Southeastern Louisiana Lions
Southland
Southeastern Louisiana is headed to the playoffs for the first time in school history after winning the Southland Conference title this season. They finished a perfect 7-0 in the conference, including a win over Sam Houston State, the national runner-up the last two seasons. This is uncharted territory for the Lions, who restarted their program 11 years ago, after not playing football from 1986-2002.
2013 Record: 10-2, 7-0
Coach: Ron Roberts
Big Wins: 11/2 at McNeese State (41-7), 11/16 Sam Houston State (34-21)
Bad Losses: 9/14 at South Dakota State (26-34)
Strengths:
Junior QB Bryan Bennett makes this team run. The Oregon transfer is a true dual threat, passing for 2,610 yards and rushing for 934 yards, both team highs. He led the offense to be one of the top offenses in the nation, averaging 493.3 yards per game. They have only failed to score 34 points two times this year and average 40.9 points per game. There are some other weapons surrounding Bennett in the offense. Rasheed Harrell and Xavier Roberson, a pair of sophomores, have each rushed for at least 500 yards this season. Roberson is also dangerous in the kick return department, returning three kicks for touchdowns. Senior Tony McCrea and SO Jeff Smiley are the leading receivers with 634 and 586 yards respectively. Senior K Seth Sebastian has been tremendous this season, going a perfect 14-14 on field goals.
Weaknesses:
The Lions have struggled with discipline this season. On average, they are flagged 7.67 times per game, for an average of 59.67 yards. Turnovers have also been an issue. They have turned the ball over 21 times this season, throwing 10 picks and losing 11 fumbles. The defense for the Lions hasn’t been spectacular, but they continue to get the job done. They have allowed at least 30 points in five games this season and give up an average of 385.3 yards per game, but 16 interceptions and an average of 2.67 sacks per game have bailed them out. There have been some impressive performances by them this season, where they picked off two passes and forced two fumbles to help secure a win.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Bryan Bennett, QB, 934 yards
Passing: Bryan Bennett, QB, 2,610 yards
Receiving: Tony McCrea, WR, 634 yards
Tackles: Drew Misita, LB, 72
Sacks: Isiah Corbet, LB, 7.0; Jacob Newman, DL, 7.0
Interceptions: Harlan Miller, DB, 4
2013 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 237.3 (11th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Passing Offense: 237.7 (41, 5)
Total Offense: 475.0 (12, 2)
Scoring Offense: 39.9 (8, 3)
Rushing Defense: 145.8 (42, 1)
Pass Defense: 233.7 (81, 4)
Total Defense: 379.5 (57, 1)
Scoring Defense: 22.0 (21, 1)
Turnover Margin: -0.1 (61, 5)
Sacks: 2.91 (13, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 0.91 (13, 2)
Recent Playoff Appearances:
No Tournament History
*all team stats through 11/16
