Thursday night was a historic one for football in the town of Huntsville, TX. Elliott T. Bowers Stadium opened its gates for the first time since Sam Houston rose to FBS status. The Bearkat faithful funneled into the stadium to commemorate the occasion, attaining a sellout crowd of 14,566 for the program’s first-ever CUSA matchup.
But despite leading for nearly the entirety of the game, Sam Houston was unable to pull through in its inaugural FBS atmosphere. Jacksonville State staged an incredible 14-point second half comeback and upended the Bearkats in overtime to claim a 35-28 win in a thriller of a contest.