Lamar University football opened Southland Conference play with a 21-19 win over Houston Christian University at Husky Stadium in Houston, Sept. 30.
It was a hard-fought victory for the Cardinals, who begin the conference slate in the win column for the first time since 2015.
“The kids have been resilient all year,” head coach Pete Rossomando said. “We played a good football team, so proud of these guys for continuing to battle. That’s two in a row now, so hopefully we get some momentum.”
The Cardinals had a productive night on offense and produced 412 total yards. Quarterback Robert Coleman played his best game of the season thus far, completing 19-of-30 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns, earning Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Izaha Jones paced Lamar’s receiving corps with seven catches for 101 yards, followed by Andre Dennis’ four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. As for the running backs, Khalan Griffin rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries, while Major Bowden finished with 81 all-purpose yards and two total TDs.
However, the Cards wouldn’t have downed their Southland Conference rival without the gritty shown by the defense. A handful of crucial moments shaped the outcome of the game, such as Lamar’s early statement stopping their opponent inside the five-yard line on HCU’s opening drive.
There was no shortage of late-game heroics, either. In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals denied a two-point conversion attempt which left the Huskies trailing on the scoreboard. On HCU’s final possession, Lamar’s Kybo Jamerson sacked the quarterback on fourth down to preserve the win.
While the Huskies jumped out to a 3-0 lead, the Cardinals responded with 14 unanswered points in the second quarter. Bowden ran a wheel route out of the backfield and hauled in a pass for a 41-yard touchdown reception. Then, Coleman found Dennis open across the middle for a 16-yard score.
In the third quarter, HCU marched 93 yards downfield on a 17-play drive. However, the Cardinal defense held strong and forced the Huskies to settle for a field goal.
To begin the game’s final frame, Bowden took a five-yard rush across the goal line and gave Lamar a 21-6 lead. Houston Christian would score twice in the final eight minutes, but their comeback was stymied by the Cardinals, who went on to win, 21-19.
Now, the Cardinals have won two consecutive games for the first time since their 2019 campaign.
Rossomando, in his first season at Lamar, said it felt great to earn his first Southland Conference victory.
“We almost tried to give it away at the end, but the kids did a great job of fighting — especially the defense at the end. It was an awesome job to go out and get the W.”
Lamar now has a 1-0 record in SSL play (2-3 overall). The Cardinals’ next contest is against Northwestern State University at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, Oct. 7.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and 560 KLVI. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.