Game 1 Preview: Sam Houston State
A deep dive on the personnel of one of the best rosters in the FCS.
Happy September everyone!
Welcome back to the 12sReport. With the start of Week 1 basically here (let’s goooooooooooooo), preseason practices and preparations are coming to a close and the games are upon us. It’s finally time for college football to return to action.
With that being said, the Aggies will kick off their season on Saturday as they’ll take the field against the Sam Houston State Bearkats, which leads into a new series that I’m beginning for the year. For every game in the Aggies’ 2022 season, I’ll attempt to try and give a pre-game breakdown of every opponent, starting with the 2020 FCS champions…
Game 1: Sam Houston State Bearkats
Don’t let the FCS status fool you - Sam Houston State has historically been a damn good football team. Under head coach K.C. Keeler, the Bearkats have been a powerhouse, posting a 77.7% winning percentage in eight seasons, and his tenure reached its apex in 2020 with a national championship. SHSU couldn’t retain their title a year ago and fell in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. The Bearkats are moving up to the FBS level after this season, and, as a result, are ineligible for the FCS playoffs this year, but this is still a good football team despite no ranking.
Offense
The Bearkats have to replace a big face at quarterback; Eric Schmid decided to go pro, so there’s a big position battle at that spot. It looks to be down to the returning Keegan Shoemaker and Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Yates. Both are expected to get some playing time on Saturday as the Kats still try to figure out that solution. The running back room has a stable of backs that can all get some good playing time - Zach Hrbacek returns after redshirting a year ago, while the speedy Weston Stephens will operate both out of the backfield and as a kick returner. Sam Houston also welcomes Oklahoma State transfer Dezmon Jackson and redshirt freshman Charles Crawford III, who have both impressed in camp. Wide receiver may be the deepest group on the field, though, with returners like Ife Adeyi, Cody Chrest, and Noah Smith all likely to contribute. Texas transfer Al’vonte Woodard also joins the unit and could also see the field right away. Tight end is also a position of experience. A trio of players at the position - Dalton Meyer, Jacob Kainer, and Marcus Collins - all return after seeing action in 2021, while the unit adds Davidson transfer Jax Sherrard, who has garnered All-Pioneer League honors. This matchup in particular is one that I’m intrigued to see, especially considering that it features two very deep units in the Sam Houston receiving corps and the Texas A&M secondary.
With all of the experience throughout the receivers, though, the offensive line is a very green group. The unit returns only one starter - junior Ethan Hagler - from 2021, but a lot of guys have had a strong camp, according to offensive line coach Cooper Bassett. This could be an aspect of the game that the Ags have lots success against; even though every projected starter has had game experience, whether at Sam Houston or elsewhere, they might not have the chemistry to keep a handle on such a talented and deep front seven.
Defense
When looking at the Bearkats’ defense, it is an pretty impressive group on paper, returning many key contributors and welcoming in some quality depth. It all starts up front, where Markel Perry at Jack (a defensive end/linebacker hybrid) leads the defensive line group and may very well be Sam Houston’s best player, regardless of position. Perry is one of the best defensive players at the FCS level and was tabbed as the Preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year, and his versatility allows him to play as both a traditional defensive end or as a rush linebacker, where he excels in getting into the pocket. Jevon Leon joins Perry off of the edge and Chris Scott is an experienced player on the interior, starting 25 games since 2019. At linebacker, Trevor Williams is the heartbeat of this defense and should lead the group. He may be only 5’9”, but he has produced consecutive all-conference seasons and preseason All-America recognition. Ysidro Mascorro returns from an offseason injury to go alongside Williams, and Trey Fields and Jaylen Phillips will also see rotational snaps.
However, some are saying that the secondary may be one of the strengths of the team, even if they lost three starters from a year ago. Cornerback Kameryn “Speedy” Alexander and safeties Isaiah Downes and Darrel Hawkins-Williams are the veterans of the unit, and they all return to play some big roles at the back end. The trio of veterans will welcome a trio of transfers from prominent FBS programs to assist them - BJ Foster (Texas), Jordan Morris (Coastal Carolina) and Da’Veawn Armstead (TCU). These transfers provide some more experience to a youthful group aside from the aforementioned guys with plenty of experience. This unit could be quite good, and should be a tougher test for this Aggie receiving corps than most think.
