SFA (0-1) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 • 6 p.m. (CT) • Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454)
Lubbock, Texas • Television: Fox Sports Southwest •Radio: KTBQ-FM 107.7
Twitter Updates: @SFA_Football/@SFA_Athletics
BIG NUMBERS: Despite falling in the season opener at Weber State, the Stephen F. Austin offense showed that is still is a commanding presence at the FCS level. The Lumberjacks recorded 564 yards of total offense and scored 40 points in the loss to the Wildcats. Senior quarterback Brady Attaway finished 37-63 with 450 yards and four touchdowns. Senior reciever Mike Brooks hauled in nine receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns, while DJ Ward also finished with nine receptions for 132 yards and one score. Running back Gus Johnson recorded 117 yards with one scoring run on 24 carries.
SFA VS THE RED RAIDERS: The Lumberjacks are 0-1 all-time in against Texas Tech, with their only meeting dating back to 2001. SFA dropped a 58-3 decision in its season finale. In the loss Kliff Kingsbury, now head coach for Texas Tech, threw for five touchdowns, eclipsing the 49th of his career and setting the school record previously held by Robert Hall (48, 1990-93). SFA's lone meeting with Red Raiders came after a mid-September game with Northern Iowa was wiped off the schedule following the events of Sept. 11.
HOEFER RETURNS TO LUBBOCK: SFA quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Landon Hoefer will be in a familiar envorment when the Lumberjacks travel to Lubbock for a matchup with Texas Tech. Hoefer, a 2008 graduate of Texas Tech, was a three-year letterwinner for the Red Raiders at quarterback and played in four-straight bowl games, including two Cotton Bowls, the 2006 insight,com Bowl and the 2007 Gator Bowl. His uncle, Larry, is a former defensive coach at Texas Tech.
WINNING RECORD: The ’Jacks are 30-17 (.638) over the course of the past four seasons. Despite not recording a winning record in 2012, the first time in the past four seasons, SFA was able to keep its streak of conference winning seasons alive. The ’Jacks posted a 4-3 mark in Southland Conference play which marks the fourth consecutive season SFA has recorded above a .500 record in league games. It marks the longest stretch of conference winning seasons in program history. The ’Jacks recorded a stretch of non-losing seasons from 1993-97, but that included a 3-3 SLC record in 1996.
PRESEASON MARKS: Darren Robinson, Gus Johnson, Brady Attaway, DJ Ward and Jordan Wiggs, were named to 2013 College Football Performance Awards Watch Lists entering the season. SFA is one of only six schools to have a player named to the preseason watch list at quarterback, running back and receiver. Robinson was also named a 2013 Beyond Sports Network Preseason All-America, as well as tabbed the Phil Steele's Preseason SLC Defensive Player of the Year.
THE COACHES: J.C. Harper became the 18th head coach of the SFA Lumberjack football team in December 2006. A two-time SLC Coach of the Year, Harper has guided SFA to two conference titles and NCAA playoff appearances. SFA is 34-36 (.478) in his six seasons in Nacogdoches.
BITS and PIECES …
• Brady Attaway passed for 450 yards and four touchdowns in the 'Jacks opener at Weber State. The senior quarterback moved into ninth place all-time in Southland Conference history with 7,429 passing yards, surpassing Southeastern Louisiana's Brian Babin (7,405 passing yards). Attaway also passed up Babin (670) in the league's all-time completion record book with his now 692 career completions.
• Attaway is 11-12 (.478) all-time as the Lumberjacks' starting quarterback.
• The Lumberjacks are 17-21 (.447) in televised games dating back to the 1998 season. SFA was 2-4 (.333) in televised games in 2012.
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