1964 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team

The 1964 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team was an American football team that represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1964 NAIA football season. In their 13th year under head coach Paul Pierce, the Bearkats compiled a 9–1–1 record (5–1 against conference opponents), won the Lone Star Conference championship, and tied Concordia (Minnesota) in the Champion Bowl to share the NAIA national championship. The team's only loss was to Sul Ross.^[1]

1964 Sam Houston State Bearkats football
NAIA national co-champion LSC champion
Champion Bowl, T 7–7 vs. Concordia (MN)
Conference	Lone Star Conference
Record	9–1–1 (5–1 LSC)
Head coach	Paul Pierce (13th season)
Home stadium	Pritchett Field
Seasons ← 1963 1965 →

1964 Lone Star Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2/10 Sam Houston State $^	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	1
No. 14/NR Sul Ross	4	–	1	–	1			7	–	3	–	1
Southwest Texas State	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Texas A&I	3	–	2	–	1			7	–	2	–	1
Stephen F. Austin	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
East Texas State	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Howard Payne	0	–	6	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff participant Rankings from NAIA poll and AP small college poll

Seven Sam Houston State players received first-team honors on the 1964 All-Lone Star Conference football team selected by the conference coaches: halfback Billy Arlen; offensive guard Keith Collins; center Don Murray; defensive tackle Frank Fox; defensive guard Benny Sorgee; linebacker David Martin; and defensive halfback Edward Bittick.^[2]

The team played its home games at Pritchett Field in Huntsville, Texas.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	at Tarleton State*		Stephenville, TX	W 10–8	1,200
October 3	Corpus Christi*		Pritchett Field Huntsville, TX	W 48–12	6,200
October 10	at Howard Payne		Brownwood, TX	W 20–0	1,000
October 17	Texas Lutheran*		Pritchett Field Huntsville, TX	W 27–0	6,500
October 24	Southwest Texas State		Pritchett Field Huntsville, TX (rivalry)	W 15–14	5,000–6,500	[3][4]
October 31	at Stephen F. Austin		Memorial Stadium Nacogdoches, TX (rivalry)	W 21–8	11,500
November 7	East Texas State		Pritchett Field Huntsville, TX	W 6–0	8,500	[5]
November 14	at No. 7 Texas A&I		Javelina Stadium Kingsville, TX	W 21–16	10,050	[6]
November 21	Sul Ross	No. 9	Pritchett Field Huntsville, TX	L 7–14	6,500	[7]
November 28	at Findlay*	No. 10	Donnell Memorial Stadium Findlay, OH (NAIA semifinal)	W 32–21	5,000	[8][9]
December 12	vs. Concordia (MN)*	No. 10	Augusta, GA (Champion Bowl)	T 7–7	4,500	[10][11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[12][13]

References

1. "1964 Champs to be honored Oct. 25 at ACU Game". Sam Houston State University. October 19, 2014.
2. "Lone Star Team Named". Corpus Christi Caller. December 11, 1964. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Bearkats nip SWT by 15–14". The Austin American. October 25, 1964. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
5. "East Texas State falls". Express and News. November 8, 1964. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Sam Houston Rips Javs; Takes Crown". Express and News. November 15, 1964. p. 7D – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Sul Ross Shocks Bearkats by 14-7". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 22, 1964. p. IV-6 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Sam Houston Wins N.A.I.A. Playoff, 32-21". Chicago Tribune. November 29, 1964. p. II-4 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Hudson Willse (November 29, 1964). "Sam Houston Garners Playoff: Findlay Falls, 32-21". The Lima News. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "NAIA Bowl Game Ends In 7-7 Tie: Sam Houston Shares Title With Concordia". The Pittsburgh Press. December 13, 1964. p. IV-3 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Cobbers Surge, Tie Texans 7-7". Minneapolis Tribune. December 13, 1964. pp. Sports 1, 5 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
13. "1964 Football Schedule". Sam Houston State University. Retrieved November 9, 2021.