Woodard Boots 51-yard Game-Winner as LU Defeats AM-Commerce

COMMERCE, Texas – Lamar University junior kicker Ben Woodward drilled a 51-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining to hand the Cardinals a 29-20 victory to defeat Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday afternoon at Ernest Hawkins Field. The Cardinals forced a fumble on the final play of the game a recovered the ball in the end zone for the final points.
 
Woodard's kick came less than two minutes after Luke Jackson hit a 52-yarder to tie the game.
 
The victory – Lamar's first road win of the season – moves the Cardinals to 4-3 on the season and 1-1 (.500) in Southland Conference play.
 
Big Red finished the game with 388 yards of offense including 262 yards on the ground. LU's ground attack was led by senior Khalan Griffin who carried the ball 23 times for 158 yards. Classmate Robert Coleman completed 12 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 38 yards and a score.
 
Senior linebacker Ken Savanh led the Cardinals' defense with eight tackles – six solos – and one tackle for a loss.
 
After alternating field goals on their opening possession, the Cardinals began to build a cushion. Lamar took a 10-3 lead on a 10-yard run from Griffin. The 10-yard scamper capped a 12-play, 77-yard drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock. Less than seven minutes later, Big Red was back on the march, this time an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard pass from Coleman to Devyn Gibbs. The drive took 5:07 off the clock and gave the Cards a 14-point lead. The drive was kept alive on a fake punt on 4^th-and-8 in Lamar territory.
 
The Cardinals appeared to be on the march once again following a Du'Wayne Paulhill interception but the drive stalled in Lion territory. A&M-Commerce responded by getting on the scoreboard with 50 seconds remaining in the half pulling the Lions within seven, 17-10.
 
The Lions were the only team to score in the third quarter pulling even with 4:21 remaining in the quarter. A&M-Commerce got the ball back and drove it deep into LU territory before a sack by Jalen Freeman and Caleb Williams forced a 37-yard field goal to take the lead. The kick never had a chance as Williams broke through the line and batted it away for Lamar's fourth block of the season.
 
Lamar responded after the block lining up a 37-yard field goal from Ben Woodward. The Plano junior split the uprights with plenty to spare to give Big Red the lead with 6:13 remaining. The 10-play drive took 4:36 off the clock. Commerce answered with a 52-yard Luke Jackson field goal to tie the game at 20 with 1:55 remaining. LU got the ball back and moved it methodically down the field 36 yards on nine plays to set up Woodard's heroics.
 
The Cardinals return to action Saturday, Oct. 26, when they travel to Natchitoches, La., to take on Northwestern State. The game against the Demons will kick off at 2 p.m. from Turpin Stadium.