Sam Houston State football coach Todd Whitten gathered his players on the 20-yard line for a five-minute pep talk after Saturday night’s 38-14 loss to Kansas University at Memorial Stadium.

“I told them I was proud of their effort and appreciate the way they played,” the coach of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Div. I-AA) school said after his squad kept it close against the No. 19-rated Football Bowl Subdivision Jayhawks.

“There might be some of that in there,” Whitten added, asked about a possible moral victory. “Anytime you lose, it’s tough.”

Yes, but, the Bearkats have had a really tough go of it lately. Hurricane Ike forced the cancellation of last Saturday’s game and caused hardship for the players who attend the Huntsville, Texas, school.

“We didn’t get any power in our hometown until Thursday, and we left Friday at 6 a.m.,” said Sam Houston State linebacker Nolen Bucek, who had eight tackles. “We were sleeping at the fieldhouse (on the floor) and in the locker room. It was definitely a hassle for people’s families.

“We came together and put on our business faces. Football is football.”

The Bearkats trailed just 14-7 late in the second quarter before KU’s Todd Reesing scrambled deep in the backfield and launched a 47-yard TD bomb to Dezmon Briscoe.

That gave the Jayhawks a more comfy 21-7 lead at the half.

“I wouldn’t say it was a killer, but it definitely hurt our morale. I saw some guys’ heads went down after that,” Bucek said.

It was a stunning TD strike, that’s for sure.

“They go on offense and run around for about 15 seconds and throw the deep ball. That’s just fluke stuff,” said Sam Houston State quarterback Rhett Bomar, who completed 26 of 46 passes for 340 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

It was Bomar’s second career start against KU. In 2005, he directed Oklahoma to a 19-3 victory over KU at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.

“I remember we beat them. That’s all I remember,” Bomar said. “That year they struggled on offense and had a good defense. This year they are strong on offense and defense.”

Bomar’s favorite target Saturday was Justin Wells, who caught eight passes for 111 yards, including a 46-yarder for a score. Bomar was asked by a reporter if it seemed the Bearkats moved the ball “at will.”

“I wouldn’t say that. We were getting the ball out quick, staying away from their pass rush,” Bomar said. “In the first half, I thought we moved it at will. We made a few mistakes you can’t make against a ranked team.”