The 2013 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by fourth-year head coach Willie Fritz and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference.

Before the season 2013 recruits 18 recruits committed to Sam Houston State during the 2013 Spring signing days.

Orange-White Classic Sam Houston State returned to the birthplace of Bearkat football, Pritchett Field, for the annual Orange-White spring game. A presentation of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award to head coach Willie Fritz took place before the game.

Quarterbacks Brian Bell, Don King III, and Rubis Requeno ran the first and second team offenses, where running backs Timothy Flanders and Keyshawn Hill saw limited action, relinquishing most of the rushing duties to backups. The game also saw former backup quarterback Chris Grett play his new position at safety.

Coaching changes Following the spring game, it was announced that Scott Stoker would no longer be the defensive coordinator of the Bearkats, having accepted the same position at University of Texas El Paso. On May 15, 2013, Sam Houston State announced Mike Collins, former DC and Assistant Head Coach of McNeese State, would become the defensive coordinator for Sam Houston State for the 2013 season.

Preseason All-Americans Three Sam Houston football players were named The Sports Network All-America for the 2013 season. Timothy Flanders, running back and the back-to-back Southland Conference Player of the Year, earned first team honors. Richard Sincere, the 2011 Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year, was placed on the second team. Bookie Sneed, cornerback, was named to the third team squad.

Schedule

Game summaries

Houston Baptist

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Sam Houston faced the HBU Huskies for the first time, with HBU fielding its first football team in school history.

SHSU struck on its first possession, ending with a four-yard run by running back Timothy Flanders with 11:27 remaining in the first quarter, followed by the extra point by kicker Luc Swimberghe for a 7–0 lead. On the Bearkats' next possession, running back Keshawn Hill made a four-yard run at the 8:58-minute mark and with the extra point the score was 14–0 Bearkats. This was followed with SHSU quarterback Brian Bell making a 66-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Torrance Williams with 6:19 remaining in the quarter, and the extra point brought the score to 21–0 Bearkats.

In the second quarter, Bell made an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Lyons, and Swimberghe's extra point raised the score to 28–0 Bearkats. On the Huskies' next possession, a pass by HBU quarterback Ka'Darius Baker was intercepted by SHSU defensive back Shelby Davis who returned the ball 48 yards for a touchdown at the 11:38 mark, and with the extra point SHSU increased its lead to 35–0. SHSU scored again with two-yard quarterback keeper by Bell at the 6:28 mark, and the Bearkats made a final score in the quarter with a four-yard run by running back Steven Hicks, which, following the extra point, had SHSU going into halftime with a 49–0 lead.

In the third quarter, Schwimberghe completed a 41-yard field goal at the 10:44-minute mark extending SHSU's lead to 52–0. The Bearkats scored less than two minutes later with linebacker Tristan Eche intercepting a pass by HBU quarterback Jonathan Fleming and returning it 32-yards for a second defensive touchdown with 9:24 remaining in the quarter, the extra point raising the lead to 59–0 Bearkats. SHSU backup quarterback Don King III made the final score of the period, a three-yard quarterback keeper which, followed by an extra point by kicker Brad Dunavant brought the score to 66–0 Bearkats.

In the fourth quarter, an error during an HBU punt led to a safety at the 8:11 mark, raising SHSU's lead to 68–0. SHSU made the final score of the game with 3:58 remaining when wide receiver Cory Idlebird made a three-yard run. The extra point attempt by Dunavant failed, and the final score was 74–0.

Sam Houston quarterback Brian Bell completed five passes out of nine attempts for 90 yards, with fellow quarterbacks Don King III and Jared Johnson failing to complete their pass attempts. Sam Houston's Steve Hicks led rushing with 17 carries for 99 yards, followed by Richard Sincere running three times for 64 yards, Cory Idlebird carrying six times for 51 yards and Timothy Flanders carrying nine times for 51 yards.

With the win, Sam Houston improves to 1–0. Sam Houston leads the all-times series 1–0.

Texas A&M Aggies

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Sam Houston faced Texas A&M for the second consecutive year, facing the FBS powerhouse for the twelfth time. The Aggies had won all previous meetings.

The Aggies drew first blood in the first quarter, with A&M running back Tra Carson finishing a drive with a one-yard scoring run with 10:52 remaining in the period, which followed with the extra point brought the score to 7–0 Aggies. The Bearkats struck back on their next possession, with running back Timothy Flanders scoring on an 11-yard run at the 7:51-minute marker, followed by the extra point tying the score 7–7. Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel connected with a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Sabian Holmes with less than three minutes in the quarter, putting A&M back on top 14–7.

The Aggies scored again in the second quarter at the 11:31 mark with a one-yard run by running back Ben Malena, however the extra point attempt by kicker Taylor Bertolet failed, with the new score 20–7 Aggies. A&M was again on the board at 4:23 with a 20-yard pass by Manziel to wide receiver Ja'Quay Williams, and with the extra point the new score was 27–7 Aggies. The Bearkats finally answered with a 33-yard pass by quarterback Brian Bell to Flanders, and kicker Luc Swimberghe's extra point brought the score to 27–14 Aggies. The Aggies made the final score in the period with a 35-yard field goal by Bertolet in the closing seconds, with the Aggies leading at halftime 30–14.