Special Teams
Sam Houston State has fielded very good special teams units for the last few seasons, and while the Kats lose two big starters from last year to graduation (punter Matt McRobert and punt returner Jequez Ezzard), this group returns some solid pieces and introduces a few intriguing newcomers. Seth Morgan is one of the best kickers in the FCS, and he’ll be the main guy in the entire unit, while Jadon Cardell has the most experience out of all of the punters. There are open competitions for the return spots this year for the Bearkats, with Kameryn Alexander and Weston Stephens looking like their primary return specialists once again.
PREDICTION: I don’t think it’ll be, like, a 50-point win (but I sure hope so), but I think A&M is just too talented for the Bearkats across the board, even if they have a pretty decent squad on paper. A fast start will be key to wear this upset-minded group down, but the Aggies should begin their 2022 campaign with a bang. Texas A&M takes this one comfortably and starts the new year off right.
Now that the Bearkats’ preview has concluded, I’d like to share the start of another new series. I’ve always liked watching College GameDay in the morning and hearing all of the predictions for every game, and I would like to share my own predictions for the slate ahead. Here are the 12sReport’s Game Picks.
The 12sReport’s Game Picks
Thursday
West Virginia @ #21 Pittsburgh
The Backyard Brawl is back!
The Mountaineers and Panthers renew their nasty rivalry tonight in front of what should be a packed Acrisure Stadium. The Panthers are coming off a great 2021 where they won the ACC, while West Virginia head coach Neal Brown might be hearing grumblings over his job status heading into 2022. While the Panthers lost Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison, they return a slew of key contributors, including running back Israel Abanikanda and one of the best defenses in the conference. Meanwhile, West Virginia’s wide receiver duo of Sam James and Bryce Ford-Wheaton is a highly underrated one in the nation. A major storyline is a battle of two former USC quarterbacks, with J.T. Daniels finally getting a big shot as a starter for West Virginia and Kedon Slovis making his Pitt debut. It’ll be a fun game to reignite the rivalry, and I think Pitt pulls it out.
Prediction: Pittsburgh
Penn State @ Purdue
Remember how I put Penn State #17 on my preseason top 25? I’m kind of starting to think I overrated them.
The Nittany Lions have a lot of pressure on them heading into tonight. After a few seasons where they’ve been on the downswing, the pressure is on for head coach James Franklin and his team to produce, but a tough environment in Ross-Ade Stadium awaits them. Night games at Purdue are notoriously hard to navigate, and with the Boilermakers having some pretty good players on tap as well, it could be harder than some think for the Lions. Purdue is led by Aidan O’Connell, one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and he’ll go up against a secondary that has some very quality playmakers in cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Penn State still has a pretty good team, but I don’t know how confident I am in them playing up to that level. I like Purdue at home.
Prediction: Purdue
Saturday
#13 North Carolina State @ East Carolina
I’ve been staunchly high on North Carolina State this offseason, as I think they have one of the best rosters in the ACC and could make some noise on a national level this year. However, they have a tough test right out of the gate with a rivalry game in Greenville against the Pirates of East Carolina. The Pirates had their first winning record since 2014 a season ago as they went 7-5, and they have some solid players. Quarterback Holton Ahlers, tight end Ryan Jones, and cornerback Malik Fleming are some really good players for the home team, and ECU could give NC State a tough time throughout most of the game. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium will be rocking, but I think Devin Leary and that defense will do just enough to escape a crazy environment with a win.
Prediction: North Carolina State
North Carolina @ Appalachian State
This might be the biggest game in Kidd Brewer Stadium history, as the Mountaineers will welcome their in-state foes in Mack Brown and the Tar Heels from UNC. After putting up a very good performance in Week 0 (I don’t care that it was against Florida A&M), the Heels will have to brave what should be a pretty rowdy environment on Saturday. New UNC quarterback Drake Maye sparkled in his starting debut, but how will he fare on the road against legit FBS competition? At least he has one of the better receivers in the nation in Josh Downs. Chase Brice and Camerun Peoples are a quality one-two punch in the backfield for the Mountaineers, too. In a rowdy environment and a huge game for the Appalachian State program, I like the Mountaineers in a close one at home.
