2021 FCS Season Preview: Sam Houston

May 16, 2021; Frisco, Texas, USASam Houston State Bearkats wide receiver Jequez Ezzard (12) cannot catch the ball defended by South Dakota State Jackrabbits cornerback Don Gardner (21) during the third quarter at the Division I FCS Championship football game at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The king of the new conference until further notice is Sam Houston (10-0, 6-0 in Southland), which became the first Division I football program in the state of Texas to win a national championship since Vince Young’s vaunted Texas squad.

The Bearkats are not going anywhere in the fall.

Quarterback Eric Schmid was snubbed by the Walter Payton Award voters after leading the nation in total offense – he will be back with a vengeance this fall. Easily the most impressive part of Sam Houston’s resurgence has been the rushing defense, which improved from the No. 102 unit in 2017 to a top-five group each of the past two seasons.

Impact Players

QB Eric Schmid: Schmid was snubbed as a Walter Payton Award finalist in the spring.  Do not expect that to repeat itself in the fall.

WR Jequez Ezzard:  The Howard transfer averaged more than 22 yards per reception in his first year with the Bearkats.

RB Ramon Jefferson: The former Maine transfer averaged 6.0 yards per carry and more than 75 yards per game as part of a loaded RB room.

Key Game: October 23 vs. Jacksonville State

Sam Houston

HomeTime/ResultsAwayVenueMatch Day TV/Streaming Highlights
Walkup Skydome
Flagstaff, AZ - -
Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - -
Estes Stadium
Conway, AR - -
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX - -
Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - -
Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - -
Memorial Stadium (Tarleton)
Stephenville, TX - -
Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - -
Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - -
Wildcat Stadium (Abilene Christian)
Abilene, TX - -

Worst Case: Even in the worst case scenario, the Bearkats have a FCS National Championship trophy to their name. They’re in an exclusive club.

Best Case: The toughest part of winning a national championship is doing it again. With the powerful weapons of the spring – assuming so many games in an 18 month sppan don’t wear them out by November – a repeat run at the Frisco is very much in play.