Bearkats Contain Cougars in Conference USA and FBS Debut but Miss Opportunities to Score
PROVO, Utah — In their debut outing as part of Conference USA and the FBS, Sam Houston’s defense showed grit against BYU but failed to ignite offensively, falling 14-0 Saturday night at Lavell Edwards Stadium.
The Bearkats contained the Cougars to a mere 258 yards of total offense, yet couldn’t capitalize on their chances, turning the ball over three times and accumulating less than 200 yards themselves. BYU made the most of their scarce red zone appearances, scoring on both to clinch the win.
Kedon Slovis initiated BYU’s scoring drive just 4.5 minutes into the first quarter, polishing off a 50-yard drive with a five-yard sprint into the end zone. Despite forcing five punts and holding the Cougars to 116 first-half yards, the Bearkats failed to find their own offensive stride.
A promising drive for Sam Houston stalled at the BYU 37-yard line. Quarterback Keegan Shoemaker connected with Charles Crawford III for an 18-yard reception and then with Malik Phillips for another 20 yards. However, the Cougars’ defense buckled down, forcing a punt and neutralizing the scoring threat.
The third quarter presented Sam Houston with a golden opportunity. They snuffed out a BYU fake punt attempt, securing possession at the Cougar 20-yard line. A pass interference call moved them closer to paydirt, but an end-zone interception by BYU’s Jakob Robinson squashed the Bearkats’ hopes of scoring.
Just as it seemed momentum might swing their way—following what initially looked like a blocked 48-yard field goal returned deep into BYU territory—a costly offsides penalty against the Kats negated the play. BYU opted to go for it on fourth-and-one, successfully converting and eventually finding the end zone once more to go up 14-0 in the fourth quarter.
Next up for the Bearkats is a match against the Air Force Falcons at 7 PM at NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday, September 9. The Falcons come into the game with momentum, having recently secured a dominant 42-7 victory over Robert Morris.
