In its biggest football game in 10 years, Stephen F. Austin delivered a beauty of a performance on a perfect day in Hammond, La., Saturday.

While the convincing 3-hour 41-10 beat-down of Southeastern Louisiana ended at about 5 p.m., SFA's big road trip had a bonus ball to it — a 30-27 McNeese victory over Texas State in the Southland Conference's only late game Saturday night.

What that means is this. SFA (8-2, 5-1) can lock up a share of the league title and the league's automatic playoff berth by defeating 0-10 Northwestern State Saturday in Natchitoches, La.

SFA's bonus ball after that one would be a loss by McNeese (8-2, 5-1) to Central Arkansas in the late game Saturday. That would put SFA all alone in the league championship room.

Should SFA defeat Northwestern, the chances are good that there will be a home playoff game at Homer Bryce Stadium Nov. 28.

This just in: There's nothing like a little bonus football on Thanksgiving Weekend.

The Lumberjacks certainly didn't leave any doubt as to which team was in charge of Saturday's high-stakes game. They dominated what had been an impressive SLU team from start to finish.

SFA's offense compiled 512 yards, including four touchdown tosses by junior quarterback Jeremy Moses. The defense frustrated SLU's offense, sacking the quarterback six time, forcing four turnovers and holding a high-charged unit to 199 yards offense.

The Lumberjacks simply performed up to a very high standard in the program's most significant game since the 1999 campaign. The Lumberjacks lost a showdown game to Troy in Troy, Ala., to finish 8-3 overall and in a tie for the league championship that season.

While I left Hammond highly impressed with SFA's lights-out outing Saturday, the talk on the 7-hour drive home centered on the Lumberjacks' defensive line.

SFA has plenty of the glamour guys, but it's the blue-collared, hard-working defensive linemen who are the guys who have put SFA over the top this season.

While I expected a much more competitive game from SLU, especially on offense, I figured the Lions would give up on the run quickly and go to throwing the ball at every turn.

That would play right into the hands of SFA's defensive front, which has performed admirably all season.

While they didn't score any points, SFA linemen Tim Knicky, Andre Hicks, Jacob Fincher, Kenneth Charles, Weekender Saurit and Wayne Thompson, and anyone else who toed the line, were the difference makers in this game.

When SLU's run game fizzled, the Lions dropped back to pass and quarterbacks showed "happy feet" and quickly escaped the pocket or hurried their throws.

Talk in the press box was about how SLU was a comeback team, about how the Lions had done it all season.

But with SFA staked to a 28-0 early lead and SFA's line already at work, the game was a formality. There weren't going to be any late surprises in this one.

It was just a matter avoiding a traffic jam on the venture home.

There shouldn't be much suspense in the Northwestern game, either. If SFA plays like it did Saturday, the Lumberjacks will have a title, along with big Chief Caddo, along for the ride home Saturday night.

Talk about a real beauty.

Here's a quick recap of other league games.

McNeese 30, Texas State 27: Josh Lewis' field goal in the last two minutes gave McNeese the winning margin in the other battle of first-place teams.

After his kick, Texas State drove deep scoring position, only to turn the ball over on an interception.

Sam Houston 17, Central Arkansas 14: Sam Houston overcame four turnovers to defeat reeling Central Arkansas in a grind that included big defense and Sam Houston scoring after blocking a punt.

Nicholls 28, Northwestern State 21: Nicholls quarterback LaQuinton Caston threw three touchdown passes to lead the Colonels by the Demons, whose final drive ended with an interception after a holding penalty had erased what would have been the trying score.

Northwestern put up 402 yards offense.

Kevin Gore's e-mail address

is kgore@dailysentinel.com.

Southland Conference

Football Standings

Team SLC All

SFA 5-1 8-2

McNeese 5-1 8-2

SLU 4-2 6-4

Texas St. 4-2 6-4

Sam Hous. 3-3 5-5

C. Ark. 2-4 5-5

Nicholls 1-5 2-8

NSU 0-6 0-10

Saturday's results

SFA 41, SLU 10

McNeese 30, Texas State 27

Nicholls 28, NSU 21

Sam Houston 17, Central Arkansas 14

This week's schedule

SFA at Northwetsern State, 2 p.m.

Central Arknasas at McNeese, 7 p.m.

Sam Houston at Texas State, 2 p.m.

Nicholls at SLU, 6 p.m.