Lamar University's football team delivered one of its biggest wins of the season, Nov. 7, defeating No. 2 Stephen F. Austin, 45-28, at Provost Umphrey Stadium in a nationally-ranked Southland Conference showdown.
The No. 12 Cardinals improved to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play, moving into a tie with the Lumberjacks for first place in the SLC standings with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
A crowd of 11,126 fans filled Provost Umphrey Stadium for the matchup, marking the largest home attendance since 2015, according to Lamar Athletics.
Senior running back Parker Jenkins led Lamar's offense with a career performance, rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Quarterback Aiden McCown added 307 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 17 of 29 attempts.
Lamar finished with 488 total yards of offense, including 181 rushing yards, and converted all five of its red-zone opportunities into points.
The Cardinals took control early, building a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter. However, the Lumberjacks responded with 14 unanswered points, cutting Lamar's lead to three points early in the third quarter.
Jenkins helped Lamar regain momentum with a 13-yard touchdown run late in the third, extending the Cardinals' lead to 24-14.
Stephen F. Austin answered less than a minute later when quarterback Gavin Rutherford connected with Clayton Wayland on a 79-yard touchdown pass.
Lamar responded with another scoring drive, capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass from McCown to senior tight end Davin Driskell, giving the Cardinals a 31-21 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lumberjacks continued to fight back, narrowing the deficit to 31-28 with just over six minutes remaining after a 71-yard touchdown pass from JT Kitna to Bugs Mortimer.
However, Lamar quickly answered when McCown connected with sophomore wide receiver Blake Thomas for a 62-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 38-28.
On SFA's next possession, Lamar defensive lineman Alexandre Dedieu forced a fumble on a sack, giving the Cardinals possession deep in Lumberjacks territory.
Jenkins sealed the victory with a 4-yard touchdown run, giving Lamar its final 45-28 advantage.
Defensively, the Cardinals forced four turnovers, including two interceptions and two recovered fumbles, while committing no turnovers of their own.
Bryce McDonald recorded an interception that he returned 49 yards, while Mar Mar Evans added another interception. Dawson Washington recovered a fumble and finished with six tackles, tying Brennen Bailey for the team lead.
Lamar converted SFA's turnovers into 17 points and controlled possession for nearly 36 minutes compared to the Lumberjacks' 24 minutes.
Thomas finished with four receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown, while Driskell caught five passes for 79 yards and two scores.
The victory marked the second consecutive season Lamar has defeated multiple nationally-ranked opponents.
The Cardinals look to continue their momentum when they host East Texas A&M on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 3 p.m. at Provost Umphrey Stadium.