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The Sam Houston State football team walked off Roos Field in deflated fashion Saturday after getting reamed by head coach K.C. Keeler for committing 16 penalties in its 56-35 loss to Eastern Washington.
But the Bearkats had to overcome a lot more than just themselves. They had to overcome a disorganized environment that nearly snowballed into an all-out brawl.
While exiting the field, Sam Houston players and coaches were forced to walk through a slew of fans, some of whom consumed copious amounts of alcohol in the parking lot before the game and in the stadium during it.
As the Bearkats attempted to weave their way through traffic and make their way to the locker room, Eastern Washington fans relentlessly taunted Sam Houston players and coaches. There were no barricades to stop drunk fans from physically assaulting Bearkats players and coaches, and the two police officers who cared enough to step in and deter Eagles fans from starting trouble were hardly enough to prevent any conflicts.
And there were conflicts.
After the game, Keeler and strength coach Brian Hess had to separate several Bearkats’ players and coaches from fans attempting to start a fight.
There’s no question that Sam Houston players and coaches should have known better than to engage with fans after the game. It’s hard to blame Eastern Washington fans as well, because when given a unique opportunity to interact with an opposing team’s players after winning a heated rivalry game, it’s only human nature to rub it in. Alcohol only adds fuel to the fire.
But Eastern Washington’s athletic department should have known better. Nearly every other collegiate athletic department in the nation has already figured out that it’s a bad idea to allow an army of inebriated fans unimpeded paths to opposing players after a game. I have no idea how Eastern Washington athletics is so far behind the times. Perhaps the issue never crossed their mind.
The Eastern Washington athletic department knew the game was a sellout. They knew there would be drunk fans walking through Sam Houston’s path to the locker room after the game. They didn’t know if any of those fans had snuck in a weapon. They had no idea how the circumstances would play out, and were willing to risk the safety of their own fans, as well as Bearkats’ players and coaches just because they didn’t care enough to organize a secure exit path from the field. It wouldn’t have required much effort, and could have avoided a potentially dangerous situation.
If there are no other areas for the visiting team to dress, then at least put up a rope of some sort to guide the players back and put several police officers there to ensure the safety of all parties involved. Neither of those things happened Saturday.
This situation was completely avoidable, and it shocks me that a top-ranked program could be so ill prepared to provide adequate security accommodations for a game of Saturday’s magnitude. They had months to prepare.
Regardless, the Bearkats didn’t lose because of the questionable security Eastern Washington’s athletic department provided them after the game. Sam Houston lost because a better team beat them.
That doesn’t mean they were beat by a more talented team. The Bearkats were as big, fast and athletic as Eastern Washington. Sam Houston may not have had a player as talented as All-American quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., but the Bearkats effectively showcased how versatile their offense was and the defense showed flashes of how good it can be.
They just couldn’t keep their poise for four quarters. Eastern Washington did, and that’s why it emerged with a hard fought and well earned victory.
However, asking Sam Houston’s new coaching staff to install a new offense with a new starting quarterback, integrate a plethora of transfers with returning players and travel to a play a program that was unprepared to control the environment in its own stadium was asking too much.
Sam Houston State has a long way to go if it wants to make the playoffs and make a push for a national title. Unless this team figures out a way to play with more discipline, then this season will likely end in disappointing fashion. If it learns from Saturday and cuts down on mental errors in future weeks, there’s no telling how far it can go.