Sam Houston Bearkats is 0-0 on the season, 0-0 against the spread, and holds a power rating of -24.6. Sam Houston Bearkats enters the season with a power rating of -24.6, placing them below average relative to the FBS midpoint. The Sam Houston Bearkats head to Troy next in Week 1. In 2025, Sam Houston Bearkats went 2-10 overall, 3-9 against the spread, and 8-4 on totals.
In Week 0 of 2026 the Sam Houston Bearkats Power Rating of -24.6 is 24.8 points below the FBS average according to Blue Chip Analytics. Sam Houston Bearkats have logged 0 miles of travel so far, out of a season total of 8,193 miles, ranking 55th heaviest in the FBS.
| Week | Opponent | Distance | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | — | Bye | |
| Week 1 | Troy | 572 mi | 1,145 mi |
| Week 2 | Tulsa | Home | 1,145 mi |
| Week 3 | Nicholls | Home | 1,145 mi |
| Week 4 | Texas Tech | 421 mi | 1,986 mi |
| Week 5 | — | Bye | |
| Week 6 | Liberty | 1,043 mi | 4,071 mi |
| Week 7 | Western Kentucky | Home | 4,071 mi |
| Week 8 | New Mexico State | Home | 4,071 mi |
| Week 9 | Missouri State | 465 mi | 5,002 mi |
| Week 10 | Jacksonville State | 611 mi | 6,223 mi |
| Week 11 | Kennesaw State | Home | 6,223 mi |
| Week 12 | Middle Tennessee | Home | 6,223 mi |
| Week 13 | Florida International | 985 mi | 8,193 mi |
| Week 14 | — | Bye | |
| Week 15 | — | Bye | |
| Week 16 | — | Bye | |
The Bearkats enter 2026 with a settled quarterback in Landyn Locke, who played in six games last year and completed 71 of 141 passes for 765 yards and four touchdowns. The offense returns key weapons like wide receiver Chris Reed (460 yards, five touchdowns) and running backs Landan Brown and Alton McCaskill (combined 858 rushing yards). However, the offensive line must be completely rebuilt after losing every starter to graduation or the transfer portal, making protection and run lanes a major question mark.
Sam Houston ranked last in CUSA in total defense in 2025, allowing 483.5 yards and 37.8 points per game. Defensive tackle Dylan Frazier (41 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks) is a building block, and the team added Power 4 transfers Josh Alexander-Felton (NC State), Stacy Bey (Arizona), and Jace Arnold (Wisconsin) to the starting lineup. The unit needs a significant step forward under coordinator Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay in his second season.
After playing every game away from campus in 2025, the Bearkats return to a refurbished Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. The home-field advantage could provide a boost, but it also removes any excuses for another two-win season. The team's season travel is projected at 6,593 miles, with the opener at Troy (572 miles one-way) setting the tone for a challenging road schedule.
The kicking game features a competition between transfer Sam Carpenter (1-of-3 on field goals at Pitt) and redshirt Tate Ryan. Punter Cal Joseph, a Wake Forest transfer, averaged 38.1 yards per punt last season. Consistency in the kicking game will be critical for a team that may need every point it can get.
After a 2-10 debut season following a 10-win campaign in 2024, head coach Phil Longo faces pressure to show progress. An opposing CUSA assistant noted that the scheme is sound but the quarterback fit was poor last year. With Locke now entrenched and a full offseason to install his system, Longo must translate optimism into wins to secure his job.
Sam Houston Bearkats is 0-0 against the spread in the 2026 season.
Sam Houston Bearkats holds a Blue Chip Analytics power rating of -24.6, representing their expected point margin against an average FBS team on a neutral field.
Sam Houston Bearkats travels 8,193 miles in the 2026 season, ranking 55th heaviest in the FBS.
Cumulative travel distance counts both the outbound and return journey for every away game. For example, if a team travels 374 miles to play an away game, Blue Chip Analytics counts 748 miles (374 miles there, 374 miles back) toward the cumulative total. Home games and bye weeks add zero miles. The per-week Distance column shows the one-way distance only, as the return trip happens after the game is played.
Sam Houston Bearkats: 0-0 overall, 0-0 ATS, power rating -24.6.
