WEEK 12 SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 16, 2024
McNeese at Northwestern State 1 p.m. ESPN+
HCU at East Texas A&M 1 p.m. ESPN+
#6/6 UIW at SFA 2 p.m. ESPN+
Nicholls at Lamar 3 p.m. ESPN+
All Times Central
THE OPENING DRIVE
UIW Seeks Third Title in Last Four Years
The UIW Cardinals came in with a mission in 2024 and it was to control what they could in their quest to return to the FCS Playoffs. On Saturday in Nacogdoches, UIW can complete that goal by claiming their third Southland Conference title in the last four seasons and their fourth title overall. A win over the SFA Lumberjacks not only clinches a share of the SLC title, but also clinches the conference’s automatic qualifier into the playoffs.
East Texas Madness
Last week, Texas A&M-Commerce renamed their institution to East Texas A&M, a name that dates back to the former East Texas State the school was named until 1996. Now conference rivals, the Lions rekindled their old East Texas rivalry with Stephen F. Austin and sent shockwaves through the FCS. East Texas A&M used an incredible defensive effort, stifling one of the top offenses in the nation, in an upset over a SFA team receiving votes across the national polls. Brandon Tucker Jr. anchored the defensive effort with an incredible 19 tackles in the win including a goal line stand on SFA’s final possession of the fourth quarter.
Just Call Dillon Clutch
Senior kicker Dillon Fedor continues to put together a potential record-breaking season as he is now 13 of 13 on field goals this season, including an epic 50-yard game winner to defeat Nicholls last Saturday. If Fedor stays perfect on the season, he will set a new Southland record for field goal percentage (minimum one FGA per game). For HCU, it snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Colonels and was only their second win ever in school history.
Playoff Race Heats Up
UIW has a chance to punch their playoff ticket on Saturday, but Southeastern and SFA continue to make their case for potential at large bids. The Lions go on bye with one game remaining and sit at 6-5 overall, but 6-3 in FCS play, while SFA could make a huge statement in the next two weeks with back-to-back nationally-ranked opponents in No. 6/6 UIW and No. 14/15 Abilene Christian.
2024 SOUTHLAND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
ZACH CALZADA, UIW • QB • GR • BUFORD, GEORGIA
• Zach Calzada ed UIW to over 600 yards of total offense during the 41-20 win over Lamar. He threw for a season-high 402 yards and five touchdowns through the air, finishing 23-for-33 on the day. He hooked up with Jalen Walthall seven times for 165 yards and a score, including a 67-yard touchdown, as well as Roy Alexander, who hauled in eight catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns for the second straight week.
Other nominees:
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
BRANDON TUCKER JR. • LB • R-SO • DESOTO, TEXAS
• Brandon Tucker Jr. led the Lions with 19 tackles in the win over SFA. The 19 tackles are tied for the second most in a game in program history as East Texas A&M held SFA, one of the top offenses in the nation that was receiving votes, to just 14 points. East Texas A&M, led by Tucker, held SFA to 317 yards of total offense, 6 of 19 on third down, and 1 of 6 on fourth down including a goal line stand to win it.
Other nominees:
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
DILLON FEDOR • K • SR • HENDERSON, NEVADA
• Dillon Fedor remained perfect on field goal attempts for the season on Saturday, booting a 50-yarder through the uprights with less than a minute to play to put HCU ahead of Nicholls, 24-21. The senior was a perfect 3-of-3 on extra points to finish the night with 6 points. He’s now 13-of-13 on the season on field goals and the 50-yarder ties his career-long.
