Feb. 17, 2005

NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The 2005 football schedule for the Lumberjack football team has been finalized and features six home games for Lumberjack fans next season. SFA will open the season on a Thursday night with its only non-division I opponent of the season, Henderson State and close the season against the Demons of Northwestern State on Nov. 19.

The season opens Thursday, Sept. 1 as SFA hosts Henderson State. SFA opened the 2004 season with a 30-14 win over Henderson State and holds an 8-3-1 record all-time against the Reddies. The game will feature the head coaching debut of Robert McFarland and also the debut of Henderson State head coach Scott Maxfield.

SFA takes nine days off before their first road trip of the year in week two, traveling to Bozeman, Mont. to take on Montana State. The Bobcats finished 2004 with a 6-5 record overall and were 4-3 and tied for third in the Big Sky Conference. The game marks the first visit to Bozeman for the Lumberjacks since a 13-6 loss to Montana State in 1992. The `Jacks won the last meeting between the two teams in 2002, 30-13.

Week three of the season features a first time opponent for the Lumberjacks as the Leathernecks of Western Illinois pay a visit to Homer Bryce Stadium for a Sept. 17 match-up. The Leathernecks finished 2004 with a disappointing 4-7 record after opening the year ranked among the top-15 teams in the nation. SFA will travel to Macomb, Ill. in 2006.

The 'Jacks close out September in Cedar City, Utah against Southern Utah, Sept. 24. SFA is 2-1 against the Thunderbirds, winning both games played in Nacogdoches and dropping a 22-21 decision in Cedar City in 2002.

SFA opens the month of October with an open date before playing the first of six Southland Conference games against Nicholls State, Oct. 8, in Nacogdoches. The `Jacks have won 11 of the last 13 meetings between the two teams, but Nicholls State snapped a five game winning streak by the Lumberjacks in the series with a 41-23 win over SFA, in Thibodaux, a year ago.

The Lumberjacks follow that with back-to-back road games against McNeese State and Sam Houston in mid-October before returning home to take on new SLC member Southeastern Louisiana in a homecoming match-up Oct. 29. The homecoming game will kick-off at 2:00 p.m. and wrap up a weekend filled with homecoming activities on the SFA campus.

November opens with the final non-conference game of the year Nov. 5 against UC Davis, in Nacogdoches. SFA beat the Aggies last season in Davis, Calif. by a 22-19 margin. The 'Jacks then close out the home portion of the 2005 schedule with a Nov. 12 meeting with Texas State in Homer Bryce Stadium before wrapping up the regular season against Northwestern State in the annual "Battle For Chief Caddo", in Natchitoches, La., Nov. 19.

The Lumberjacks will open spring practice March 21 on the SFA campus.

SEPTEMBER
	1	HENDERSON STATE	Nacogdoches	7:00
	10	Montana State	Bozeman, Mont.	TBA
	17	Western Illinois	Nacogdoches	7:00
	24	Southern Utah	Cedar City, Utah	TBA
OCTOBER
	1	OPEN
	8	Nicholls State*	Nacogdoches	7:00
	15	McNeese State*	Lake Charles, La.	7:30
	22	Sam Houston State*	Huntsville	2:00
	29	Southeastern Louisiana**	Nacogdoches	2:00
NOVEMBER
	5	UC Davis	Nacogdoches	2:00
	12	Texas State*	Nacogdoches	2:00
	19	Northwestern State*	Natchitoches, La.	TBA

*Southland Conference Games
** Homecoming
All Dates Are Subject To Change

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