Cardinals meet No. 7 Bearkats on Saturday
Published 4:03 pm Friday, October 20, 2017
BEAUMONT — If Lamar has anything left to play for in this football season, it’s five more games.
The Cardinals (1-5, 0-4 Southland) have to win each one to secure only its second winning season since relaunching their program in 2010. So, bring on Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist and McNeese State.
On Saturday, seventh-ranked SHSU (5-1, 3-1) is the eye-popper on the Cardinals’ schedule.
“Our kids have got to get ready to play,” said Lamar coach Mike Schultz, going into his first-ever meeting against his alma mater. “I don’t think you have to do much to motivate them.”
SHSU, whose only loss came at the hands of sixth-ranked Central Arkansas, wants to prove being ranked seventh in the STATS FCS Top 25 poll is not a fluke. The Bearkats were close to taking a big tumble in the rankings but strung together a 33-12 rally to hold off Northwestern State 40-36, winning their 15th straight home game last Saturday.
Davion Davis caught four touchdown passes to will the Bearkats, who were without Southland Offensive Player of the Year Yedidiah Louis, a receiver.
“The great thing with Davion is you can put him anywhere, but having the player of the year in the Southland not available really hurts you,” Bearkats coach K.C. Keeler said. “Once we decided on the conscience effort that we are going to get him healthy, the plan is that we are going to stick on continuing to try to get him healthy and get him back. It hurts us but we have great depth and Coree Compton came in big for us in the absence of Yedi.”
While Northwestern State nearly pulled off the upset of the year in the Southland, Lamar hit one of its lowest points in a loss to previously winless Incarnate Word last Saturday in San Antonio. Senior Andrew Allen is looking to build on his season-high 200 yards passing in that game in relief of usual starter Darrel Colbert, who was sacked four times.
“He throws the ball maybe better than Darrel, and Darrel may do more with his legs than Andrew,” Schultz said. “There’s a trade-off.”
But Schultz hasn’t indicated there may be a change of starting quarterback. Allen’s 1-yard run late in the third quarter put Lamar within three points, but UIW sealed the game on a touchdown with 50 seconds left.
If Lamar can rely on a good omen for visiting Bowers Stadium today, the Cards were the last team to beat SHSU at home, in September 2015. Lamar has won only one other time in Huntsville, in 1959.
Both teams have struggled on the defensive end, giving up more than 435 total yards per game. Much of SHSU’s 550.2 total yards come from the arm of senior quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe (366.8 passing yards per game).
Defensively, SHSU lineman P.J. Hall, the Southland Defensive Player of the Year, could pose a big problem for Lamar. The 6-foot-1, 310-pound senior from Seguin has rebounded from a two-game suspension (due to an academic issue) to already amass 27 sacks. He broke up two passes against Northwestern State.
“P.J. could be a really high draft pick,” Schultz said.
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I.C. Murrell: 549-8541. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews