HAMMOND, La. – Lamar University's defense picked off two passes, forced two fumbles, including one returned for a score to defeat Southeastern Louisiana, 30-24, Saturday afternoon at Strawberry Stadium. The victory – Lamar's fourth consecutive – moves the Cardinals to 4-3 on the season, and LU now sits alone in first place with a perfect 3-0 Southland Conference record.
 
Big Red recorded 359 yards of total offense, including 257 through the air. Lamar won the time of possession battle holding the ball for 32:26, while the Lions had the ball for 27:34.
 
It was the defense that came up with several big plays in the first half to flip the momentum in LU's favor. The Cardinals picked off two passes, forced three fumbles – recovering two – including one returned for a touchdown.
 
Junior Robert Coleman completed 17-of-22 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried the ball seven times for 12 yards. Coleman connected with four different receivers led by six catches for 133 yards and two scores from Sevonne Rhea, and five catches for 86 yards from Andre Dennis.
 
The Cardinals ground attack was led by Khalan Griffin who ended the game with 23 carries for 71 yards.
 
Defensively, the Cardinals were led by eight tackles (four solo) from Joshua Ofili, while Jalen Freeman added seven stops including one for a loss. K.J. Gilbert recovered one of the three SLU fumbles which he returned 60 yards for a score. The Cardinals' two interceptions were recorded by Kevin Anderson and Canden Grogan.
 
After both teams scored field goals on their opening drives, Southeastern Louisiana scored the first touchdown of the game on their second drive. It appeared Southeastern Louisiana had taken a two-touchdown lead until a score was called back on a hold. Moments later, the Cardinals stripped the football which was recovered by Gilbert and returned 60 yards for a score – the second consecutive week the Cardinals recovered a fumble for the touchdown.
 
The very next play for the Southeastern offense was an interception by Anderson. Unfortunately, the Cardinals couldn't convert the turnover into points, but the offense was able to pin the Lions inside their own five on a punt. The Cardinal defense then forced Southeastern to punt the ball back.
 
Lamar took its first lead of the game, 17-10, when Major Bowden took a direct snap right up the middle for a four-yard run. The score capped a seven-play, 51-yard drive that took less than three minutes off the clock.
After the defense forced another stop, the Cardinals got the ball back with just over six minutes remaining. Similar to what happened to Southeastern earlier in the half, Bowden broke a long run for a score only to have it called back on a hold. Two plays later, Coleman found Sevonne Rhea in the back left corner of the end zone to give Big Red and 23-10 lead with just under three to play in the first half.
 
The defense then came up with another big play as Canden Grogan picked off an Eli Sawyer pass over the middle. The first play from scrimmage saw Coleman go right back to Rhea this time in the right corner of the end zone to give Lamar a 20-point lead.
 
The Lions were the first team to score in the third quarter but that came with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to answer, and the Lions scored on their next possession to pull within a touchdown, 30-24, with 9:29 remaining in the game.
 
The Cardinals now enter their off week and will return to action Saturday, Oct. 28, when they host UIW. The game against the league's other Cardinals will kick off at 3 p.m. from Provost Umphrey Stadium.