Stephen F. Austin defeats NAIA North American 77-0 in opening game

Stephen F. Austin defeated North American 77-0 on Thursday night in a season opener that ended with five minutes left in the second half after the Lumberjacks led by 70 points at halftime.

FCS Stephen F. Austin scored touchdowns on 11 consecutive drives and outscored its NAIA opponent by a total yardage differential of 675-40.

SFA quarterback Sam Vidlak went 8-of-8 passing for 288 yards and five touchdowns to give the Lumberjacks a 42-0 lead after one quarter. They attempted seven passes the rest of the way and rushed for 292 yards on 8.1 yards per attempt.

NAU ran just 40 plays on offense and finished with 45 passing yards and -5 rushing yards, but only one turnover in the loss. The two teams combined for 18 total offensive plays during the shortened second half.

NAU, a private university in Stafford, Texas, played its inaugural football season in 2020 and joined the NAIA in 2022. The Stallions went 1-10 last season, including a 91-0 loss to FCS Portland State.

In 2022, SFA won a game 98-0 against NAIA Warner.