Football Looks to Shine Under Friday Night Lights in Miami Gardens

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Southeastern University football team looks to make it three-in-a-row in Mid-South Conference Sun Division play, as the Fire face the No. 23 St. Thomas University Bobcats on the road Friday night.
 
GAME:
Southeastern University Fire (5-3, 3-1 SUN) at No. 23 St. Thomas University Bobcats (8-0, 4-0 SUN)

6:00 p.m. | Monsignor Pace High School | Miami Gardens, Fla.
 
COVERAGE:
WATCH   LIVE STATS
 
FIRE FOCUS:
-Southeastern is coming off a 34-6 handling of Warner University at home this past Saturday night for Homecoming.
-SEU graduate running back Lorine Parker led the way with 165 rushing yards on 25 carries and helped the team amass 272 rushing yards on 52 attempts.
-The run game has been crucial to the team success of the Fire this season, as Southeastern is averaging 202.8 yards on the ground on an average of 42.8 carries per victory this season, while averaging 76.3 rushing yards on an average of 29 carries per loss.
-Fire redshirt senior wideout Myles Henderson has hauled in a receiving touchdown in four of the last five games for SEU.
-In the last two consecutive Fire victories, the SEU defense has held its opponent to under 300 yards of total offense and to a collective 32.1% (9-28) success rate on third down.
-On the season, the Southeastern defense ranks 28^th in the NAIA in yards allowed per game (320.3), including 22^nd in rushing yards allowed per contest (109.6).
-Fire freshman defensive back Joey Chatman ranks 11^th in the NAIA in interceptions on the season with four.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES:
-This marks the fourth all-time meeting between the Fire and the Bobcats, with Southeastern having won each of the previous three exchanges.
-Southeastern has outscored St. Thomas 152-37 all-time. The Fire defeated the Bobcats twice last season, 60-20 in Miami Gardens and 43-10 in Lakeland.
-SEU senior quarterback Cooper Jones has a 68.8 completion percentage with 890 yards, nine passing touchdowns, and just one interception in 77 pass attempts all-time versus STU.
 
THE BOBCATS:
-St. Thomas is off to its best start in just its third season of program history and is riding an 11-game win streak that dates back to the 2020 season, which is the third-longest active win streak in the NAIA behind Kansas Wesleyan at 13 and Lindsey Wilson at 18.
-The Bobcats are one of seven remaining undefeated teams in the NAIA this season.
-Offensively, St. Thomas ranks fourth in the country in points per game (44.3), 20^th in offensive yards per game (435.6), 22^nd in passing yards per game (263.9), and 28^th in rushing yards per game (171.7). Additionally, the Bobcats rank 9^th in 3^rd down conversions at 50% (47-94).
-Junior STU quarterback Tyler Thomas has thrown for 1,806 yards, 20 touchdowns and just one interception in 205 pass attempts this season. Thomas' passing touchdown total ranks him 8^th nationally.
-Bobcats' senior wideout and former Fire player Eric Demps has hauled in a team high eight receiving touchdowns on the season, which places him 13^th in the NAIA in the category.
-Defensively, St. Thomas has conceded the seventh fewest number of points per game this year at 13.4. The Bobcats are allowing opposing offenses to tally just 280 yards of offense per game (12^th,NAIA), 185 passing yards per game (27^th,NAIA), 95 yards rushing per contest (15^th,NAIA).
-Senior outside linebacker Donnell Bennett III leads the Bobcats in tackles (29), tackles for loss (8.5), and sacks (4.5).