Sept. 3, 2011

Box Score |  Texas College vs. Lamar 

BEAUMONT - Braving a steady and driving rain and winds that gusted up to 30 miles an hour at times, the Lamar University Cardinals opened their 2011 season with a decisive 58-0 victory over Texas College.

Although the inclement weather kept thousands of Lamar fans at home (sill, the paid attendance was 15,367), the Cardinals put on an impressive performance, one that included a four-touchdown 105-yard rushing performance by Navarro College transfer DePauldrick Garrett, who starred at nearby West Orange-Stark High School,

Garrett's four touchdowns set a Lamar record, and his 24 points surpassed Harold LaFitte's 46-year-old school record of 20 set in a 1965 game against Pensacola Navy.

Also, the eight extra points booted by sophomore Justin Stout matched the school record set by Walter Smith against Mexico Poly in 1961.

Teamwise, the 58-point winning margin was the largest in school history, exceeding the 48 points by which the 1953 Cardinals outscored Mexico Poly.

The 5-foot-8, 190-pound Garrett scored on runs of 1, 2 and 1 yards, and the Cardinals also received a 2-yard TD run by Octavious Logan and a 38-yard interception return for a score by junior defensive back Adrian Guillory in the first half, alone. The 35 first-half points were six more than the one-game high last season.

Garrett scored his fourth TD of the night early in the third quarter, moments after sophomore Kye Hildreth recovered a fumbled punt by the Steers at the 7-yard line. Two plays later, Garrett gouged his way into the north end zone to break both school standards.

Later in the third quarter, sophomore linebacker James Washington came up with Lamar's second pickoff and took it back 56 yards to run the Cardinals' lead to 49-0. A safety at the 3:45 mark of the quarter increased the cushion to 51-0, and Mike Vinson's 4-yard TD smash over left tackle with 12.7 seconds left enabled the Cardinals to take a 58-0 lead into the final period.

Defensively, the Cardinals were dominant. They limited the Steers to three first downs and 12 total yards on 30 first-half plays, and Texas College's respective game totals were five and 64.

The Cardinals forced five turnovers (two interceptions and three lost fumbles). Meanwhile, Lamar's offense rushed for 209 yards by far the Cardinals' most during the Ray Woodard coaching era. They also passed for 111 yards, giving them 320 yards, and they lost only two turnovers (both fumbles).

It's going to be tough to evaluate this game, because of the weather," said Woodard. "We didn't get to do everything we wanted to offensively. It's going to be tough to get a good handle on gauging this game.

"Obviously, we were the better team tonight, but it won't be that way next week (when the Cardinals travel to Mobile, Ala., to take on South Alabama. We're going to have to step it up in our practices next week in order to be properly prepared for those guys (the Jaguars, who have posted 18-consecutive victories since starting their football program during the 2009 season).

"Our players who were with us last year know what we're getting into, and they have a good idea of what they're going to have to do to be more competitive this year (the Jaguars blanked the Cardinals 26-0 in Beaumont last season.)."

Garrett believes what the Cardinals accomplished offensively in their opener is a good indication they will be a much different team this season.

"All week in our practices we worked and talked about establishing the run," said Garrett. "We wanted to show that we can be more aggressive with the running game.

"I wanted to help us set that tone, and I felt after my first carry tonight that that tone was going to be set.

"I believe Daniel Campbell and Anthony Oden are beginning to develop some really good chemistry on left side up front, and that's going to make a huge difference. When I carry to the left side of the line of scrimmage, I just concentrate on staying low and then popping out when I get my chances."

Taking advantage of excellent field position and of the strong north wind at their backs, the Cardinals put together three short touchdown drives in leaping to a 21-0 first-quarter lead. The drives covered 30, 8 and 21 yards, two of them coming after the Steers' Houston Creighton experienced great difficulty punting into the wind.

Garrett carried on all five plays of the opening possession and had long runs of 10 and 11 yards on consecutive plays. He finished the push with a 1-yard dive over left tackle with 11:48 left in the first period.

A sack of Harper and resulting fumble recovered by Darby Jackson, left the Cardinals only 8 yards to drive to their second touchdown. Garrett also did all of the honors, powering for 7 yards and then 1 to go into the end zone with 3:10 left in the period.

A wobbling, 15-yard punt by Chreighton set up the Cardinals' third score of the quarter. Logan finished the five-play, 21-yard possession by taking a Bevil pitchout 2 yards around left end with 2.9 seconds left in the quarter.

The Cardinals then went up 28-0 after Guillory came up with his interception at the 38-yard line and found an open alley down the left side of the field for the touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Another sack and of Harper (by Mark Murril) and resulting fumble recover by Eric ArnoldSteer set up Garrett's third touchdown of the opening half.

It came on a 1-yard dive to make it 35-0 with 11:30 left in the half. Garrett finished the opening half with 81 yards on 15 carries, and the Cardinals had 127 rushing yards, more than double their per-game average during the 2010 season.

LAMAR