The Liberty Flames (8-2, 5-2 CUSA) take on the Sam Houston Bearkats (8-3, 5-2 CUSA) in a critical Conference USA showdown on Friday afternoon. The Flames and Bearkats are scheduled to meet at Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Sam Houston has had one of the best turnarounds in the country. After going 3-9 last year in their first season at the FBS level and in CUSA while losing several one score games, head coach KC Keeler and the Bearkats have been hovering near the top of the conference standings all season.

We all remember how last year’s game between these two ended, with Liberty narrowly escaping Williams Stadium with a win on Oct. 5, 21-16, after getting a goal line stand to seal the win.

This season, the Bearkats raced out to a 5-1 start to the year and were humming on all cylinders. JUCO transfer quarterback Hunter Watson seemed to be the missing ingredient this team needed. Behind him, Sam Houston was averaging nearly 32 points per game and the defense was keeping teams in check, like they did last season, as one of the top defensive units in Conference USA.

In a big CUSA showdown against Western Kentucky in October, Watson went down to injury and the offense hasn’t been the same since. The QB missed much of the second half of that loss to the Hilltoppers and then had to sit out the next two games before returning to the field for the last two. Since his injury, Sam Houston is only averaging 13.4 points per game and has not scored over 17 points in regulation since he was injured.

The Bearkats feature an offensive attack that is similar to that of Jacksonville State. While they don’t operate at the same tempo, Sam Houston likes to run the ball. A lot. And they use their quarterback in that rushing offense. Despite having only played in 9 games, Watson leads the team with 117 rushing attempts. He’s second on the team in rushing at 53.9 yards per game on the ground.

The Bearkats are the 25th best rushing offense in the country, third in the conference behind Liberty and Jacksonville State. Their passing offense ranks No. 125 in the country and are only ahead of New Mexico State in that statistic in CUSA.

In addition to his ability rushing the ball, Watson has also completed 118 of 193 passes for 1,299 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. The top running backs are Jay Ducker and DJ McKinney. Ducker has rushed 110 times for 571 yards and 7 touchdowns, while averaging 5.2 yards per rush. McKinney has 90 carries for 458 yards and 3 touchdowns, good for 5.1 yards per rush.

There are several weapons at receiver Watson and the Bearkats use. Simeon Evans leads the way with 33 receptions for 375 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Noah Smith, Ife Adeyi, Qua’vez Humphreys, and Michael Phoenix have all had their opportunities this season as well. Smith is second on the team with 22 receptions while Humphreys has 362 receiving yards and a team-leading 4 touchdowns.

The Bearkats have struggled in the red zone with finishing drives. 55% of their red zone trips end in touchdowns, and they rank 125th in the country in red zone offense.

For a second straight season, Sam Houston boasts one of the top defensive units in the conference. They rank 2nd in total defense behind Louisiana Tech and 25th in the country. The Bearkats lead CUSA and rank 23rd nationally in holding opponents to 20.1 points per game. Their rushing defense ranks 53rd in the country while the passing defense checks in at 19th nationally.

Former Liberty safety Jaylon Jimmerson transferred to Sam Houston during the offseason. He has started 9 games for the Bearkats and has 36 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, and a blocked punt.

Three Players to Watch For

QB #10 – Hunter Watson has completed 118 of 193 passes for 1,299 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in 9 games played. He’s also second on the team in rushing with 53.9 yards per game and 6 touchdowns.

WR #3 – Simeon Evans has 33 receptions for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns.

DB #4 – Jaylon Jimmerson has 36 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, and a blocked punt.

Upcoming Games/Recent Results

Oct. 22 – Sam Houston 10, FIU 7
Oct. 29 – Sam Houston 9, Louisiana Tech 3
Nov. 16 – Sam Houston 23, Kennesaw State 17 (OT)
Nov. 23 – Jacksonville State 21, Sam Houston 11