Hunter Watson will make his 8th start at quarterback for Sam Houston on Tuesday night.

Watson, a redshirt junior from Celina, Texas, started his career at the Division II level playing football for the Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils. After minimal action, Watson went to Iowa Western Community College and led the Reivers to a 2023 NJCAA Championship win over EMCC. Entering the season, Watson beat out expected starter Jase Bauer, a transfer from Central Michigan. Watson was injured versus WKU and missed the game at FIU, but is expected to return to action versus Louisiana Tech.

2024 Statistics

7 GP, 84/141(60%) for 984 yards, 9 TDs, 5 INTs, 479 rushing yards, and 4 rushing TDs.

For his efforts, Watson has earned a 65.5 PFF grade through 401 snaps this season.

Let's take a deeper dive into his numbers.

Passing Numbers by Level

At LOS or Behind | 19/21 (91%) for 134 yards, 1 TD & 0 INTs

0-9 Yards Downfield | 46/60 (77%) for 408 yards, 1 TD & 0 INTs

10-19 Yards Downfield | 16/28 (57%) for 288 yards, 4 TDs & 0 INTs

20+ Yards Downfield | 3/22 (14%) for 154 yards, 3 TDs & 5 INTs

Passing Pressure

Kept Clean | 72/109 (66%) for 868 yards, 8 TDs & 3 INTs

Under Pressure | 12/32 (38%) for 116 yards, 1 TD & 2 INTs

Not Blitzed | 55/88 (63%) for 610 yards, 4 TDs & 3 INTs

When Blitzed | 29/53 (55%) for 374 yards, 5 TDs & 2 INTs

Looking at Watson’s weaknesses, his numbers plummet from their usual clip when throwing deep or firing under pressure. Although Watson struggles with pressure, he is solid versus blitzes, so it is imperative for the Bulldogs’ front to bring the heat without sending extra rushers consistently.

Through six complete games this season, Watson has averaged 22 pass attempts per game and 12.5 rushes per game for Sam Houston. Watson has a good arm, but he can really cause damage when utilizing his legs. The Bearkats are a physical squad that leans on their traditional run game along with Watson’s scrambling ability.

Watson’s most productive targets on offense include 6’3 WR Qua’Vez Humphreys and 6’1 WR Simeon Evans. Humphreys did not see the field in 2023 for the Bearkats but leads all receivers this season with 16 receptions for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging over 19 yards per catch. Evans started his collegiate career at Army before returning to the state of Texas. He primarily plays in the slot and has hauled in 24 receptions for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2024.

The Bulldogs were able to get off the mat last Tuesday and take down UTEP in a hard-fought effort led by the stellar defense. Looking forward, Louisiana Tech is 3-4 and is entering the toughest stretch of the season with games at Sam Houston, versus Jax State, at WKU, and at Arkansas. This four-game slate will illustrate how focused, disciplined, and hungry this team really is. We’ll see how the Bulldogs fare against their first test in Huntsville on Tuesday night.

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