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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Sam Houston State University football team |
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| 6 | 7 | | closed out a historic season by winning the 2020-2021 NCAA Division |
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| 7 | 8 | | I Football Championship Subdivision title; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The Bearkats posted a perfect regular-season ledger |
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| 9 | 10 | | and claimed their eighth Southland Conference crown to enter the |
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| 10 | 11 | | FCS playoffs as the second seed; embarking on a thrilling |
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| 11 | 12 | | postseason run against top 10-ranked opponents, SHSU began by |
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| 12 | 13 | | besting Monmouth University 21-15, sealing the win by intercepting |
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| 13 | 14 | | a pass in the end zone in the final minute of play; the team then |
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| 14 | 15 | | came from behind to dispatch North Dakota State University 24-20 in |
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| 15 | 16 | | the quarterfinals; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Playing in the semifinals on its Bowers Stadium home |
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| 17 | 18 | | field, SHSU met James Madison University on May 8; trailing by three |
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| 18 | 19 | | touchdowns at the half, the Bearkats erupted for 24 points in the |
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| 19 | 20 | | third quarter and prevailed by the final score of 38-35; with the |
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| 20 | 21 | | victory, SHSU punched its ticket to the championship game for the |
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| 21 | 22 | | first time since 2012, and it remained undefeated in FCS playoff |
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| 22 | 23 | | games hosted on its own turf, having won a total of 16 through the |
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| 23 | 24 | | years; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, The Sam Houston State players battled No. 1 seed |
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| 25 | 26 | | South Dakota State University for the FCS crown on May 16 in Frisco; |
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| 26 | 27 | | in a contest beset by torrential rain and a lightning delay, the |
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| 27 | 28 | | Bearkats once again stormed back when the game was on the line; |
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| 28 | 29 | | trailing 21-17 with less than six minutes remaining, SHSU converted |
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| 29 | 30 | | a series of clutch fourth-down plays on its last possession before |
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| 30 | 31 | | scoring on a 10-yard touchdown strike with 16 seconds left to clinch |
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| 31 | 32 | | the 23-21 triumph; the team celebrated the first national title in |
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| 32 | 33 | | program history and capped the year with an unblemished record of 10 |
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| 33 | 34 | | wins and zero losses; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, SHSU was led by Jequez Ezzard, the championship game |
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| 35 | 36 | | Most Outstanding Player, and Eric Schmid, the Southland Conference |
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| 36 | 37 | | Player of the Year; both were selected as FCS All-Americans, as were |
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| 37 | 38 | | Jahari Kay and Colby Thomas; the Bearkats also received valuable |
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| 38 | 39 | | contributions throughout the year from the other members of the |
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| 39 | 40 | | roster, and the players were guided by K. C. Keeler, the SLC Coach |
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| 40 | 41 | | of the Year and the all-time winningest coach in FCS playoff |
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| 41 | 42 | | history; everyone associated with the Bearkats demonstrated great |
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| 42 | 43 | | resilience during an unforgettable year; the team was forced to |
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| 43 | 44 | | compete in the spring after the 2020 season was postponed due to the |
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| 44 | 45 | | COVID-19 pandemic, and it also endured the hardships inflicted by |
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| 45 | 46 | | Winter Storm Uri in February 2021; and |
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| 46 | 47 | | WHEREAS, Winning a national title represents the culmination |
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| 47 | 48 | | of countless hours of training and an unwavering commitment to |
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| 48 | 49 | | excellence, and the Sam Houston State Bearkats may indeed reflect |
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| 49 | 50 | | with pride on a job well done; now, therefore, be it |
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| 50 | 51 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 51 | 52 | | Legislature hereby congratulate the Sam Houston State University |
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| 52 | 53 | | football team on winning the 2020-2021 NCAA Division I Football |
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| 53 | 54 | | Championship Subdivision title and extend to the team's players, |
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| 54 | 55 | | coaches, and staff sincere best wishes for continued success; and, |
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| 55 | 56 | | be it further |
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| 56 | 57 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 57 | 58 | | prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 58 | 59 | | House of Representatives. |
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