BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University went toe-to-toe with the nation's eighth ranked team but came up just short falling to UIW, 17-7, Saturday evening at Provost Umphrey Stadium. It was just a seven-point game with less than three minutes remaining before UIW kicked a field goal with 2:01 left for the final tally.
 
The loss snapped the Cards' (4-4/3-1 Southland) four-game win streak and was their first loss in conference play this season.
 
The Cardinals finished the day with 248 yards of total offense, with 175 of those coming through the air. Junior Robert Coleman was 11-of-25 for 100 yards, but also threw an interception. Coleman's favorite target was junior Sevonne Rhea who hauled in six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown.
 
Junior Khalan Griffin led a ground attack against a defense that was keyed on stopping the run. Griffin finished the day with 16 carries for 50 yards.
 
Lamar had a bend but don't break mentality on defense as UIW finished the night with 459 yards and limited the visiting Cardinals to just 17 points. LU continued to turn away drive after drive by coming up with big stops on fourth down or a blocked field goal attempts. Lamar never allowed the bad guys to get the play they needed to provide a cushion in the score.
 
Sophomore Brayden Faulkner led the Cardinals with 10 stops, with an assisted tackle for a loss. He was one of nine Cardinals credited with a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Junior Jalen Freeman had eight stops, including an assisted tackle for a loss and blocked a field goal. Sophomore Siale Suliafu added four tackles, including 1.5 for losses.
 
After UIW opened up the scoring with a touchdown – a 24-yard pass from Richard Torres to Brandon Porter – Lamar would answer right back. On the first play of the ensuing kickoff, Cameron George faked a run and threw the ball down the field to a wide open Rhea who was cutting across the middle. Rhea then turned up the field untouched for a 75-yard score.
 
UIW would reclaim the lead early in the second quarter on an 18-yard pass from Torres to Dalton Meyer and the score would remain 14-7 until the fourth quarter.
 
The third quarter was a defensive slugfest as UIW was held to just 25 total yards while Big Red managed only 52. The fourth quarter was shaping up for a similar outcome until UIW managed to put together a nine-play, 50-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock late in the game  and ended with a Mason Lawler 27-yard field goal for the final score.
 
The Cardinals will have to put this game behind them quickly and prepare for Texas A&M-Commerce. The game against the Lions will kick off at 3 p.m. from Provost Umphrey Stadium. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN.