HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Eric Schmid threw for 392 yards with three touchdowns, ran for a fourth and Sam Houston defeated Eastern Kentucky 42-28 on Saturday to clinch an automatic qualifier into the upcoming FCS playoffs.
Sam Houston (9-0, 5-0 WAC/ASUN), the top-ranked team in the FCS, scored back-to-back touchdowns to end the first half with a 21-0 lead.
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Ramon Jefferson carried 15 times for 55 yards and touchdowns of 13 and 1 yards for Sam Houston.
After touchdown passes of 32 yards to Ife Adeyi, 19 to Jequez Ezzard and 26 to Cody Chrest, Schmid ran for the Bearkats final score, breaking around right end and diving for the pylon on a 4-yard run.
Adeyi caught seven passes for 138 yards and Ezzard made nine catches for 111.
Eastern Kentucky (6-4, 3-2) was led by Parker McKinney's 338 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. The Colonels were held to 30 yards rushing.
Davion Ross had a 98-yard kickoff return through the middle for a touchdown, followed shortly by McKinney's 28-yard TD pass to Jaden Smith as EKU closed to 35-21 early in the fourth quarter.
The win gives Sam Houston its 20th-straight win dating back to the 2019 season, the longest streak in Division I.
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