Bearkats’ final FCS season will be about pride, not title

Sam Houston is playing its final season in FCS before its move to Conference USA. In the calendar year 2021, Sam Houston won 21 football games and a national championship. More than 50 percent of the roster has changed over in a rebuild for coach K.C. Keeler, entering his ninth season. The Bearkats are replacing 16 starters from a 11-1 team that reached the FCS quarterfinals a year ago.

Here are five things to watch with the Bearkats this season:

1 FINAL SEASON IN FCS, WAC

With an imminent move in joining

Conference USA on July 1, 2023, Sam Houston is playing its second and final season in the Western Athletic Conference. Because of its transition to FBS, Sam Houston is ineligible for a conference championship in 2022 as well as the postseason. The Bearkats are in the midst of increasing their scholarship numbers and are upgrading the out-of-conference schedule. The Kats play at BYU in 2023 and at Central Florida in 2024. They previously announced a home-and-home with Hawaii, starting in 2024.

CAN BEARKATS STAY MOTIVATED?

2 Playing for championships has been the norm for Sam Houston, which has made nine trips to the playoffs since 2011 and three title-game appearances. With that taken away, the Bearkats had numerous players transfer. The Kats also will not be included in the weekly national polls. Keeler said the players who stayed, as well as the newcomers, are playing for the standard, which is winning. Over the past decade, no team in Texas has won more football games in Division I than Sam Houston. Only North Dakota State, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma have won more.

3 WHO SUCCEEDS SCHMID AT QB?

In four years directing the offense,

Eric Schmid passed for 7,401 yards and 62 touchdowns. Schmid had a year of eligibility remaining before leaving the program. Keegan Shoemaker and Jordan Yates, who has spent the past three seasons at Georgia Tech, are the frontrunners to replace Schmid, the most decorated quarterback in program history. Shoemaker stepped up in the team’s biggest game of 2021, rallying the Kats past Stephen F. Austin, 21-20. Yates put up more than 200 yards passing against Clemson.

4 WHAT WILL OFFENSE LOOK LIKE?

Coaching the Houston Texans’ receivers under Bill O'Brien is among the stops of new offensive coordinator John Perry, who is expected to bring continuity. The offense is expected to bring more freedom to receivers Ife Adeyi and graduate senior Cody Chrest. Receiver Al’vonte Woodard arrives from UT. Noah Smith has shifted back to slot receiver following two seasons in the backfield. Newcomers at running back include Oklahoma State transfer Dezmon Jackson and redshirt freshman Charles Crawford III.

5 DEFENSIVE LINE STILL STRONG

Even though the line took hits with graduation and early departures, there is talent. Markel Perry is WAC preseason Defensive Player of the Year, one of eight Bearkats on the preseason team. Perry led the conference with 15 tackles for loss and was fifth with five sacks. Jevon Leon is a force. Ellison Hubbard comes in from Colorado State. But the line lost last year’s WAC Defensive Freshman of the Year Kamren Washington, who entered the portal.