BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will kick off a new season Saturday when they step on the field against Kentucky Christian. Led by second-year head coach Mike Schultz, the Cardinals enter the 2018 season opener in a stark contrast to the 2017 season. Led by 19 returning starters, the Cardinals are a more veteran squad than last year (the 2017 team consisted of 57 brand new players to the squad).
 
The Cardinals enter the new year with 48 returning letterwinners. Among the returning starters eight are on the offensive side of the ball, seven on defense and four specialists. Included among those numbers are Darrel Colbert, Jr., who earned the starting quarterback job last season after transferring from SMU before getting hurt midway through the season.  The Cardinals also return preseason all-conference selection Zae Giles as a return specialist.
 
Saturday's contest will be a similar task for both squads as LU and Kentucky Christian will be looking to bounce back from disappointing 2017 campaigns. The Cardinals were 2-9 (.182) last year but got better as the season wore on. The final two games of the season saw LU rally to defeat Houston Baptist on the road and holding nationally ranked McNeese to just 13 points. The KCU Knights struggled to a 1-10 (.091) record last year.
 
"Our complete focus has been Kentucky Christian," said LU head coach Mike Schultz. "KCU is a well-coached team. Corey Fipps will have his team ready to play. He is an air-raid guy, but it is a bit of a moderated version of the air-raid. They will run the ball a bit more than the traditional air raid.
 
The Cardinals return the heart of their offense from last season which averaged nearly 380 yards per game and included 160 rushing yards per game. LU does return eight starters on offensive but will be looking to replace two members of its offensive line, including three-year starting center Matt Oubre.
 
Defensively, the Cardinals had one of the nation's most opportunistic defenses last season. Big Red ranked among the league leaders in turnover margin and interceptions. The Cardinals also led the Southland and ranked among the nation's leaders in fumble recoveries and turnovers gained.
 
"I think our coaches and players feel strongly that we are farther along than we were at this point last year," said Schultz. "Last year, just to start the season we were dodging Harvey, so we didn't have the normal amount of practices. We've had more workouts this year which that in and of itself has made us better. Plus, we have more returning players that we can lean on and those guys know what is expected of them and there is also the continuity of having our coaching staff remain intact for the most part."
 
KCU enters Saturday's contest coming off a loss to Webber International in its opener. The Knights recorded 226 yards of total offense in their season-opener and struggled to get much going on the ground. The Knights ended the game with 101 yards rushing against Webber.
 
A major reason for the excitement surrounding the Cardinals' program in 2018, in addition to the number of returning letterwinners, is the hard work put in by the team in the weight room during the offseason. Numerous school records were set to go along with countless personal bests. The best evidence of the Cardinals' hard work is the size of the offensive line. Big Red ended the 2017 campaign averaging 284 pounds on the line but entered camp averaging 312.
 
Fans interested in attending Saturday's season opener can still purchase tickets through the LU Ticket Office, which is now offering extended hours the week of home football games. The ticket office will remain open until 6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and until 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.
 
Fans who take advantage of the extended office hours will be treated to far more than the exciting college football action on the field. Pregame activities include MobilOil Credit Union Fireworks throughout the game and a postgame firework show, the Remax Skydiving Team will enter the stadium carrying the official game ball, a new Cardinal Fan Zone will be located in lot A-5 during tailgating, there will be live music and all local youth football players receive a free general admission ticket (if wearing their jersey). There will also be a youth game at halftime.
 
Saturday will also serve as Community Heroes Day on the campus. All police, firefighters, EMTs and military (with valid ID) will receive a free GA ticket and can receive up to four $5 GA tickets for family and friends.
 
In addition to the previously listed pregame activities, the LU spirit squads and marching band – The Showcase of Southeast Texas – will also be performing. The Cardinals will also be re-introducing an old tradition at Provost Umphrey Stadium, the ringing of the bells. Used to signify a Cardinals' score, the bells were removed from the stadium following the end of the football program in 1989. During the offseason, the bells were found in storage, refurbished and one of the two bells will be in the stadium for game one, with the second bell coming in 2019.
 
Chartwells will also be offering a more fan-friendly menu in 2018. The new additions to the menu include Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, jalapeno bacon slider poppers, crawfish stack and carne asada taco trio to go along with many fan favorites. Chartwells will also have the Taco Shack Food Truck located in the tailgate area.