BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University football team hits the road for its final away game of the 2015 season Saturday at Incarnate Word. The Southland's annual battle of the Cardinals pits two teams at either end of the momentum scale. UIW's version of the Cardinals are 5-4 (.556) on the season and fourth in the conference with a 4-3 (.571) record, while LU is a notch back of Incarnate Word in the standings with a 3-4 (.429) mark. Big Red is currently in four-way tie for fifth in the league race.
 
UIW is coming off one of its biggest wins in program history, a 16-2 decision at Southeastern Louisiana, while Beaumont's version of the Cardinals fell in a heartbreaker, 30-28, to Nicholls State last week in Provost Umphrey Stadium. After giving up a fourth quarter field goal, the Cardinals drove the ball right back down the field to line up for a potential game-winning field goal from 23 yards. But the kick sailed wide right in the swirling wind and rain as the Colonels picked up their first win in Beaumont and just their second win ever in the series.
 
"Coming into this game, there is no doubt that they will be the more confident of the two teams," said LU head coach Ray Woodard. "That will come from the fact they have had more success, especially lately. They are still playing for a lot of things this season – a winning record, a perfect record at home – so they will be ready to go. We have to be able to match their intensity from the opening kick."
 
The UIW confidence comes from the fact they own one of the league's top defenses. UIW is currently ranked fourth in the Southland surrendering just 377 yards of total offense per game, and just over 150 rushing yards per game. Adding to the impressive numbers, UIW's defense is coming off a performance where it didn't surrender an offensive point to Southeastern Louisiana's high octane offense.
 
LU will try and combat that with the league's top rushing offense (287 ypg), but will need to get its passing attack back in gear. The Red and White currently ranks seventh in the league in passing (187.3 ypg). Conversely, that is an area where San Antonio's version of the Cardinals have struggled (223.9 ypg/8^th in the Southland).
 
LU has another big reason to try and get its passing offense back in rhythm. Senior receiver Reggie Begelton is on the verge of a couple of career milestones with two games remaining in the regular season. The Beaumont native needs only two more touchdown receptions to become the school's all-time leader, and is 11 receptions shy of becoming the Southland's all-time leader in that category.
 
"Lamar suffered a horrible loss to Nicholls last week, missing a short field goal (which would have won) the game, but this is a team that beat Sam Houston State earlier in the season," said UIW head coach Larry Kennan. "They bring the nation's leading rusher into the game, and some good defensive players on the front and back end. We want to go undefeated at home this year, but we are going to have our hands full this week.
 
Saturday's game is slated to kick off at 2 p.m. from Benson Stadium. It will be the Cardinals second afternoon kick off of the season (Houston Baptist). The Cardinals will be back in town for the final game of the regular season Saturday, Nov. 21 against McNeese State. The game against the Cowboys will kick off at 6 p.m., and will serve as LU's Senior Night. Tickets for Senior Night can be purchased by clicking here.
 
-LU CARDINALS-