{"id":117586,"date":"2024-07-03T16:30:46","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T23:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/?p=117586"},"modified":"2024-07-03T17:18:30","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T00:18:30","slug":"fbs-sam-houston-head-coach-kc-keeler-football-mnmn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fbs-sam-houston-head-coach-kc-keeler-football-mnmn\/","title":{"rendered":"Sam Houston Head Coach KC Keeler Interview: The Bearkats Are Looking To Build Off Last Season\u2019s Late Charge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sam Houston had a rough beginning in its first season in Conference USA<\/a> a year ago. Yet even after losing the first eight games, head coach KC Keeler saw plenty of positives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were 0-8, and I remember coming home to dinner and my wife said, \u2018You seem like you are OK,\u2019\u2019\u2019 Keeler said in an interview with HERO Sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the losing, he was actually OK and it\u2019s because even with such discouraging results, Keeler felt his team showed great resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were 0-8, and I left the weight room, and those guys were just killing it and they were doing the same thing in practice,\u201d Keeler said. \u201cI give a lot of credit to our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sam Houston won an FCS<\/a> Championship in 2020 and later moved to FBS<\/a> following the 2021 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 2022, the Bearkats were a team in limbo \u2013 unable to compete for a title in FCS or FBS. They played nine games as an independent (going 5-4) before joining Conference USA last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another reason Keeler was encouraged despite the 0-8 start was the Bearkats were legitimately in seven of those first eight games. Only a 38-7 loss at Houston in the third game of the season wasn\u2019t competitive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of the other games were lost by more than two touchdowns and four of them were by a touchdown or less, including a 21-16 defeat at Conference USA champ Liberty, which finished 13-1 and earned a New Year\u2019s Six bowl bid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against Liberty, the Bearkats started their final drive on their own 1-yard line with 3 minutes, 36 seconds left to play and down five. Sam Houston would eventually earn a first down on the Liberty 3-yard line but surrendered the ball on a fourth down incompletion with seven seconds remaining. <\/p>\n\n\n

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The week before, Sam Houston lost a 35-28 overtime decision to visiting Jacksonville State. The winning Gamecocks needed a 28-yard scoring pass and two-point conversion with 13 seconds left in regulation just to send the game into OT. Jacksonville State finished 9-4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite such demoralizing defeats, the Bearkats kept fighting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was one of the prouder seasons I have ever had,\u201d Keeler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is saying something since Keeler owns a career record of 262-109-1 and won national championships at Delaware in 2002 and at Sam Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sam Houston\u2019s Strong Finish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Bearkats finished last season by winning three of four, and even that one loss was a 28-23 defeat at Western Kentucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if anybody believes that momentum from a 3-1 record ending the season can carry into this year, it\u2019s Keeler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe feel good about this year,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have an experienced team returning, and we lost just one starter to the (transfer) portal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a veteran group, Sam Houston finds itself likely in the same position as a year ago, where the Bearkats could be involved in several nail-biters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe feel we can play with anybody in the conference,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of staying healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And also a matter of winning the close games.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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