The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Week 1 SHSU Football

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Week 1 SHSU Football

Mike Silva - KatFans.com Writer

It's always good for a team to pick up where it left off. If they left last season on a good note, that is.

Luckily, for the Bearkats, the season ended with another 100-yard rushing performance from Southland Newcomer of the Year, Timothy Flanders, and most importantly, a victory.

Sam Houston State met a familiar foe in Western illinois Thursday night, avenging last year's brutal, 56-14 beatdown, by opening the season with a 20-6 win over the Leathernecks.

Starting the season 1-0 is always better than starting 0-1, but how a team notches that first "W" is telling of how the team will play for the season.

A win is a win is a win, but as with any game--and this 14-point victory was no exception--there's always a healthy mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

THE GOOD

Perhaps the most striking number of SHSU's first win was the number "6." That's exactly how many points the Kats' defense surrendered.

Down the 2010 stretch, the Bearkats defensive unit persevered with each game, climbing from one of the SLC's worst units to a stingy, run stuffing squad intent on shutting down opponents with tenacity. That continued Thursday.

The SHSU pass rush was in full effect, bringing down WIU's quarterback tandem of Josh Hudson and Will Lunt a total of five times. But the front line didn't only smother the pocket in the passing game, the Leatherneck run game had little breathing room, as well.

WIU carried the rock 28 times for a measly 37 yards, a mere 1.3 yards per carry. SHSU recorded a total of 12 tackles for a loss, held the Leathernecks to just four third-down conversions out of 13 attempts, and forced an interception along the way. To say the defense looked "good" is an understatement.

Another good site for SHSU fans was seeing Flanders add yet another 100-yard game to his resume, giving him eight for his Bearkat career.

Flanders, who finished with 948 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, both conference highs, missed the majority of three games last season with an ankle injury. To see him carry the ball 24 times to open the season is a sure sign that he's ready to go in 2011. The potential for a full season with Flanders in the backfield gives the Kats a strong chance to win in the Southland.

The final thing that stood out in Thursday's win was efficient ball movement on offense.

Sophomore Brian Bell (16-22, 198 yards, 2 TDs) connected with seven difference receivers throughout the night, getting just about everyone involved. Last year saw a majority of Richard Sincere and Seth Patterson reeling in catches. To see a wider  array of players getting touches on the O speaks to the versatility of the unit and Bell's maturation under center.

THE BAD

All three of SHSU's conference losses last season came consecutively, and each one was within one score of going the other way.

In fact, all three L's came by a combined 11 points. One of the culprits was the field-goal-kicking unit.

Kicker Miguel Antonio nailed just 14 of 23 attempts, a tame 61 percent. One of the field goals he missed was a potential game-winner at Northwestern State.

Though the three points left on the table last night didn't determine the game, Antonio missed a 40-yarder, finishing two for three in the win.

If the Kats want to claim the SLC crown, they'll have to win the close ones, where executing on special teams is crucial.

Another concern for SHSU should be in pass protection.

Though Bell completed a high percentage of his passes (73 percent), he might have done even better had he been given more time in the pocket. The Leathernecks sacked Bell three times last night, and forced him to fumble.

Protecting Bell and keeping him comfortable will result in wins.

THE UGLY

By far, the ugliest sight of the night was the Leathernecks' attempt at a run game.

Their leading rusher, Caulton Ray, had 14 carries for 48 yards. 19 of those yards came on one carry, meaning outside of that one burst, he ran the ball 13 times for 29 yards. Take that run away, the team finishes with 28 yards on 27 carries. Ouch. "Look out! Only 72 more carries away from reaching Flanders' total!"

But WIU's run game wasn't the only ugly site of the season opener. The Kats don't walk away clean here.

Leatherneck receiver Terriun Crump reeled in five catches for 127 yards and a 92-yard score.

SHSU's achilles heel last season was the secondary, in particular, the team's inability to stop big plays.

It would take all the fingers of at least two, maybe three hands, to count all the big plays SHSU surrendered in 2010. To put it into perspective, Nicholls' longest play against the Kats in last season's meeting was 33 yards. Of all the game-high plays against SHSU, that one was the shortest.

On the bright side, this once young and inexperienced defense has grown up together, and with another year under head coach Willie Fritz and defensive coordinator Scott Stoker, it should only continue to improve.