It is not the four straight losses early in the season, the epic victory over McNeese State or the resounding defeat to Sam Houston State this Lions football team will remember. Looking back on the 2012 season, this team will remember making history, by returning the River Bell to Southeastern for the second consecutive year.
The Lions (5-6, 5-2) traveled to Thibodaux to face rival Nicholls State (1-9, 0-7) in the annual River Bell Classic on Thursday, Nov. 15 at John L. Guidry Stadium. Lions freshman running back Rasheed Harrell put up a pair of rushing touchdowns while Xavier Roberson added an electrifying 88-yard kickoff return touchdown in the 35-16 trumping of the Colonels.
“It’s exciting. I think there was a lot of passion early on in this game,” said head coach Ron Roberts on winning his first River Bell Trophy. “We came out and played passionate football. We played inspired football.”
The win, Southeastern’s fifth in the Southland Conference (SLC), marked the accomplishment of two historic events by the team. First, the Lions completed the sweep of their in-state rivals, a task that has not been accomplished in 24 seasons. Second, the victory also marked the first back-to-back wins over Nicholls since the 1979 and 1980 seasons.
Roberts left it all on the field, utilizing a number of trick plays and rotating in a number of seniors for their last game. Offensively, the Lions racked up 163 yards in the air and 160 yards on the ground. On the other side of the ball, the defense forced five sacks, three fumbles and one interception.
“There were big plays across the board. We started with a big fourth down stop by the defense. That was huge. The offense came out and ran the ball again very well. Special teams got a kick off return again and converted on a fake punt,” said Roberts.
Closing out his career as a Lion, quarterback Nathan Stanley completed eight out of 15 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. Fellow senior Robert Alford was credited with two solo tackles and the team’s lone interception.
While those two have played their last game as Lions, the future for the team is still bright. The Lions will look to return emerging talents Roberson, Harrell and sophomore tight end Jeremy Meyers, who scored two touchdowns in the win against Nicholls.
“We doing something special,” said Roberson about his team. “We just have to grind hard this offseason, come back and next year we going to have a ring for sure.”
With the season coming to a close, the Lions played their best football. Due to losses to Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas, however, they will miss out on post season play. Still, the Lions managed a respectable 5-2 record in the SLC after posting 1-6 conference records in 2011 and 2010.
“It feels like we’re just getting started,” said Roberts. “It’s exciting at the same time. We’re playing well at the end and finishing we had a lot of momentum. I wish we were still playing. I think this team has a couple more games in them. We’re getting better every time we hit the field… It gives me a lot of hope and excitement for the future.”
While in the past, a winning season may have been enough to satisfy fans, the improvement under Roberts has raised the bar. The 2013 season will be a test as the team looks to continue its search for a championship.