BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals football team closes out the 2015 regular season Saturday against rival McNeese State. The Cardinals (5-5/4-4 Southland) enter the contest looking to lock up a winning season, while the visitors want to keep their undefeated season intact. In addition, the second-ranked Cowboys are still fighting for the top overall seed in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
"To say McNeese State is a good team might just be the understatement of the year," said head coach
Ray Woodard. "They are undefeated for a reason. They are playing well at every position. This is a very big game for us too. We have a lot on the line – playing for a winning season, second-straight win over our rivals and the opportunity to open conference play with a win over a top-five program and close the year with a win over a top-five program."
The Cardinals enter Saturday's game looking to lock up consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 1966 and 1967 seasons, which, coincidentally, is the last time LU recorded consecutive wins over the Cowboys.
For the Cardinals to do that, they will have to overcome a McNeese State defense that leads the league in total (292.4, scoring (10.8 ppg) and rush (80.3 ypg) defense. The Cowboys are sixth in the league surrendering 212.1 pass yards per game.
The Red and White will attack that defense with the league's top rushing offense. LU enters the week averaging nearly 287.2 rushing yards per game, led by the nation's leading rusher
Kade Harrington (202.2 ypg). Last week at Incarnate Word, Harrington notched another 200-yard rushing game on his way to becoming the school's all-time leading rusher. In addition to that, Harrington became only the seventh player in NCAA Division I history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in only 10 games.
Harrington isn't the only Cardinal player chasing down career records during the 2015 season. Beaumont senior
Reggie Begelton has an outside shot at two career marks Saturday. He needs only two touchdown receptions to become the school's all-time leader, and just seven catches to become the Southland's all-time leader.
Begelton will be one of several players who will be playing for the final time in the LU red and white. He joins
Ronald Barrett,
Tommie Barrett,
Garrett Drake,
Carl Harris,
DaQuan Stewart,
Devonn Brown,
Jayce Nelson, Gee Gladney,
Joe Minden,
Seth Ellis,
Michael Sheridan,
Mike Hargis,
Brent Nicholson, Ronnie Jones,
Cody Elenz,
Justin Brock,
Logan Moss and
Joshua Frost who will all be honored prior to the game.
In addition to honoring the seniors, LU will also honor its 2015 Hall of Honor class which consists of Cassi Presley Riedel, Chris Stroud and Rush Wood.
Riedel was a standout for the LU volleyball and women's track and field squads. A four-year letterwinner, Presley was a three-time All-American South Conference selection who still ranks among the school's all-time leaders in kills and digs, and was a conference high jump champion during the indoor and outdoor seasons. One of the best golfers in Southland Conference history, Stroud remains the only golfer in SLC history to be named golfer of the year all four of his seasons. A two-time Ping All-America selection, Stroud finished third at the 2003 NCAA Championships. Wood recorded two separate stints in the LU Athletics department, serving as sports information director from 1979 until 1991 before going into the newspaper industry. He came out of retirement in 2009 to become LU's assistant athletics director for media relations to help oversee the return of football to the university. He was the 2013 recipient of the Southland Conference's Louis Bonnette Sports Media Ward, presented annually to the individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of sports information, print journalism, broadcasting or other media focused on the Southland Conference or its member institutions.
Several promotions will be taking place surrounding Saturday's game. The ATO's will be hosting the Cardinal Canned Food Drive beginning at 4 p.m. at all four gates. Any fan who brings two canned food items will receive a voucher to purchase a $5 general admission ticket for any LU basketball game. In addition to the canned food drive, Twangsters Union will be performing in concert beginning at 4 p.m. located near the marquee at the northwest corner of the stadium.
The Walk of Champions will be led into the stadium by local motorcyclists. Those same motorcyclists will also form the tunnel for the team to run through prior to kick off. As fans walk in to the stadium, they will receive an AT&T jersey shaped rally towel.
Saturday's game is slated to kick off at 6 p.m. from Provost Umphrey Stadium.
-LU CARDINALS-
