Woodard’s kick gives ‘Cardiac Cards’ another late win
The Lamar Cardinals faced off against the UTRGV Vaqueros for their Homecoming game, Oct. 18, at Provost Umphrey Stadium. The game was a sprint to the end, with Lamar capturing their sixth straight win, 23-21.
Lamar’s scoring started early and with a bang. At about the halfway point in the first quarter, quarterback Aiden McCown found receiver Blake Thomas streaking down the field for a 58-yard touchdown. The score would hold for the rest of the quarter, ending with LU up 7-0.
It was mostly all LU in the second quarter, with three different scoring possessions. Big Red opened the quarter with a 71-yard drive that ended in a 30-yard field goal by Ben Woodard.
The Cardinals followed up with a defensive stop, followed by another scoring drive, ending in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Aiden McCown to receiver Kyndon Fuselier, giving him his third receiving touchdown of the season.
Lamar’s defense would finally crack, giving up a UTRGV rushing touchdown after a lengthy 75-yard drive.
The only mistake the Vaqueros would make on this drive was giving Big Red two minutes to get the best kicker in the Southland Conference in range for a field goal, and they did. In a quick two-minute drive, the Cardinals got in range for Woodard to make a 53-yard field goal, ending the first half in a 20-7 Cardinal lead.
The third quarter was bleak for both teams, with no scoring taking place. Unfortunately, the Vaqueros were the ones to break a stalemate. UTRGV’s defense put their offense into scoring positions immediately. With a minute left in the third, Lamar fumbled inside the 10-yard line, setting up the Vaqueros with a quick scoring opportunity.
The Vaqueros scored as soon as the fourth quarter started after a short six-yard drive. UTRGV’s defense quickly stopped Big Red’s offense the very next drive, giving their offense a short field after a punt. The Vaqueros capitalized, scoring on a nine-yard passing touchdown, giving UTRGV a 21-20 lead.
It seemed like the energy was sucked out of the stadium, but the Cards still had Woodard ready to step up to be MVP of the game.
In the Cards’ final drive of the game, quarterback McCown went down with an injury halfway through the drive, giving backup Robert Coleman the opportunity to win the game. He did enough to get LU into field goal range.
With a minute left in the game, kicker Woodard beamed a 57-yard field goal in between the uprights to give the Cards a 23-21 lead. The kick ties the school record for the longest field goal in Lamar history, held by 1987 kicker Mike Andrie. Most NFL kickers routinely miss kicks from this distance, so to see Woodard win the game for the Cardinals is insane.
Big Red’s defense just needed to hold the line for one minute, and they did. Defensive back Mar Mar Evans intercepted the Vaqueros, ending the game for a sixth consecutive Cards win.
Woodard said a game-winning moment is never too big for him, and knowing his teammates had his back was enough.
“I didn’t really think much about the moment,” Woodard said. “I trusted our field goal unit and knew I just had to do my job. My long snapper Jacob Hefner and my holder Mason Stallons make my job easy. It calms the nerves to know that I am working with great athletes and great people. I’m just happy I was able to contribute and put points on the board for the team.”
The multitude of clutch finishes have given LU the nickname “Cardiac Cardinals.” Lamar moves to 6-1 on the season and remains atop the Southland Conference rankings.
The Cards continue their season against Northwestern State, Oct. 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, La.
