One Last Fight: Battle of the Piney Woods concludes with Sam Houston, SFA poised to end rivalry

As Sam Houston head coach KC Keeler walked off the NRG Stadium field in 2014 after winning his first Battle of the Piney Woods, the veteran coach looked over at athletic director Bobby Williams and said, “You did not explain this game properly.” 

Regional rivalries are a unique aspect of the college football landscape, and as money and conference realignment continue to alter our reality, the next casualty is the yearly battle between Sam Houston and SFA in the Battle of the Piney Woods. The game dates to 1923 when Sam won the first battle, 19-6. The two East Texas rivals have played 95 times since. That’s makes it tied for the sixth-most played intra-state football rivalry in the state of Texas after Saturday.