Sams rallies McNeese State to 27-10 win over Sam Houston St.

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) Daniel Sams threw for 168 yards and one touchdown and ran for 164 yards and another score as McNeese State rallied past Sam Houston

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) Daniel Sams threw for 168 yards and one touchdown and ran for 164 yards and another score as McNeese State rallied past Sam Houston State 27-10 to claim the Southland Conference title on Saturday night.

The Bearkats (6-3, 5-2) who could have moved into a tie for the conference championship with a win, took an early 10-0 lead when Darion Flowers picked off a Sams' pass and returned it 90 yards for a score and Tre Honshtein booted a 20-yard field goal.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Georgia
• Utah
• Alabama
• UCLA
• Notre Dame
• Texas
• Miami (FL)
• Tennessee
• Indiana
• BYU
• Kentucky
• Texas Tech

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

McNeese State (9-0, 8-0) answered when Sams sprinted 64 yards for a score and tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Kent Shelby in the final seconds of the first half for a 14-10 lead.

Jean Breaux booted a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for a 20-10 advantage. The Bearkats bobbled the ensuing kickoff and the Cowboys recovered. On the next play Ryan Ross broke for a 20-yard scoring run.