WKU Hilltoppers secure a nail-biting 28-23 victory over Sam Houston Bearkats, with late-game heroics ensuring bowl eligibility
Press Release from GoBearkats.com
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Sam Houston Bearkats forced five turnovers and had a chance to secure its third win in a row in the game’s final minute, but the WKU Hilltoppers got the stop they needed and escaped with a 28-23 win on Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
The Kats (2-9, 1-6 CUSA) held a 23-21 lead entering the fourth quarter before WKU (6-5, 4-3 CUSA) took the lead on a 75-yard touchdown early in the quarter. Still, Sam Houston got a big punt return from Emon Allen and a fourth-down conversion from Simeon Evans to set up a goal-to-go situation in the game’s final minute; however the Kats could not punch it in as Desmyn Baker picked off Keegan Shoemaker’s desperation pass on fourth down in the end zone to seal the game and push the home Hilltoppers into bowl eligibility.
Shoemaker finished with 271 yards in the air and 34 yards on the ground, while Noah Smith hauled in 10 grabs for 115 yards and a touchdown to lead a group of nine Bearkats with catches.
Defensively the Kats allowed 465 total yards, including 392 in the air, but showed a propensity for the big play as they picked off WKU quarterback Austin Reed four times – twice by defensive back Caleb Weaver – and had five total takeaways for the game. Linebacker Trevor Williams finished with a game-high 14 tackles, the third time he has reached that total in 2023.
Isaiah Downes put a quick end to the Hilltoppers’ first drive of the game with the Kats’ first interception of the game, but the Kats went 3-and-out and WKU followed it up with a big play to go up 7-0 when Reed connected with Dalvin Smith from 45 yards out with 9:32 left on the clock.
The teams traded possessions before the Kats were able to get on the board as Sam Houston went 90 yards in seven plays, ending in a 42-yard touchdown reception by Noah Smith to cut the WKU lead to 7-6.
WKU, however, struck back, scoring touchdowns on consecutive drives to take a 21-13 lead with only 49 seconds to play in the half. The Kats were able to tack on three more points at the halftime buzzer, advancing the ball into Hilltopper territory to set up Colby Sessums who nailed a 53-yard bomb to cut the lead to 21-16 at the midway point.
The second half started off quickly in the Kats’ favor as Da’Marcus Crosby became the third SHSU defensive back to pick off Reed, doing so on the Tops’ first drive of the third quarter. His 39-yard return set up John Gentry to punch in a go-ahead score from seven yards out to surge Sam Houston back in front 23-21.
That margin held up until early in the fourth quarter. Despite a quick-kick punt from Shoemaker pinning the Tops on their own 1-yard line, WKU went the distance the other way in just seven plays, ending in a 75-yard touchdown pass from Reed to Malachi Corley up the right sideline.
Sam Houston was able to get a necessary stop on the next drive and proceeded to march down the field, converting a 4th-and-4 on a completion to Simeon Evans at the WKU 16; however the Hilltoppers forced a fumble on the next play and took over at their own 17-yard line with less than five minutes to play.
The Bearkat defense responded with a necessary stop and Allen just missed putting SHSU back in front, bursting through the middle of the WKU special teams for a 25-yard punt return which set the Kats up at the WKU 33-yard line with only 2:48 to play.
Sam Houston moved it 15 yards to the 10 after a 19-yard completion to Evans on fourth down, but after a 2-yard run on first down, the Kats misfired in the air on each of their final three plays from scrimmage.
UP NEXT
Sam Houston will close out its 2023 season on Saturday, November 25, when it hosts Middle Tennessee at Bowers Stadium. The game is set for an 11:00 a.m. kickoff on ESPN+. It will serve as Senior Day for the Bearkats’ senior class.
POSTGAME NOTES
– Isaiah Downes’ interception in the first quarter was his first of the season and the third of his career. He had interceptions in consecutive games vs Monmouth and North Dakota State in the 2020 FCS playoffs, but had not picked one off again until Saturday.
– Caleb Weaver’s first interception of the night came in the first quarter and was the first of his career. It marked the fourth pick for the Kats in a four-possession stretch dating back to last week’s game at Louisiana Tech. He followed it up with a second later in the game, making him the first Kat with multiple picks in a game since Jaylen Thomas had two against Central Arkansas in 2021.
– Noah Smith’s 42-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter was his longest reception of the year and the second longest touchdown catch of his career with the first being a 61-yard touchdown catch and run at McNeese in 2019.
– The touchdown reception was the 16th of his career, tying him with LaDarius Brown for ninth all-time at Sam Houston.
– Colby Sessums’ 53-yard FG to end the first half is tied for second longest in school history. It is only 12th field goal of 50+ yards in program history and the longest by a Bearkat since 1989 when Mark Klein hit a 53-yarder vs Northwestern State.
– The game marked the first time for the SHSU defense to have 4+ takeaways in consecutive games since 2020 when they had four takeaways in consecutive games vs Nicholls and Lamar.
– The game is the first time for the Bearkats to have four or more interceptions since they picked off four Abilene Christian passes in 2017.
