2025 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team

2025 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football
2025 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football
Southland champion
NCAA Division I Quarterfinals, L 28–44 at Montana State
Conference	Southland Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 10
FCS Coaches	No. 10
Record	11–3 (8–0 SLC)
Head coach	Colby Carthel (7th season);
Offensive coordinator	Chris Ross (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Mike Mutz (3rd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Homer Bryce Stadium

2025 Southland Conference football standings

Team	W		L	W		L
No. 10 Stephen F. Austin $^	8	–	0	11	–	3
No. 17т Southeastern Louisiana ^	7	–	1	9	–	4
No. 25 Lamar ^	5	–	3	8	–	5
UT Rio Grande Valley	5	–	3	9	–	3
Nicholls	4	–	4	4	–	8
McNeese	4	–	4	5	–	7
East Texas A&M	3	–	5	3	–	9
Incarnate Word	3	–	5	5	–	7
Houston Christian	1	–	7	2	–	10
Northwestern State	0	–	8	1	–	11

$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2025 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team represented Stephen F. Austin State University as a member of the Southland Conference (SLC) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lumberjacks were coached by seventh-year head coach Colby Carthel and played at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas. After a win against Lamar in week 12, the Lumberjacks clinched their first Southland Conference title since the 2010 season.^[1] SFA secured the seventh seed and a first-round bye in the 2025 FCS Playoffs. This was their first non-opening round home playoff game since the Division I-AA Quarterfinals in 1989.^[2] SFA's season ended on December 12, 2025 in the Quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs, where the Lumberjacks were defeated by Montana State, 44-28.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 28	7:00 p.m.	at Houston*	No. 23	TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	L 0–27	28,150
September 6	7:00 p.m.	at No. 16 Abilene Christian*	No. 25	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	L 20–28	8,042
September 13	7:00 p.m.	Sul Ross*		Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+	W 63–0	3,102
September 20	7:00 p.m.	Cal Poly*		Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+	W 35–17	5,402
September 27	7:00 p.m.	McNeese		Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+	W 34–17	10,684
October 4	6:00 p.m.	at Incarnate Word		Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX	ESPN+	W 31–17	2,098
October 18	6:00 p.m.	Nicholls	No. 25	Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+	W 34–7	7,141
October 25	6:00 p.m.	at East Texas A&M	No. 24	Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium Commerce, TX	ESPN+	W 31–21	3,141
November 1	6:00 p.m.	UT Rio Grande Valley	No. 20	Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+	W 41–17	6,769
November 8	2:00 p.m.	at Houston Christian	No. 17	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 50–3	1,859
November 15	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 Lamar	No. 15	Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+	W 26–15	12,252
November 20	6:30 p.m.	at Northwestern State	No. 14	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (Chief Caddo)	ESPN+	W 62–14	4,285
December 6	1:00 p.m.	No. 13 Abilene Christian*	No. 10	Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX (NCAA Division I Second Round)	ESPN+	W 41–34	8,645
December 12	8:00 p.m.	at No. 2 Montana State*	No. 10	Bobcat Stadium Bozeman, MT (NCAA Division I Quarterfinals)	ESPN	L 28–44	19,807
*Non-conference game Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[4]

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Final
STATS	23	25	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	25	24	20	17	15	14	10
Coaches	24	23	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	24	23	21	17	13	10

Game summaries

At Houston (FBS)

No. 23 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (0–0) at Houston Cougars (FBS) (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Lumberjacks	0	0	0	0	0
Cougars (FBS)	7	10	7	3	27

at TDECU Stadium • Houston, Texas

Date: August 28
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Game weather:
Game attendance: 28,150
Referee: Kevin Mar
TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Sousa and Taylor McHargue

Game information

First quarter

HOU – Tanner Koziol 11-yard pass from Conner Weigman (Ethan Sanchez kick), 5:12. Cougars 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:58.

Second quarter

HOU – Ethan Sanchez 40-yard field goal, 8:24. Cougars 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 3:47.
HOU – J'Marion Burnette 39-yard pass from Conner Weigman (Ethan Sanchez kick), 3:06. Cougars 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 96 yards, 3:46.

