BEAUMONT, Texas – Two of the Southland Conference hottest teams will square off Saturday in Conway, Ark. when Lamar University travels to No. 20 Central Arkansas. The game matches a streaking LU squad (3-3/3-1 Southland) that has bounced back from an 0-3 start, while the Bears have won four straight since a loss to Samford.
 
"Central Arkansas is playing as good as anyone in the nation," said LU head coach Ray Woodard. "I'm very impressed with what (head coach) Steve Campbell has done up there. Offensively, their quarterback is doing a great job running and throwing the ball. Their two running backs have combined for 700 yards and they have some very talented receivers. On the flip side, their defensive is playing as well as anyone. They do a very good job in the secondary as well. They are a very good football team."
 
The Cardinals enter Saturday in a three-way tie for third place only a game back of Central Arkansas in the loss column. LU enters the week in a tie with Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls (who LU still has on the schedule), while UCA is one of only two remaining undefeated teams (Sam Houston State) remaining in the standings.
 
If the Cardinals can get past Central Arkansas they would have four games remaining on the schedule – two home and two away. The home contests will be against Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word, while the away games are at Nicholls and McNeese. Even with a victory Saturday, LU would still need some help. Big Red's lone Southland set back is against Sam Houston State.
 
The Cardinals are riding their biggest in-season win streak since bringing back the program (LU won the final two games of 2010 and the first game of 2011), and it is the longest win streak in the same season since the Cardinals rattled off three-straight in 1989. It was fitting that the Cardinals kept the streak alive by beating Northwestern State Saturday – the program's first win over the Demons since its revival.
 
The victory over Northwestern State will go down as one of the LU's most dramatic wins of all-time. Trailing by 13 points in the final two minutes, Big Red scored two touchdowns in the game's final 1:43, including a DeWan Thompson 22-yard reception in the back of the end zone on fourth down for the game-winner.
 
Senior quarterback Carson Earp guided the Cardinals to the win behind one of the best single-game performances of his career. The Robinson, Texas native, completed 29 passes for a career-high 412 yards and four touchdowns. He also carried the ball six times for 63 yards to earn Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Cardinals had two players finish the day with more than 100 yards receiving. It was the second consecutive game the Cards have recorded at least 500 yards of total offense.
 
"That was tough on (Carson) the other night to have that much placed on his shoulders but he really played well," said LU head coach Ray Woodard. "I think he is just getting started – he's going to continue to get better."
 
After falling behind 17-3 to start the game, and by 15 points to start the second half, the LU defense tightened surrendering only two scoring drives in the final 30 minutes. It was the defense's strength in the second half which slowed the Demon offense giving LU an opportunity to rally.
 
The Cardinals will need a similar performance this week as they face a Central Arkansas squad that ranks second in the league in scoring offense (38.3 ppg) and leads the conference in scoring defense (18.0 ppg). The Bears also leads the Southland total (305.7 ypg) and rush defense (65.8 ypg).
 
Junior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand guides an offense that is averaging nearly 480 yards per game. He has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,415 yards and nine touchdowns. He also leads the squad averaging nearly seven yards per carry.
 
LU fans will have their eyes on senior defensive back Brendan Langley. The former Georgia transfer has picked off at least one pass in each of the past four games and needs only one more pick to tie an LU single-season record. The record is currently held by Jake David which was set during the 1965 season.
 
The game against Central Arkansas will kick off at 6 p.m. from Estes Stadium. It will be televised on ESPN3, and the radio broadcast can be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI.
 
-LU CARDINALS-