BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University opened the game with an 85-yard touchdown pass and sealed the win with an 88-yard punt return to defeat Nicholls, 24-17, Saturday afternoon at Provost Umphrey Stadium. The victory – Big Red's fourth consecutive – moves Lamar to 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in Southland Conference play.
 
The Colonels entered the day tied for first in league play but fall to 1-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play after opening the year with a 20-6 decision over then No. 5 UIW.
 
Lamar finished the day with 337 yards of total offense barely edged by Nicholls who recorded 348. In the series, it marks the fourth consecutive game where Lamar has scored 24 points against the Colonels. Lamar is 3-1 (.750) in those games.
 
Sophomore Paul Omodia led the Cardinals with 12 stops and broke up two passes. Senior Brayden Faulkner added nine stops (1.0 for a loss) while C.J. Miller added eight. Senior Ronnie Hamrick made eight tackles, including 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage.
 
Sophomore Aiden McCown improved to 3-0 as the starting quarterback. The Rusk native completed 12-of-22 passes (.545) for 237 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball four times for 19 yards and a score. McCown connected with eight different targets on the afternoon. Fuselier hauled in a team-high three passes for 33 yards while Blake Thomas caught two passes for 84 yards and a score.
 
Freshman LaDamian McDowell led the Cardinals' ground attack with 11 carries for 41 yards (3.7 ypc) for a team that finished the day with 36 carries for 100 yards rushing.
 
The Cardinals struck first when McCown found Thomas streaking down the near sideline all alone for an 85-yard touchdown pass. Unfortunately, the lead was short lived as Nicholls responded with an 11-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run to tie the game.
 
After Nicholls took a seven-point lead, Lamar mounted a drive midway through the second quarter. McCown guided the Cardinals on a 11-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 5:02 off the clock and ended with a McCown three-yard rush to tie the game at 14. Lamar would tack on a Ben Woodard 21-yard field goal with 2:24 remaining in the first half to take a three-point lead heading into halftime.
 
Nicholls managed to tie the game with four minutes remaining in the third with a 45-yard field goal to tie the game back at 17. The score remained, 17-17, until late in the fourth quarter.
 
After Lamar's defense forced a stop, the Colonels were forced to punt the ball away with less than four to play. Fuselier fielded the 50-yard punt on his own 12-yard line, broke two tackles and returned the ball 88 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The score, which proved to be the game winner, was just two yards shy of the longest return in program history and marked the second-straight season Fuselier has returned a punt for a score against the Colonels.
 
The Cardinals return to action Saturday, Oct. 11^th when they travel to Commerce, Texas to take on East Texas A&M. The game against the Lions is slated for a 6 p.m. kick off. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 and streamed live on ESPN+.