Third quarter

HOU – Amare Thomas 20-yard pass from Conner Weigman (Ethan Sanchez kick), 8:36. Cougars 24–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:24.

Fourth quarter

HOU – Ethan Sanchez 43-yard field goal, 14:06. Cougars 27–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:49.

Statistics	SFA	HOU
First downs	7	18
Plays–yards	144	343
Rushes–yards	39	191
Passing yards	105	152
Passing: comp–att–int	17-33-2	16-27-0
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	25:11	34:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing	Gavin Rutherford	4/7, 53 yards, INT
	Rushing	Jalyen Jenkins	5 carries, 16 yards
	Receiving	Clayton Wayland	2 receptions, 43 yards
Houston	Passing	Conner Weigman	15/24, 159 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Dean Connors	15 carries, 50 yards
	Receiving	Tanner Koziol	7 receptions, 63 yards, TD

At No. 16 Abilene Christian

No. 25 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (0-1) at No. 16 Abilene Christian Wildcats (0-1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 25 Lumberjacks	14	0	0	6	20
No. 16 Wildcats	0	21	7	0	28

at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, Texas

Date: September 6
Game time: 7:00 PM CDT
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 8,042
TV: ESPN+
Box Score

Statistics	SFA	ACU
First downs	16	20
Total yards	300	371
Rushing yards	52	132
Passing yards	248	239
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	25:11	34:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Abilene Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Sul Ross (DII)

Sul Ross Lobos (DII) (0–1) at Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (0–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lobos (DII)	0	0	0	0	0
Lumberjacks	21	35	7	0	63

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

Date: September 13
Game time: 7:00 PM CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 3,102
Referee: Matt Beck
TV announcers (ESPN+): Rob Myers (play-by-play) and Hunter Taylor (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

SFA – Jerrell Wimbley 1-yard run (Carlos Alvarado kick), 11:31. Lumberjacks 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 1:51.
SFA – Richard Reese 64-yard pass from Sam Vidlak (Carlos Alvarado kick), 7:14. Lumberjacks 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:20.
SFA – Kylon Harris 32-yard pass from Sam Vidlak (Carlos Alvarado kick), 4:42. Lumberjacks 21–0. Drive: 1 play, 32 yards, 0:06.

Second quarter

SFA – Jerrell Wimbley 12-yard run (Carlos Alvarado kick), 10:58. Lumberjacks 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 0:53.
SFA – Richard Reese 58-yard run (Carlos Alvarado kick), 8:13. Lumberjacks 35–0. Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:35.
SFA – Saco Alofipo 0-yard fumble return (Carlos Alvarado kick), 8:00. Lumberjacks 42–0.
SFA – Michael Woods 9-yard fumble return (Carlos Alvarado kick), 6:59. Lumberjacks 49–0.
SFA – Isaiah Davis 30-yard pass from Gavin Rutherford (Carlos Alvarado kick), 1:24. Lumberjacks 56–0. Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:23.

Third quarter

SFA – Anthony Williams 1-yard run (Carlos Alvarado kick), 2:45. Lumberjacks 63–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:15.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Statistics	SROS	SFA
First downs	7	24
Plays–yards	-36	534
Rushes–yards	-33	247
Passing yards	-3	287
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	30:22	29:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Sul Ross	Passing	Andrew Martinez	1/7, 1 yard, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kendrick Jefferson	9 Att, 17 Yards, 0 TD
	Receiving	Liam Lowe	2 catches, -3 Yards
Stephen F. Austin	Passing	Sam Vidlak	11/14, 211 Yardsm 2 TD, 0 INT
	Rushing	Braden Lewis	9 carries, 77 yards
	Receiving	Richard Reese	2 rec, 76 yards, 1 TD

Cal Poly

Cal Poly Mustangs (2–1) at Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (1–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Mustangs	3	7	0	7	17
Lumberjacks	0	14	21	0	35

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

Date: September 20
Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 5,402
Referee: James Brookhart
TV announcers (ESPN+): Rob Myers (play-by-play) and Hunter Taylor (analyst)

