Sam Houston tops FIU 10-7 in a gritty Conference USA matchup, earning their first bowl eligibility in FBS history.
Press Release from GoBearkats.com
MIAMI — The Bearkats will feel this moment for a while.
A special teams play provided the spark Sam Houston needed to breathe some life into the offense as the Bearkats won an old fashion dogfight against FIU 10-7 at Pitbull Stadium on Tuesday evening in Conference USA play.
Sam Houston (6-2, 3-1 CUSA) has now reached the six wins needed to qualify for a bowl berth in the program’s first year of eligibility since making the move to FBS from FCS two seasons ago. The Kats have also now doubled their win total from 2023 when the team went 3-9.
The end zone was a no-fly area for the first two and a half quarters as neither team managed to cross the goal line. The turning point came when Sam Houston forced a punt late in the third, and Jaylon Jimmerson came through the line untouched, blocked the punt and scooped it up for a 10-yard return to the FIU 3-yard line. Two plays later, DJ McKinney plowed his way for a one-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead.
The Panthers (2-6, 1-3 CUSA), in turn, found a rhythm and rallied to tie it. But once again, Sam Houston dug in and marched down the field for a game-winning 20-yard field goal by Christian Pavon thanks to a 25-yard keeper by quarterback Jase Bauer with just under two minutes left. The defense came up with a key stop on FIU’s final possession to seal the victory.
The first half was uneventful for the most part. Neither team could do much offensively as the game went into the half locked in a scoreless tie. The Bearkats squandered three scoring opportunities with the best coming right before halftime.
Sam Houston drove down the field and had two shots at the end zone after a pass interference call on third and goal gave the Kats a fresh set of downs at the FIU 2. The Bearkats failed to punch it in and turned it over on downs to close out the second quarter.
The misfire inside the 5 and a pair of missed field goals by Pavon, from 41 and 49 yards out, in the first quarter stretched Sam Houston’s scoreless quarter streak to three and half going back to the loss to Western Kentucky on Oct. 16. Until McKinney’s touchdown plunge, the Kats had not scored in 15 consecutive drives.
Sam Houston has another mid-week matchup on the schedule next when Louisiana Tech comes to Bowers Stadium on Oct. 29.
POSTGAME NOTES
– The 10-7 win is the lowest-scoring victory for the Bearkats since winning 10-7 at Stephen F. Austin in 2002
– The game was scoreless at the half, marking the first scoreless game in the first half of a Bearkat game since that same win over SFA in 2002
– Jaylon Jimmerson blocked a punt in the third quarter to set up the Kats’ first score of the night. It was the first time the Kats had blocked a punt since 2022 when Donovan Adkins blocked a punt vs Stephen F. Austin. It was also the first time FIU had a punt blocked since 2018 vs Marshall
– Jase Bauer made his first start as a Bearkat at quarterback and rushed for a team-high 72 yards. It was a season high rushing yards for Bauer and his most since rushing for 106 yards against NIU in 2023 when he was a member of Central Michigan
– The game-winning 20-yard field goal by Christian Pavon was his second game-winning kick this year within the final two minutes of the game
– Kavian Gaither intercepted a pass on the second play from scrimmage, his first interception of the season and the third of his career. It was his first pick since a pick-six at Louisiana Tech in 2023
– The Kats have now forced a turnover in 14 consecutive games
– Sam Houston held FIU to just 199 total yards, marking the second time the Kats have held an opponent under 200 yards this year. It is the first time the Kats have held an opponent under 200 yards in a road game since holding Lamar to 179 yards in the Spring 2021 season
