Oct. 16, 2010

Box Score

BEAUMONT - Kendall Houston rushed for a career-high 164 yards, and Lawson McGlon kicked four field goals Saturday night as South Alabama defeated Lamar University 26-0 before a crowd of 16,150 in Provost Umphrey Stadium.

It was South Alabama's third shutout of the season, and it was Lamar's first loss by shutout since a 21-0 defeat by Arkansas State during the 1985 season.

In moving to 6-0 on the season, the Jaguars held the Cardinals to 12 first downs (one rushing) and a total of 161 yards. They also forced four lost fumbles by the Cardinals.

"I thought our defense played very well against a very good offensive team, but we had a very disappointing offensive showing," said Ray Woodard, Lamar's head coach. "You can't pick out one player like the quarterback or one of the linemen or one of the receivers and say that guy was the problem. If that was the case, we could take that guy out of the game.

"It was a collection of things. We took turns shooting ourselves in the foot. Give South Alabama credit for not turning over the ball (actually, the Jaguars did lose one fumble). They held onto the ball, and we kept giving them the ball.

"We had a frustrating first half, but it was still just 10-0. If could've come back out there and put up one score, it would've been a three-point game and we would be back in it. We didn't do it. The third quarter was very disappointing and frustrating to watch."

The Cardinals' fumble woes began early as Octavious Logan lost the handle on an attempted run around left end on their second offensive play, and linebacker Josh Chestang returned the ball 11 yards for an easy touchdown.

McGlon's first field goal - a 22-yarder -- extended the lead to 10-0 late in the second quarter, and the teams played a scoreless second quarter.

McGlon, who entered the game 0-for-1 on field goal attempts added three-pointers of 32, 30 and 29 yards in the second half. The Jaguars' other touchdown came on a 1-yard pass from Brennan Sim to Ellis Hill with 4:26 left in the third quarter.

Cardinal quarterback Andre Bevil struggled against the strong-rushing Jaguar defense, going 15-for-35 for a season-low 105 yards but was sacked only one time. Kendrick Prejean and Josh Powdrill led the Lamar receiving corps with four catches each, and Kwabena Asante was the team's leading rusher with 29 yards on 11 carries.

The Jaguars forced eight punts by Lamar freshman Kollin Kahler, who averaged 39.6 yards with a long of 54.

South Alabama linebacker Charlie Higginbotham stripped Logan of the ball on Lamar's second offensive play, and Chestang scooped it up at the 11-yard line and returned it for the easy touchdown to give the Jaguars their early 7-0 lead. The touchdown came with 10:36 left in the first quarter.

Later in the quarter, the Jaguars drove 62 yards on seven plays to set up McGlon's 22-yard field goal that made it 10-0. Houston sparked the push with runs of 11 and 29 yards.

Linebacker Asim Hicks' block of a South Alabama punt early in the second quarter went for naught as the Jaguars held the Cardinals to a 31-yard field goal attempt by Justin Stout, and it went wide left with 7:13 left in the half.

On the next-to-last play of the half, McGlon was wide right on a 37-yard field goal attempt, leaving the score at 10-0 at the intermission.

The Jaguars held a 202-70 advantage in total yards as the half as the Cardinals managed only 22 yards on the ground and 48 through the air. Bevil went 7-of-19 in the first half, while USA's C.J. Bennett was 9-for-12 for 70 yards. Houston got 91 of his yards in the opening half.

Houston broke a 22-yard run on USA's first offensive play of the second half, and the Jaguars went on to drive 42 yards on six plays to set up McGlon's 32-yard field goal that made it 13-0 with 10:06 left in the third quarter.

After forcing a Lamar punt, the Jags went on a six-play, penalty-aided, 71-yard drive capped by Sim's 1-yard pass to Hill with 2:12 left.

Bevil fumbled after being sacked late in the third quarter, and defensive end Randon Carnathan recovered for the Jags at the Cardinal 20-yard line. Lamar's defense held, but McGlon's third field goal of the game - a 30-yarder - made it 23-0 on the third play of the final period.

The Cardinals get a break in their schedule next Saturday, and they will go on the road to face North Dakota in a noon game in the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. on Oct. 30.

LAMAR