The Bearkats struck quickly in the third quarter, with Flanders making a 68-yard scoring running at the 14:04 mark, and the extra point reduced the Aggies lead to 30–21. Not to be outdone, the Aggies made two consecutive scoring drives, culminating with a one-yard run by Carson at the 10:27-minute mark and a ten-yard pass by Manziel to running back Brandon Williams at the 6:27-mark, raising the Aggie's lead to 44–28. The Bearkats struck again a mere 14 seconds after the previous Aggies score with Bell connecting with Torrance Williams on a 75-yard pass, bringing the score to 44–28 Aggies. After that Texas A&M kept the Bearkats from the endzone, and Manziel made a six-yard quarterback keeper at the 5:24-minute mark, Aggies linebacker Nate Askew intercepted Bell for a pick-six with 3:42 remaining in the quarter and backup Aggies quarterback connected with wide receiver Travis Labhart at the 1:14-minute mark, all together raising the lead to 65–28 Aggies.

By the fourth quarter both teams had pulled their starters and the game was a defensive standoff, both teams keeping each other from scoring. The final score was 65–28 Aggies.

Sam Houston quarterback Brian Bell completed six of 15 pass attempts for 137 yards with two interception, with fellow quarterback Don King III completing one pass for 13 yards. Sam Houston's rushing game was anchored by Timothy Flanders who ran 19 times for 170 yards including two running touchdowns, followed by Keshawn Hill who carried the ball three times for 42 yards, Richard Sincere who ran six times for 11 yards and Ryan Wilson who rushed five times for ten yards.

With the loss, Sam Houston is tied 1–1. Texas A&M leads the all-times series 12–0.

Texas Southern

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The Tigers and Bearkats played each other for the second consecutive year, with the 2012 meeting being the first match between the two schools since 1997. SHSU was looking to build on its 9–5 record they had against the Tigers. The Bearkats had won 5 of the last 6 meetings.

The first quarter was a stalemate with neither team scoring, and the Bearkats struggled with their drives including one that ended with a fumble that was recovered by Texas Southern. The second quarter also started bitter for the Bearkats, with SHSU quarterback Brian Bell being intercepted twice, with the first interception being the start of a Tigers drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal by Tigers kicker Eric Medina with 12:35 remaining in the quarter, with Texas Southern leading 3–0.

However, on Texas Southern's first play following the second interception off Bell, SHSU defensive back Desmond Fite forced a fumble off Tigers running back Edward Perkins-Loving and Sam Houston began to recover, beginning a drive that ended with a two-yard rushing touchdown by SHSU running back Timothy Flanders at the 5:52-minute mark, and kicker Luc Swimberghe's extra point brought the score to 7–3 Bearkats. On Texas Southern's next possession, Tigers quarterback Homer Causey fumbled due to pressure from SHSU defensive end Andrew Weaver and Sam Houston defensive back Michael Wade recovered the ball on the Tigers 9-yard line. Bell then completed a six-yard scoring pass to SHSU wide receiver Torrance Williams with 4:35 remaining and the extra point brought the score to 14–3 Bearkats. Bell ran in a three-yard quarterback keeper at the 1:15-minute mark, and another late fumble by the Tigers on their side of the field resulted in a SHSU drive that ended with Flanders running in a one-yard score with 19 seconds remaining, however Swimberghe missed the extra point and the second quarter came to a close with Sam Houston leading 27–3 at halftime.

SHSU started the third quarter with opening drive that ended with a five-yard scoring pass from Bell to SHSU tight end Shane Young at the 10:11 mark, and the extra point raised SHSU's lead to 34–7. On SHSU's next possession, Bearkats running back Keyshawn Hill ran in a 23-yard touchdown raising the score to 41–7 Bearkats. What followed was a trade-off in scoring as Tigers running back Daveonn Porter broke free and made a 50-yard scoring dash for Texas Southern's first touchdown, and Medina's extra point made the score 41–10 Bearkats, which was the final score of the third period.

The Bearkats spent the remainder of the third period working their way down the field. This culminated in a five-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Don King III to SHSU tight end Ragan Henderson in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, with Swimberghe's point after raising SHSU's lead to 48–10. The Tigers retaliated less than four minutes later with a 10-yard quarterback keeper by Causey, and the score was now 48–17 Bearkats. SHSU made one final score with SHSU running back Ryan Wilson running in a one-yard touchdown with 8:13 remaining in the quarter, and the extra point made the final score 55–17 Bearkats.

Sam Houston quarterback Brian Bell completed nine of 17 passes for 121 yards and two interceptions, and Don King III had two successful passes out of two attempts for 13 yards. Sam Houston's Timothy Flanders rushed 19 times for 108 yards, Keyshawn Hill ran seven times for 65 yards, Ryan Wilson charged six times for 37 yards and Bell ran six times for 32 yards. On receiving, Richard Sincere made three catches for 53 yards, Shane Young caught three passes for 51 yards and Chance Nelson had one reception for 15 yards.

Win the win, Sam Houston improved to 2–1. Sam Houston leads the series 10–5.

Incarnate Word

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The Bearkats met the Cardinals for the second time, with Incarnate Word in the process of transitioning to the Southland Conference. Sam Houston won in the previous match-up.