Coach Ray Woodard had enjoyed the luxury of using two dependable quarterbacks for the past two weeks and was looking for both to bring their styles of play to Lamar’s first Southland Conference game of the year at third-ranked Sam Houston State.

Now, only one will be available.

Woodard announced Tuesday that senior Joe Minden will be out indefinitely with a hand injury, leaving Carson Earp as the starter for Saturday’s game in Huntsville. Also, junior defensive end Manasseh Miles will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury from this past Saturday’s game at Baylor.

“You hate to lose any players to injury,” Woodard said in a statement. “These are two very good football players who have come in and made an impact. We have to absorb this loss and get ready for Sam Houston State.”

It’s a big loss for the Cardinals (1-1) on each side of the football.

Minden’s injury was not made public until Tuesday, but it is believed the transfer from Stephen F. Austin will miss about a month. He earned the start in the season opener against Bacone College and came off the bench for Earp against Baylor as Woodard continued to evaluate the two’s play in actual games.

Minden was solid, completing 24 of 31 for 267 yards and four touchdowns through the two games. He tossed three touchdown passes in the 66-3 win over Bacone and another late in the 66-31 loss at Baylor, where he added a quarterback sneak for a score to tie the game at 21 late in the second half.

Earp has been successful with the pass as well, completing 15 of 25 passes for 161 yards and two scores. But the junior has been more effective with the run, netting 75 yards on nine carries.

Miles, a junior transfer from Trinity Valley Junior College, was immediately making an impact on the Cardinals’ 3-4 defense with five tackles (four stops) in two games. He started against Bacone and backed up Nederland junior Corbin Carr at left defensive end.

Miles’ injury came on Rodney Randle’s long interception return in the second half against Baylor.

“I think the quarterback [Seth Russell] was just trying to take out some blockers and get a pileup, and it just so happened Manasseh wasn’t ready for the quarterback to go low on him and he got hurt,” Woodard said. “That’s why [Russell] got penalized. You can’t do that. It’s just one of those freak things that happen.”

Woodard said during his Monday press conference he didn’t see an injury that would hold Miles out for the rest of the season when he was with him on the field.

“I didn’t just see a ton of looseness,” Woodard said.

The Cardinals are hoping not to be down two starting defensive linemen, as starter Omar Tebo was to undergo an MRI on Monday along with Miles. Tebo was hurt on a chop block, Woodard said.