Antonio, TX | ESPN+ | W 42–14 | 743 |
| April 24, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 10 Monmouth* | No. 4 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs First Round) | ESPN3 | W 21–15 | 2,078 |
| May 2, 2021 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota State* | No. 4 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) | ESPN | W 24–20 | 4,984 |
| May 8, 2021 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 1 James Madison* | No. 4 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs Semifinals) | ABC | W 38–35 | 5,038 |
| May 16, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. No. 2 South Dakota State* | No. 4 | Toyota StadiumFrisco, TX (FCS Playoffs National Championship) | ABC | W 23–21 | 7,840 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from STATSAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### No. 18 Southeastern Louisiana

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SHSU −4.5 | 54 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Lions | 7 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
| No. 17 Bearkats | 10 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 43 |
at Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas
* Date: February 27, 2021
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Overcast and muggy • Wind: 9 S MPH
* Game attendance: 2,612
* Referee: Vidal Jones
* TV: ESPN+
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | SELA | SHSU |
| First downs | 27 | 26 |
| Total yards | 536 | 672 |
| Rushing yards | 74 | 244 |
| Passing yards | 462 | 428 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 33:02 | 26:58 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Passing | Cole Kelley | 36/53, 462 yards, 4 TD |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Rushing | Morgan Ellison | 12 carries, 29 yards |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Receiving | C. J. Turner | 11 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 25/40, 428 yards, 2 TD |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 12 carries, 139 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Chandler Harvin | 7 receptions, 118 yards |

### No. 7 Nicholls

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SHSU −2.5 | 60 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Colonels | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| No. 12 Bearkats | 7 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 71 |
at Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas
* Date: March 13, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Overcast and humid • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: S 10 mph (16 km/h)
* Game attendance: 2,103
* Referee: Christopher Watson
* TV: ESPN+
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | NICH | SHSU |
| First downs | 19 | 23 |
| Total yards | 337 | 556 |
| Rushing yards | 118 | 190 |
| Passing yards | 219 | 366 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 28:54 | 31:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nicholls | Passing | Lindsey Scott Jr. | 14/35, 186 yards, TD, INT |
| Nicholls | Rushing | Dontaze Costly | 3 carries, 41 yards |
| Nicholls | Receiving | Dai'Jean Dixon | 5 receptions, 83 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 21/32, 366 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Daryon Triche | 5 carries, 60 yards |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Jequez Ezzard | 3 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD |

### At Lamar

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SHSU −29.0 | 61 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Bearkats | 7 | 31 | 17 | 7 | 62 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Provost Umphrey Stadium, Beaumont, Texas
* Date: March 20, 2021
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy and cool • Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Wind: NE 8 mph (13 km/h)
* Game attendance: 2,845
* Referee: Scott Hardin
* TV: ESPN+
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | SHSU | LAM |
| First downs | 22 | 9 |
| Total yards | 531 | 181 |
| Rushing yards | 181 | 28 |
| Passing yards | 350 | 153 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 27:57 | 32:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 19/29, 343 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Donovan Williams | 7 carries, 47 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Jequez Ezzard | 4 receptions, 130 yards, 2 TD |
| Lamar | Passing | Austin Scott | 10/19, 123 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Lamar | Rushing | Jaylon Jackson | 6 carries, 40 yards |
| Lamar | Receiving | Jaylon Jackson | 3 receptions, 66 yards, TD |

### At Northwestern State

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SHSU −27.5 | 67 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Bearkats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Demons | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, Louisiana
* Date: April 1, 2021
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny and clear • Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Wind: SW 11 mph (18 km/h)
* Game attendance: 1,221
* Referee: Ed Bourgeois
* TV: ESPN+
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | SHSU | NWST |
| First downs | 23 | 24 |
| Total yards | 445 | 453 |
| Rushing yards | 133 | 43 |
| Passing yards | 312 | 410 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 32:30 | 27:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 22/41, 312 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 18 carries, 107 yards |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Ife Adeyi | 6 receptions, 134 yards, TD |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Bryce Rivers | 29/51, 410 yards, 2 TD |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Scooter Adams | 13 carries, 34 yards |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Javon Antonio | 10 receptions, 190 yards, TD |

### McNeese State

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SHSU −15.0 | 59 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| No. 5 Bearkats | 7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
at Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas
* Date: April 10, 2021
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear and sunny • Temperature: 78 °F (26 °C) • Wind: N 9 mph (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 3,103
* Referee: Dan Lewis
* TV: ESPN+
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | MCN | SHSU |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total yards | 328 | 392 |
| Rushing yards | 37 | 190 |
| Passing yards | 291 | 202 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 30:02 | 29:58 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| McNeese State | Passing | Cody Orgeron | 27/42, 291 yards, TD |
| McNeese State | Rushing | Cody Orgeron | 18 carries, 18 yards |
| McNeese State | Receiving | Joshua Matthews | 6 receptions, 95 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 12/24, 202 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Eric Schmid | 15 carries, 92 yards |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Jequez Ezzard | 3 receptions, 87 yards |

