STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE (3-2; 1-1) VS. (#22) LAMAR (3-2; 0-0)
WHEN: Oct. 12 (SAT.) 3:00 P.M.
WHERE: Provost Umphrey Stadium (Beaumont, Texas)
TV: ESPN+
Homecoming
SERIES HISTORY
FOOTBALL HISTORY VS LAMAR UNIVERSITY FROM OCTOBER 12, 1923 - NOVEMBER 20, 2021
WINS: 15
LOSSES: 19
TIES: 2
Away Record: 9-11-1
Streak: 2-Wins
SFA has won 3 of the last 4 meetings (all three wins were in Beaumont)
Away: 42-6 (2021)
Away: 24-17 (2019)
Home: 17-24 (2018)
Away: 34-7 (2017)
It's Homecoming this weekend as the Lumberjacks of SFA make their way to the oil fields of Beaumont to take on SLC foe Lamar Cardinals.
LU currently is riding a 5-game home winning streak and will look for number 6 this weekend with their conference opener against the Lumberjacks.
With a solid grind you out type of football, the Cardinals for 2024 jumped out to an impressive 3-1 record to start including a thrilling 17-16 victory over #20 Weber State, as well as a good showing in San Marcos, losing by 7 to Texas State.
The offense does not wow you, scoring only 21 points a game, with 154 rushing yards on the ground and 162 through the air, they just use a simple balance of ball control that can sustain long time consuming drives to tire and frustrate opposing defenses.
Senior QB #5 Robert Coleman 6-0; 200 out of Menifee, California is your classic duel threat, who will tuck it and run and burn you for a quick gainer. Lamar likes to pound the ball behind explosive senior RB #6 Khalan Griffin 5-10; 205 out of Tyler, Texas (Chapel Hill) who on the season has 555 yards (6.0 AVG) with 5 TD's, averaging 111 yards a game.
Defensively the Cardinals give up 187 yards on the ground, and 175 passing, while surrendered 23-points a game. The secondary proves to be the strength of the Lamar defense with Hometown Junior DB #1 Kristian Pugh 5-11; 185 out of West Brook High who leads the team in tackles with 39 and junior DB #2 DeJuan Lewis 5-10; 190 out of Pearland, Texas (Shadow Creek) with 36 tackles who also leads the team with 2 INTs.
SFA enjoys a 6-2 record (8-2 going back to 1988) against the Lamar Cardinals since 2010 when NCAA football returned for LU. That stretch includes a 4-1 record (the one loss was by a point in 2013 45-46) in Beaumont for the Jacks. SFA's worse loss to Lamar since 1981 was a 7-point loss in 2018 (17-24) at Homer Bryce.
Moral is high for the Jacks who finally seem to have some momentum on this season, winning their last 2-games in dominating fashion, as well as their first conference win since 2022. SFA has a swarming defense that gets after the ball, an offensive line that protects (1-sack all season in FCS games) a QB in Sam Vidlak who is quietly putting together what could become a special season with pin point accuracy (going 39 of 55; for 526 yards, 7 TD's, no INTs or sacks in the last two games.)
Can the Jacks keep this thing going with the meat of the season in coming!
Axe'EM
