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This week's game is a big one. A win almost guarantees us a spot in the playoffs. A loss means we need to win out to feel good about our chances.

Southeastern showed up early with a dominating win over a playoff staple Jacksonville State. They slipped some with some a loss at McNeese and a toss-up loss to UIW. They are playing with their backs against the wall for a playoff spot.

As Nathan Brown has told our team, they've earned the right for every game to be a big game.

Note: A big debate happened on the AGS forum of whether they are SELA or SLU. Those guys insist SLU, and that is on their helmets, so I'll refer to them as SLU.

Our Offense vs Their Defense

Our rush offense v their rush defense

Everyone has an advantage over us, but we're a use a run when needed team.

Advantage - SLU

Our pass offense v their pass defense

We pass for several more yards than what they allow, so this could be how we pull out a win. I do not think they have faced anyone with quite the weapons we have with Breylin and our entire receiving corp. I think our WR's and Breylin have a big game again. They have hit their stride.

Advantage: UCA, but by a thin margin.

Our Defense vs Their Offense

Their rush offense vs our rush defense

They get some yards on the ground, but not a lot. Our rush defense gives up some, but shuts down a lot of rushing attack.

Advantage: UCA

Their pass offense vs our pass defense

This may make the difference in the game. We're better defensively than what they give, but we also give up bigger plays (12.6 average per pass) than what they typically have (8.6). We need to keep them in front of us, force them to play dink and dunk, and swarm.

Advantage: Toss up with a slight edge to SLU

Other areas

Penalties - They are more heavily penalized than we are, which may bode well. I have a feeling we may see a few more PI calls against them this week.

3rd down/4th down conversation - We convert 3rds right around what they allow. We also allow roughly the same amount of 3rd down conversions. They convert well on 4th down, and we allow it. This may give them slight edge if they get into 4 down territory.

Red Zone - They find the end zone on nearly 75% of their red zone trips. We only allow 51%. If we can keep them under average, this bodes well for us.

FG - They've only kicked 8 all season.

Game - Toss-up. I give us a slight edge just for home field advantage.

Up next SELA Lions...
Always loaded with
athletes

Beat preseason FCS TOP 10
JSU to start the season.
Fairly easily, by the way.

Another big game on
THE STRIPES

As with every game it seems, this one is HUGE!! I'm glad that it is on The Stripes! I just hope the crowd shows up and this team gives them something to get excited about from the opening kick-off!!

GO BEARS!!

Tickets to this weekend's game are only $1.50 to celebrate 150 years of college football!


7-2 overall, 5-1 in conference, alone atop the @SouthlandSports
standings. Home on The Stripes this Saturday vs Southeastern Louisiana! 150-cent GA tickets in celebration of 150 years of college football!

Should help offset the numbers with a good amount of fans headed to the woods.

I'm buying tickets for MANY people I know...

We get some folks back this week on D and we will need them. SLU has a strong offense and has multiple packages ran with multiple QBs (Cole Kelley, UofA transfer, being one of them). UCA has a tendency to bend a little on D...I see this as a back and forth affair and Breylin and Co. will need to be sharp.

Lots of points, UCA in another close one

Bears 38
Lions 34

This is shaping up to be an epic battle on The Stripes this weekend.

Weather is looking to be perfect for football. Low priced tickets that can hopefully draw the hunters back to Estes and get the more casual fans in the stands. And if I understand it, UCA is a 3 point favorite, which means it is a toss-up with us having the home field advantage.

Unfortunately I'll be arriving late. My daughter is playing in a golf tournament and will not be done playing until close to 4, so we'll be there hopefully late 2nd quarter. Here's to a start like we had at Lamar, dominate everything from the start, and move us one game closer to a conference championship!

Southeastern's Results (4-2/5-3):

Jacksonville State, 35-14...upset at the time with JSU in Top 10...now unranked with 6-4 record
@Ole Miss, 20-49......understand loss on road at SEC but Ole Miss struggling this season
Lamar, 45-34
@Northwestern State, 44-27..caught Demons before they heated up
@McNeese State, 34-38....tough road loss
Incarnate Word, 21-27....really tough home loss
Houston Baptist, 52-13
SF Austin, 47-30

Pretty tough finish on road at UCA and ACU and end up at home vs Nicholls State.

Some 2019 season stats....

SLU/Opponents
TO 479 v 408
Rush 145 v 122
Pass 68%/334/23/9 v 60%/287/16/6
Punts 43/37 net
FG: 6/8
3rd: 45% v 36%
4th: 57% v 47%
Redzone: 29/31 v 25/29
Sacks: 27/178 v 14/95

Loss to Incarnate Word:

SLU/UIW

TO: 515 v 316
Rush: 178 v 169...Lions lost 2 fumbles
Pass: 33/46/337/1/4 v 14/27/147/2/0

Lions gave up 6 turnovers....including an 18 yd Pick 6....the difference in the game...don't count on 6 turnovers again....

QB Chason Virgil.....only ran for 5 yds....Marcus Cooper led rush at 9/60 with a TD and a lost fumble and 6/30 catches....Austin Mitchell led receivers with 4/87/1 (609 on season).....CJ Turner 9/74....Branson Schwebel 4/70 (all-SLC)....Javon Conner 5/61 and 1/21 rush...6 defenders had 6+ tackles led by Trae Drake (Bama transfer) with 10 and Xavier Lewis with 9....Devonte Williams (all-SLC) leads rushers on season with 367 yds....Virgil has 86% of passing yards BUT Cole Kelley is 30/38/376/8TDs (2323 QB rating) and no INTs and has played in all 8 games.... beware....

Trivia.......Lions Coach Frank Scelfo took over in 2018...prior stints as o-coordinator at UTSA (15 school o-records an first bowl appearance) and La Tech (2008 Independence Bowl win), coached Blake Bortles t Jacksonville and Nick Foles at Arizona...7 years at Tulane as o-coordinator...football coaching at numerous La high schools....played baseball at ULM....

***

Always have to go with the Bears but this promises to be a tough game....

Bears 37-28......special teams again need to win their game...

For the record, we lost to Ole Miss 40-29, not 49-20. It was 34-29 in the 4th quarter. We gave up a kickoff return for a TD plus another 3 points on a turnover and we missed two extra points. Game was a lot closer than score.

Let’s Go Bears!!!!

Must be nice for our offense to enjoy a nice afternoon at home instead of showing up for the damn game

All around poor so far. Better wake up
Or we leave it on other hands for playoff and Conference title.

Wow...this is not the team I expected to show up today!

Oh well, it was a fun season while it lasted