### At No. 25 Incarnate Word

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Bearkats | 0 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| No. 25 Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, Texas
* Date: April 17, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy • Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Wind: SSW 19 mph (31 km/h)
* Game attendance: 743
* Referee: Dan Lewis
* TV: ESPN+
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | SHSU | UIW |
| First downs | 29 | 21 |
| Total yards | 599 | 340 |
| Rushing yards | 229 | 35 |
| Passing yards | 370 | 305 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 32:52 | 27:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 25/34, 370 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 13 carries, 92 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Jequez Ezzard | 7 receptions, 155 yards, TD |
| Incarnate Word | Passing | Cam Ward | 32/53, 305 yards, 2 TD |
| Incarnate Word | Rushing | Kevin Brown | 9 carries, 64 yards |
| Incarnate Word | Receiving | Robert Ferrel | 9 receptions, 98 yards |

### No. 10 Monmouth (FCS First Round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Hawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| No. 4 Bearkats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas
* Date: April 24, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,078
* Referee: Andrew Speciale
* TV: ESPN3
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | MONM | SHSU |
| First downs | 27 | 9 |
| Total yards | 412 | 267 |
| Rushing yards | 115 | 134 |
| Passing yards | 297 | 133 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 39:41 | 20:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Monmouth | Passing | Tony Muskett | 29/46, 297 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Monmouth | Rushing | Juwon Farri | 25 carries, 98 yards, TD |
| Monmouth | Receiving | Terrance Greene Jr. | 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 12/24, 133 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 9 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Cody Chrest | 8 receptions, 67 yards, TD |

### No. 6 North Dakota State (FCS Quarterfinals)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Bison | 0 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 20 |
| No. 4 Bearkats | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas
* Date: May 2, 2021
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
* Game attendance: 4,984
* Referee: Jeff Knight
* TV: ESPN
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | NDSU | SHSU |
| First downs | 13 | 16 |
| Total yards | 229 | 317 |
| Rushing yards | 139 | 90 |
| Passing yards | 90 | 227 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 30:03 | 29:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Cam Miller | 7/18, 90 yards, 2 INT |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Hunter Luepke | 12 carries, 57 yards |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Christian Watson | 1 reception, 35 yards |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 25/37, 227 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Eric Schmid | 10 carries, 36 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Noah Smith | 10 receptions, 103 yards, TD |

### No. 1 James Madison (FCS Semifinals)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 1 Dukes | 0 | 24 | 3 | 8 | 35 |
| No. 4 Bearkats | 3 | 0 | 28 | 7 | 38 |
at Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas
* Date: May 8, 2021
* Game time: 1:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny and clear, 85 °F (29 °C)
* Game attendance: 5,038
* Referee: Drew Myers
* TV: ABC
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | JMU | SHSU |
| First downs | 23 | 18 |
| Total yards | 430 | 336 |
| Rushing yards | 159 | 118 |
| Passing yards | 271 | 218 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 35:54 | 24:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| James Madison | Passing | Cole Johnson | 16/26, 271 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| James Madison | Rushing | Percy Agyei-Obese | 24 carries, 98 yards |
| James Madison | Receiving | Antwane Wells Jr. | 7 receptions, 89 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 13/27, 218 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 15 carries, 60 yards, TD |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Jequez Ezzard | 4 receptions, 107 yards, TD |

### Vs. No. 2 South Dakota State (FCS National Championship)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 4 Bearkats | 0 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
| No. 2 Jackrabbits | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
* Date: May 16, 2021
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Light rain, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 7,840
* Referee: Steve Cadorette
* TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Andre Ware, and Kris Budden
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | SHSU | SDST |
| First downs | 19 | 17 |
| Total yards | 353 | 362 |
| Rushing yards | 144 | 239 |
| Passing yards | 209 | 123 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 31:09 | 28:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 20/37, 209 yards, 3 TD |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 16 carries, 96 yards |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Jequez Ezzard | 10 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TD |
| South Dakota State | Passing | Keaton Heide | 11/22, 107 yards, INT |
| South Dakota State | Rushing | Isaiah Davis | 14 carries, 178 yards, 3 TD |
| South Dakota State | Receiving | Zach Heins | 3 receptions, 44 yards |