Statistics	CP	SFA
First downs	19	18
Total yards	357	354
Rushing yards	69	164
Passing yards	288	190
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	31:51	28:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Cal Poly	Passing	Jackson Akins	13/29, 182 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jackson Akins	10 attempts, 36 yards, 0 TD
	Receiving	Michael Briscoe	4 Receptions, 140 yards, 1 TD
Stephen F. Austin	Passing	Sam Vidlak	16/23, 178 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
	Rushing	Jerrell Wimbley	10 attempts, 130 yards. 0 TD
	Receiving	Clayton Wayland	3 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD

McNeese

McNeese Cowboys (1–3) at Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (2–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	0	3	7	17
Lumberjacks	0	14	10	10	34

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

Date: September 27
Game time: 7:00 PM CDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): Rob Myers (play-by-play) and Hunter Taylor (analyst)

Statistics	MCN	SFA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
McNeese	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Incarnate Word

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (3–2) at Incarnate Word Cardinals (2–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lumberjacks	14	10	7	0	31
Cardinals	3	3	0	11	17

at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, Texas

Date: October 4
Game time: 6:00 PM CDT
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	SFA	UIW
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Incarnate Word	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Nicholls

Nicholls Colonels (1–5) at No. 25 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (4–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	0	0	0	7	7
No. 25 Lumberjacks	9	10	15	0	34

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

Date: October 18
Game time: 6:00 PM CDT
Game weather: Rain
Game attendance: 7,141
Referee: Craig Heiser
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	NICH	SFA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at East Texas A&M

No. 24 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (5–2) at East Texas A&M Lions (2–5) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 24 Lumberjacks	7	7	7	10	31
Lions	14	0	0	7	21

at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium, Commerce, Texas

Date: October 25
Game weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 3,141
Referee: Gary Leeper
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	SFA	ETAM
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
East Texas A&M	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

UT Rio Grande Valley

UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (6–2) at No. 20 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (6–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vaqueros	0	0	10	7	17
No. 20 Lumberjacks	17	10	7	7	41

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

Date: November 1
Game weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 6,769
Referee: Matt Beck
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	RGV	SFA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UT Rio Grande Valley	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Houston Christian

No. 17 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (7–2) at Houston Christian Huskies (2–7) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 17 Lumberjacks	15	14	14	7	50
Huskies	0	3	0	0	3

at Husky Stadium, Houston, Texas

Date: November 8
Game time: 2:00 PM CST
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 1,859
Referee: Craig Hesler
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	SFA	HCU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 19 Lamar

No. 19 Lamar Cardinals (8–2) at No. 15 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (8–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Cardinals	0	7	0	8	15
No. 15 Lumberjacks	10	3	10	3	26

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

Date: November 15
Game time: 6:00 PM CST
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 10,025
Referee: James Brookhart
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	LAM	SFA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Lamar	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Northwestern State (Chief Caddo)

No. 14 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (9–2) at Northwestern State Demons (1–10) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Lumberjacks	20	28	7	7	62
Demons	0	0	7	7	14

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, Louisiana

Date: November 20
Game time: 6:30 PM CST
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	SFA	NWST
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Northwestern State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 13 Abilene Christian (NCAA Division I Second Round)

No. 10 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (10-2) at No. 13 Abilene Christian Wildcats (9-4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Wildcats	3	14	10	7	34
No. 10 Lumberjacks	7	10	7	17	41

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

Date: December 6
Game time: 1:00 PM CDT
TV: ESPN+
^[5]

Statistics	ACU	SFA
First downs	21	23
Total yards	419	502
Rushing yards	211	145
Passing yards	208	357
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	34:00	26:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing	Sam Vidlak #15	26/35, 357 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Jerrell Wimbley #10	18 car, 52 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Kylon Harris #4	11 rec, 183 yds, 1 TD
Abilene Christian	Passing	Stone Earle #4	19/36, 206 yds, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jordon Vaughn #26	10 car, 100 yds, 3 TD
	Receiving	Javon Gipson #7	6 rec, 72 yds

No. 2 Montana State (NCAA Division I Quarterfinals)

