Lamar has waited 27 years to win more than three football games in a row. It’s also been 37 years since the Cardinals defeated Northwestern State.

Both droughts could come to an end Saturday night.

“They’re a team that’s been a thorn on our side,” Lamar coach Ray Woodard said of NSU. “We’ve come close to beating them on a number of occasions, but we have not. We haven’t beaten them since we brought [football at Lamar] back, and we’ll have that opportunity this Saturday. So, I’m excited about that.”

The drought against the Demons was expected to end last year in Natchitoches, La. They were 0-5 welcoming a 3-2 Cardinals team for homecoming before shocking them 48-35, overshadowing a 282-yard, five-touchdown rushing performance by Kade Harrington.

Another string will continue if Harrington, now a senior, rushes for his third straight 100-yard game and the 18^th of his career. He already has the school record for such straight games.

He’s more concerned with the Cardinals’ overall momentum.

“We want to keep going up the standings in the Southland Conference,” Harrington said. “This week’s a big game, and every week is a big game at that time. That’s the way we’re going to approach it.”

Lamar (2-3, 2-1 Southland) hasn’t always been at full strength on the offensive line this season, as senior right guard Bret Treadway and center Matthew Oubre made their way back to the lineup in recent games. John Craven, who went out with a concussion last Saturday at Abilene Christian, could be back today after Oubre finished the job in relief.

Northwestern State (1-4, 0-3) has allowed 404.6 yards per game and totaled only 329.6, but Woodard has a more favorable report on the Demons’ defense.

“I like their front,” he said. “They like to play man and challenge you. I got to watch them play Central Arkansas. At that point to me, they looked to be a much better defensive club than they were an offensive club. I just like their front, more than anything.”

The Cardinals hold cautious optimism in trying to beat Northwestern State for the first time since a 28-13 home win on Nov. 10, 1979, under coach Larry Kennan. The teams did not play again before Lamar folded its football program in 1990, and Northwestern State has won all four meetings since Lamar football’s relaunch in 2010.

During their own upswing, Woodard doesn’t think the Cards have played weak at any spot.

“We’re getting good performances out of a lot of people, and I enjoy watching that,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of people contribute, and I enjoy watching that. That’s what you want to get to.”

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews

 

SOUTHLAND FOOTBALL: NW STATE (1-4) AT LAMAR (2-3)

• When: 6 p.m. Saturday

• Where: Provost Umphrey Stadium, Beaumont

• Webcast/Radio: ESPN3.com/KLVI-AM 560

• Southland records: NSU 0-3, Lamar 2-1

• Series record: NSU leads 9-7-1; last meeting, NSU won 48-35 in 2015