# 2020 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team

The 2020 Stephen F. Austin football team represented Stephen F. Austin State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Lumberjacks were led by second-year head coach Colby Carthel and played their home games at Homer Bryce Stadium. The team finished 6–4 for the program's first winning season since 2014. All four losses were against NCAA Division I FBS teams.

## Preseason
### Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their original preseason poll in July 2020. The Lumberjacks were picked to finish eighth in the conference, prior to their schedule split from the rest of the league. In addition, one Lumberjack was chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Central Arkansas* | 190 (12) |
| 2 | Sam Houston State | 170 (4) |
| 3 | Nicholls | 169 (6) |
| 4 | Southeastern Louisiana | 157 |
| 5 | McNeese State | 113 |
| 6 | Incarnate Word | 104 |
| 7 | Abilene Christian* | 101 |
| 8 | Stephen F. Austin* | 60 |
| 9 | Houston Baptist* | 59 |
| 10 | Northwestern State | 49 |
| 11 | Lamar | 38 |
(*) These teams opted out of playing in the revised spring 2021 Southland schedule, and instead played as Independent in the fall of 2020.

### Preseason All–Southland Teams
## Schedule

Stephen F. Austin had a game scheduled against Alabama A&M, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 5 | 8:00 p.m. | at UTEP* | Sun BowlEl Paso, TX | ESPN3 | L 14–24 | 6,047 |
| September 19 | 2:00 p.m. | at UTSA* | AlamodomeSan Antonio, TX | ESPN2 | L 10–24 | 6,611 |
| September 26 | 6:00 p.m. | at SMU* | Gerald J. Ford StadiumUniversity Park, TX | ESPN+ | L 7–50 | 7,898 |
| October 3 | 4:00 p.m. | West Texas A&M* | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN3 | W 34–6 | 5,035 |
| October 17 | 5:00 p.m. | Angelo State* | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN3 | W 31–12 | 4,376 |
| October 24 | | vs. Abilene Christian | Globe Life FieldArlington, TX | FloSports | W 35–32 $^{OT}$ | 5,211 |
| October 31 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Colorado* | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN3 | W 64–7 | 3,165 |
| November 7 | 2:00 p.m. | at Eastern Kentucky* | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN+ | W 24–6 | 2,569 |
| November 14 | | Pittsburg State* | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN3 | W 26–7 | 5,126 |
| November 21 | | at Memphis* | Liberty Bowl Memorial StadiumMemphis, TN | ESPN+ | L 14–56 | 9,684 |
| *Non-conference gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Game summaries
### At UTEP

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| UTEP –4 | 54 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lumberjacks | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Miners | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Sun Bowl • El Paso, Texas
* Date: Saturday, September 5, 2020
* Game time: 8:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) • Wind: E 15 mph
* Game attendance: 6,047
* Referee: Rodney Burnette • Umpire: Stephen Marshal • Linesman: Lea Bailey • Line judge: Joshua Fath • Back judge: Brandon Spencer • Field judge: Parker Anderson • Side judge: Adrian Carson • Center judge: Nathan Jastram
* TV announcers (ESPN3): Erik Elken, Trevor Vittatoe
| Statistics | SFA | UTEP |
| First downs | 14 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 44–230 | 65–364 |
| Rushes–yards | 97 | 152 |
| Passing yards | 133 | 212 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 14–21–1 | 17–28–1 |
| Time of possession | 23:13 | 36:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Stephen F. Austin | Passing | Trae Self | 14–21–1–133 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Rushing | Da'Leon Ward | 14–51 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Receiving | Quenty Borders | 2–41 |
| UTEP | Passing | Gavin Hardison | 17–28–1–212 |
| UTEP | Rushing | Deion Hankins | 17–133 |
| UTEP | Receiving | Jacob Cowing | 7–116 |

### At UTSA

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| UTSA –17 | 54.5 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lumberjacks | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Roadrunners | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Alamodome • San Antonio, Texas
* Date: Saturday, September 19, 2020
* Game time: 2:42 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Indoors • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,611
* Referee: Chris Bynum • Umpire: Joe Nanus • Linesman: Tony Sands • Line judge: Nicholas Therio • Back judge: Sean Woodson • Field judge: Lark Jones • Side judge: Dustin Drawhorn
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Lincoln Rose, LaDarrin McLane
| Statistics | SFA | UTSA |
| First downs | 15 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 61–344 | 84–498 |
| Rushes–yards | 59 | 229 |
| Passing yards | 285 | 269 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 21–33–0 | 23–36–1 |
| Time of possession | 27:34 | 32:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Stephen F. Austin | Passing | Trae Self | 21–33–1–285, 1 TD |
| Stephen F. Austin | Rushing | Da'Leon Ward | 12–42 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Receiving | Xavier Gipson | 6–94, 1 TD |
| UTSA | Passing | Frank Harris | 23–36–1–269, 1 TD |
| UTSA | Rushing | Frank Harris | 17–110, 2 TD's |
| UTSA | Receiving | Joshua Cephus | 8–89, 1 TD |

### At SMU

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SMU −31.5 | 58.5 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lumberjacks | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Mustangs | 22 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 50 |
at Ford Stadium • Dallas, Texas
* Date: Saturday, September 26, 2020
* Game time: 6:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: SE 12 mph
* Game attendance: 7,898
* Referee: Nate Black • Umpire: Michael Powell • Linesman: Adam Loudin • Line judge: Lance Thompson • Back judge: Victor Firth • Field judge: Glen Wilson • Side judge: Ryan Robinson
* TV announcers (ESPN+): David Saltzman, LaDarrin McLane
| Statistics | SFA | SMU |
| First downs | 14 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 67–216 | 65–432 |
| Rushes–yards | 51 | 260 |
| Passing yards | 165 | 172 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 16–27–1 | 16–27–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:25 | 25:35 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Stephen F. Austin | Passing | Trae Self | 14–23–1–133 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Rushing | Turner JaQuarion | 24–52 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Receiving | Jeremiah Miller | 4-41 |
| SMU | Passing | Shane Buechele | 14–25–0–141, 2 TD's |
| SMU | Rushing | Ulysses Bentley IV | 6–104, 2 TD's |
| SMU | Receiving | Kylen Granson | 5–38, 1 TD |

### West Texas A&M

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buffaloes | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Lumberjacks | 17 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Homer Bryce Stadium • Nacogdoches, Texas
* Date: Saturday, October 3, 2020
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: SE 8 mph
* Game attendance: 5,035
* Referee: Scott Hardin • Umpire: Jeremy Epps • Linesman: Justin Gragg • Line judge: Matt Stellges • Back judge: TJ Riley • Field judge: Chris Bailey • Side judge: Nolan Dumas
* TV announcers (ESPN3): Luke Hamilton, John Wilkowski
| Statistics | WT | SFA |
| First downs | 17 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 70–294 | 64–498 |
| Rushes–yards | 120 | 234 |
| Passing yards | 174 | 264 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 16–36–1 | 14–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:01 | 29:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| WT | Passing | Nick Gerber | 16–36–1–174 |
| WT | Rushing | Khalil Harris | 14–61 |
| WT | Receiving | Devin Neal | 3-61 |
| SFA | Passing | Trae Self | 12–24–1–234, 2 TD's |
| SFA | Rushing | Da'leon Ward | 11–114, 1 TD |
| SFA | Receiving | Xavier Gipson | 4–124, 1 TD |