Prediction: Appalachian State
#11 Oregon vs. #3 Georgia (Atlanta)
This “neutral-site” (it’s not really neutral-site) game is between two high-profile programs, but both are undergoing a loooooooooot of change heading into 2022. Georgia are the reigning national champions but lose a lot of personnel, especially on the defensive side of the field where they were nationally recognized as one of the best in football. Oregon has undergone a regime change with a new head coach (former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning), and quarterback (Auburn transfer Bo Nix). However, Georgia brings back quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, who engineered their championship run as the starting signal-caller last year, and plenty of weapons around him, including elite tight end Brock Bowers. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter and cornerback Kelee Ringo are some of the best (or, in Carter’s case, the best) at their positions. For the Ducks, Nix reunites with his former offensive coordinator, Kenny Dillingham; star linebacker duo Noah Sewell and a good secondary lead the defense. Georgia absolutely destroyed almost every opponent they played last year, but I feel Oregon will give them a fight for a good portion of the match - however, I think the Dawgs pull away and take this one.
Prediction: Georgia
#23 Cincinnati @ #19 Arkansas
One of the more intriguing non-conference games on tap, Cincinnati is coming off of probably their best year in program history with an AAC championship and a College Football Playoff berth while Arkansas is fresh off of their best year in recent memory. Expectations for these teams have flipped from a year ago, though; the nineteenth-ranked Razorbacks are looking to carry forward the positive momentum they generated last year, while the visiting Bearcats have kind of flown under the radar after losing key players from last year’s group at pretty much every position. I just feel like there are too many question marks surrounding Cincy as we head into the first week of the year - they should still boast a talented, competitive team, but I’m not sure if they can keep up with the Hogs on the road.
Prediction: Arkansas
#24 Houston @ UTSA
I don’t feel like people are talking about this game enough, and I think this contest could be highly entertaining. The Roadrunners are coming off maybe their best season in program history and still have a very competent and well-coached roster behind head coach Jeff Traylor; they should be a force in the C-USA(?) again. Meanwhile, the visiting Cougars are projected to be the crown of the Group of Five this year and have some really exciting players, including wide receiver Nathaniel Dell and quarterback Clayton Tune. However, the Roadrunners are 12-1 at home and have won ten straight contests at the Alamodome under Traylor. Can they keep the home magic going? It’s going to be a back-and-forth affair, but I think UTSA will find a way to prevail and shock the Coogs.
Prediction: UTSA
#7 Utah @ Florida
This is a contest I will be really, really intrigued to see play out. I’ve been banging the drum for Utah all offseason and think they are a legitimate playoff contender, but they have a major test in Week 1 as they head to The Swamp in primetime. As someone who has viewed Florida as sort of a big question mark this offseason, this match will be really telling as to how much I should expect of new coach Billy Napier’s squad. The quarterback battle should be very interesting - Utah QB Cam Rising could really introduce himself to the college football world with a big game in a hostile environment, while Florida’s Anthony Richardson is seeking to enter himself into some serious NFL consideration with a good performance. This will be a really, really fun game and I think it’ll be close; however, Utah narrowly escapes Gainesville with a W.
Prediction: Utah
#5 Notre Dame @ #2 Ohio State
The headliner of Saturday’s slate of games, it’s a top-five matchup as new Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman kicks off his first full season with the Irish traveling to the stadium where he starred as a linebacker. It’s a daunting task having to face the Buckeyes on the road in a primetime game, and this time should be no different for a Fighting Irish side eager to silence the doubters and earn a major win. However, the visitors will be breaking in a new quarterback and Ohio State’s strengths - a high-flying passing offense led by one of the best QB-WR combos in the nation - play perfectly to one of Notre Dame’s big weaknesses, which is a questionable secondary. The Irish should play hard, but C.J. Stroud’s arm and the Bucks’ receiving corps should be too much in the end. Give me Ohio State in this primetime battle.
Prediction: Ohio State
Around Aggieland
Texas A&M Soccer Rises to #18 in Rankings
I will continue my propaganda that A&M is a fútbol school.
After a really good start to the season, the Aggie soccer team has risen all the way to #18 in the national rankings. This is coming off of a trio of wins in the friendly confines of Ellis Field, most recently eking out a 2-1 victory over the New Mexico State Aggies on Fish Camp Night.
The Aggies travel to Champaign to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini tonight.
That will be all for me today. If you’ve managed to make it this far, I’d just like to say thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you all soon!
BTHO SAM HOUSTON STATE
-Sourav