# 2018 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team

The 2018 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by fifth-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 5–4 in Southland play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place.

## Preseason
### Preseason All-Conference Teams

On July 12, 2018, the Southland announced their Preseason All-Conference Teams, with the Bearkats having seven players at nine positions selected.

### Preseason Poll

On July 19, 2018, the Southland announced their preseason poll, with the Bearkats selected as the favorites to win the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Sam Houston State | 187 (10) |
| 2 | Nicholls State | 173 (6) |
| 3 | Central Arkansas | 170 (5) |
| 4 | McNeese State | 159 (1) |
| 5 | Southeastern Louisiana | 119 |
| 6 | Stephen F. Austin | 90 |
| 7 | Abilene Christian | 89 |
| 8 | Northwestern State | 86 |
| 9 | Incarnate Word | 53 |
| 10 | Lamar | 52 |
| 11 | Houston Baptist | 32 |

### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Walter Payton Award | Davion Davis | WR | SR |
| Walter Payton Award | Nathan Steward | WR | JR |
| Buck Buchanan Award | Chris Stewart | DE | SR |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | Prairie View A&M* | No. 4 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ESPN+ | W 41–32 | 9,571 |
| September 15 | 6:00 p.m. | North Dakota* | No. 5 | Bowers StadiumHuntville, TX | ESPN3 | L 23–24 | 5,373 |
| September 22 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 18 Nicholls State | No. 11 | John L. Guidry StadiumThibodaux, LA | ESPN+ | L 7–27 | 5,025 |
| September 29 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 13 Central Arkansas | No. 21 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ESPN3 | W 34–31 $^{OT}$ | 7,598 |
| October 6 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. Stephen F. Austin | No. 17 | NRG StadiumHouston, TX (Battle of the Piney Woods) | ESPN3 | W 54–21 | 26,548 |
| October 13 | 6:00 p.m. | at Northwestern State | No. 15 | Harry Turpin StadiumNatchitoches, LA | CST/ESPN3 | W 42–28 | 5,125 |
| October 20 | 3:00 p.m. | at Lamar | No. 14 | Provost Umphrey StadiumBeaumont, TX | ESPN+ | L 23–41 | 7,227 |
| October 27 | 1:00 p.m. | Southeastern Louisiana | No. 23 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ELVN | W 28–25 | 10,098 |
| November 3 | 2:00 p.m. | at Incarnate Word | No. 21 | Gayle and Tom Benson StadiumSan Antonio, TX | ESPN3 | L 26–43 | 5,643 |
| November 10 | 2:30 pm | Abilene Christian | | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ELVN/SLC Digital | L 10–17 | 6,914 |
| November 17 | 2:00 p.m. | at Houston Baptist | | Husky StadiumHouston, TX | SLC Digital | W 42–20 | 2,002 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Prairie View A&M

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 9 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 32 |
| • No. 4 Bearkats | 10 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 41 |

### North Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Fighting Hawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 5 Bearkats | 7 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 23 |

### At Nicholls State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11 Bearkats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • No. 18 Colonels | 3 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 27 |

### Central Arkansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 13 Bears | 3 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| • No. 21 Bearkats | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 34 |

### vs Stephen F. Austin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lumberjacks | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| • No. 17 Bearkats | 21 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 54 |

### At Northwestern State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 15 Bearkats | 14 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 42 |
| Demons | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 |

### At Lamar

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Bearkats | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
| • Cardinals | 10 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 41 |

### Southeastern Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 25 |
| • No. 23 Bearkats | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |

### At Incarnate Word

| | 1 | 2 | Total |
| No. 21 Bearkats | | | 0 |
| Cardinals | | | 0 |

### Abilene Christian

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| Bearkats | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |

### At Houston Baptist

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bearkats | 7 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 42 |
| Lions | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 4 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 23 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | |
| Coaches | 4 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 22 | RV | — | — | |