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Lumberjacks end LU’s Homecoming hopes

LU head coach Mike Schultz tells the team to limit the mistakes during the Homecoming game 24-17, loss to Stephen F. Austin, Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium.. UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
LU head coach Mike Schultz tells the team to limit the mistakes during the Homecoming game 24-17, loss to Stephen F. Austin, Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium.. UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

The Lamar Cardinals football team’s Homecoming drought continued, as they lost to the Stephen F. Austin University Lumberjacks, 24-17, in a Southland Conference matchup, Saturday, at Provost Umphrey Stadium. With the loss the Cards are now 2–3 (0-2 SLC). The Cards have lost their last five Homecoming games.

“We’re disappointed and we self-destructed,” head coach Mike Schultz said. “We got to get that straightened out, and we had a talk about that in the locker room. I’m going to leave that conversation in the locker room. There were mistakes — a personal foul from 25-yards behind after a huge gain in yardage.”

In the first quarter, SFA started the scoring with 10:34 left, when kicker Storm Ruiz hit a 24-yard field goal. The Cardinals answered back three minutes later, when kicker Bailey Giffen hit a 44-yard field goal to end the quarter tied at three.

It was a defensive battle for the majority of the second quarter. With 5:51 left, SFA running back Davelle Fox scored from four yards out to take the lead. On the next drive, the Lumberjacks forced the Cardinals into a three-and-out. In the last two seconds of the half, Ruiz hit a 30-yard field goal to make it 13-3 SFA, sending both teams into the locker room.

“We made some adjustment at halftime,” Schultz said. “We made different calls and fixed some things. They came out and played us a bit differently — I believe at times we moved the ball better in the second half.”

Both teams were scoreless in the third quarter. Lamar struggled throughout the quarter as SFA forced them to punt four times.

With 11:43 left in the fourth quarter, SFA quarterback Trae Self threw a pick-six to LU defensive back Kyron Norwood to put LU back on the board and make the score 13-10.

“My coach, before the play he was teaching me a technique,” Norwood said. “I executed it the way he told me. The ball fell right into my hands and it was time to go to the crib. The technique was to basically have the quarterback think I am somewhere else.”

With 10:23 left in the game, Ruiz hit a 46-yard field goal to grow SFA’s lead to six points. Four minutes later, Lamar quarterback Jordan Hoy connected with tight end Mason Sikes to give the Cards the lead for the first time in the game, 17-16. A minute later, SFA running back Da’Leon Ward hit tight end Ryan Waugh for a four-yard touchdown, and quarterback Trae Self rushed in the two-point conversion to end the game, 24-17.

“If we are going to thrive in the conference, we have to correct our mistakes,” Schultz said. “It will not get any easier for us. Abilene is going to come in here and they are a darn good football team. It is going to be like that week after week.”

The Cardinals will look to return to winning ways when they take on SLC opponent Abilene Christian University Wildcats, at 6 p.m., Saturday, at Provost Umphrey Stadium.


RELATED IMAGES

  • Colton Peterson (left) and David Crowley (right) pray before the 17-24 loss against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack at Provest Umphery Stadium, Sep. 28. UP photo by Isabel Martinez
  • LU Quarterback, Jordan Hoy scrambles during the 17-24 loss against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack at Provest Umphery Stadium, Sep. 28. UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
  • LU Wide Receiver, Kirkland Banks scrambles during the 17-24 loss against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack at Provest Umphery Stadium, Sep. 28. UP photo by Isabel Martinez
  • Lamar football players tackle SFA running back during the homecoming game at Provost Umphrey Stadium on Sep 28. UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
  • LU Wide Receiver, Garrison Spring reaching to block a punt during the 17-24 loss against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack at Provest Umphery Stadium, Sep. 28. UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
  • LU Tight End, Mason Sikes runs towards the endzone during the 17-24 loss against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack at Provest Umphery Stadium, Sep. 28. UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
  • LU Quarterback, Jordan Hoy scrambles during the 17-24 loss against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack at Provest Umphery Stadium, Sep. 28. UP photo by Isabel Martinez
Category: Sports