Huntsville – Tim Flanders rushed for 146 yards and Keshawn Hill added 132 as Sam Houston State defeated Southeastern Louisiana 70-0 Saturday at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
The start of the third quarter was delayed an hour-and-a-half due to lightning. The second half was played in a pouring rain.
The weather didn’t stop the Bearkat offense as Sam Houston (7-2, SLC 5-1) rolled up 575 total yards including 405 on the ground. The 70 point marked the most ever by a Sam Houston team in a Southland Conference football game. The old mark was 69 in a 69-17 victory over Nicholls in 2005.
Sam Houston has scored more than 70 points only four times in school history with the record 83 points against Brooke Medical in 1949.
The performances by Flanders and Hill marked the second time this year Sam Houston has had two running backs gain 100-yards in a single game and the fifth time in school history.
Flanders scored on runs of 14 and 71 yards and Hill on runs of eight and 55 yards.
Brian Bell completed 8-of-9 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Sam Houston struck early and often, Flanders completing a 48-yard opening drive with a 14-yard touchdown with 9:00 remaining in the first period. Trey Diller set up the score with a 26-yard punt return.
Richard Sincere’s eight-run at the 2:50 mark in the opening quarter completed a nine-play 64-yard drive to put SHSU up 14-0.
Kenneth Jenkins returned a field goal blocked by Robert Shaw 60 yards for the Kats’ third touchdown with 13:25 to play in the second quarter. Ryan Wilson made it 28-0 with 8:16 left before half on a 34-yard drive set up by a Jarrett Brown interception.
Bell completed a 70-yard pass to Chance Nelson and found Torrance Williams open for a 24-yard scoring pass for the Kats’ final two scores of the second quarter.
The Bearkats added four more scores in the second half on a 71-yard run by Flanders, a four-yard score by backup quarterback Chris Grett and Hill’s two scores.