Sam Houston·Southland

2017 — The Ten-Win Year

Sam Houston's 2017 season (12-2) is a middle chapter: table-stakes progress, no crown in the ledger, the program still writing the book.

Record 12-2
Final result 12-win season
AP final — post-bowls
SP+ -2.9 last-week
Era —
The shape of the season · week by week, cumulative W-L below
W vs Richmond 48-34 W @ Prai A&M 44-31 W vs Nicholls 66-17 L @ Cent Ark 30-41 W @ Step Aus 27-16 W vs Nort Sta 40-36 W vs Lamar 63-27 W @ SE Lou 33-23 W vs Inca Wor 57-20 W @ Abil Chr 44-35 W vs Hous Chr 53-33 W vs Sout Dak 54-42 W vs Kenn Sta 34-27 L @ Nort Sta 13-55 Bowl
Defining moments
The statement

The 2017 season's largest margin: Sam Houston 66, Nicholls 17. A 49-point win — the year's high-water mark.

The setback

The season's deepest loss: Sam Houston 13, North Dakota State 55. A 42-point margin the season is remembered by.

The postseason

The season's last act: Sam Houston fell to North Dakota State 13-55 in the postseason.

"Eat 'em up Kats"
— Sam Houston fanbase voice · 2017· synthesized
What it meant

2017 is a middle chapter for Sam Houston — neither a crown year nor a crisis. It is the kind of season that fills the ledger between the named ones and gives the arc its shape.