Oregon State's football team suffered a bizarre and confounding 21-17 loss to Sam Houston State, marked by numerous self-inflicted errors and missed opportunities, despite a strong start and standout performances from players like Anthony Hankerson. The game highlights the team's struggles this season, the importance of retaining key players amid coaching changes, and offers a distraction through other sports for fans.
Oregon State, despite outgaining Sam Houston State significantly, lost 21-17 due to turnovers and special teams errors, marking a low point in their 2025 season with a surprising upset by the winless Bearkats.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning faced criticism for taunting a struggling Sam Houston State defender after a touchdown, which many fans and commentators found inappropriate and arrogant, especially given his recent poor performance and the lack of rivalry between the teams. Despite leading Texas to a three-game winning streak, the incident has sparked debate over Manning's sportsmanship and maturity.
K.C. Keeler, the head coach of Sam Houston State, has emerged as the top candidate for the head coaching position at Temple University, following the firing of Stan Drayton. Sources indicate that Keeler has already begun assembling his potential coaching staff for Temple, with an official announcement expected soon. Keeler has a successful track record, having led Sam Houston State to an FCS title and a strong performance in their transition to FBS. Temple has struggled in recent years, posting four consecutive nine-loss seasons.
A brawl erupted after Sam Houston State's 23-20 win over Middle Tennessee when a Sam Houston player said something to distraught kicker Zeke Rankin after he missed a potential game-tying field goal. The incident occurred after the game, and it remains to be seen what discipline Conference USA will impose on the players involved. This was Sam Houston's first season at the top level of college football.
New Mexico State has hired Jason Hooten, the former head coach of Sam Houston State, as their new head coach. Hooten has had six 20-win seasons and at least 18 wins in each of the last 10 seasons. The hire comes after an ugly season for the Aggies' program, which saw the cancellation of their season in February after hazing accusations against three players.