No. 7 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (11-2) at No. 2 Montana State Bobcats (11-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Lumberjacks	0	8	13	7	28
No. 2 Bobcats	7	17	10	10	44

at Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman, Montana

Date: December 13
Game time: 1:00 PM CDT
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 19,807
TV: ESPN+
^[6]

Statistics	MSU	SFA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Montana St.	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Stephen F. Austin
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

^ Grant, James (November 15, 2025). "SFA football captures first Southland Conference title since 2010 with 26-15 win over Lamar". KETK-TV. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
^ https://sfajacks.com/news/2025/11/23/football-jacks-grab-no-7-seed-first-round-bye-in-fcs-playoffs
^ https://www.ktre.com/2025/12/13/sfa-falls-montana-state-44-28-fcs-quarterfinals/
^ "2025 Football Schedule". Stephen F. Austin, Department of Athletics. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
^ "Stephen F. Austin 41-34 Abilene Christian (Dec 6, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
^ https://sfajacks.com/sports/football/stats/2025/-2-montana-state/boxscore/13912

[1] Grant, James (November 15, 2025). "SFA football captures first Southland Conference title since 2010 with 26-15 win over Lamar". KETK-TV. Retrieved November 23, 2025.

[2] ttps://sfajacks.com/news/2025/11/23/football-jacks-grab-no-7-seed-first-round-bye-in-fcs-playoffs

[3] ttps://www.ktre.com/2025/12/13/sfa-falls-montana-state-44-28-fcs-quarterfinals/

[4] "2025 Football Schedule". Stephen F. Austin, Department of Athletics. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.

[5] "Stephen F. Austin 41-34 Abilene Christian (Dec 6, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved December 7, 2025.

[6] ttps://sfajacks.com/sports/football/stats/2025/-2-montana-state/boxscore/13912

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Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football
Venues	Birdwell Field (1923–1941) Memorial Stadium (1946–1972) Homer Bryce Stadium (1973–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Northwestern State: Chief Caddo Sam Houston: Battle of the Piney Woods
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Southland Conference football champions
College Division	Lamar Tech (1964) Lamar Tech (1965) Arlington State & Lamar Tech (1966) UT Arlington (1967) Arkansas State (1968) Arkansas State (1969) Arkansas State (1970) Lamar, Louisiana Tech, & Trinity (1971) Louisiana Tech (1972)
Division II	Louisiana Tech (1973) Louisiana Tech (1974)
Division I	Arkansas State (1975) McNeese State (1976) Louisiana Tech (1977)
Division I-A	Arkansas State & Louisiana Tech (1978) McNeese State (1979) McNeese State (1980) UT Arlington (1981)
Division I-AA/FCS	Louisiana Tech (1982) North Texas State & Northeast Louisiana (1983) Louisiana Tech (1984) Arkansas State (1985) Arkansas State (1986) Northeast Louisiana (1987) Northwestern State (1988) Stephen F. Austin (1989) Northeast Louisiana (1990) McNeese State & Sam Houston State (1991) Northeast Louisiana (1992) McNeese State (1993) North Texas (1994) McNeese State (1995) Troy State (1996) McNeese State & Northwestern State (1997) Northwestern State (1998) Stephen F. Austin & Troy State (1999) Troy State (2000) McNeese State & Sam Houston State (2001) McNeese State (2002) McNeese State (2003) Northwestern State & Sam Houston State (2004) Nicholls State & Texas State (2005) McNeese State (2006) McNeese State (2007) Central Arkansas (2008) McNeese State & Stephen F. Austin (2009) Stephen F. Austin (2010) Sam Houston State (2011) Central Arkansas & Sam Houston State (2012) Southeastern Louisiana (2013) Sam Houston State & Southeastern Louisiana (2014) McNeese State (2015) Sam Houston State (2016) Central Arkansas (2017) Incarnate Word & Nicholls (2018) Central Arkansas & Nicholls (2019) Sam Houston State (2020) Incarnate Word (2021) Incarnate Word & Southeastern Louisiana (2022) Nicholls (2023) Incarnate Word (2024) Stephen F. Austin (2025)
National championships in bold