BEAUMONT, Texas – For just the second time in school history, and the first time since 2018, Lamar University is headed to the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The Cardinals will open postseason play Saturday at 10^th-seeded Abilene Christian.
 
Both teams enter the postseason with 8-4 records. Lamar finished tied for third in the Southland standings, while ACU is the co-conference champions of the United Athletic Conference. Big Red posted key wins over No. 4 South Dakota and No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana but struggled some down the stretch dropping three of its final four but that stretch included two road games and two games against ranked teams. ACU caught fire late winning their final four games and six of their last seven.
 
For the Cardinals, the 2025 campaign marks the third consecutive year the Red and White has seen improvement under head coach Pete Rossomando. After leading the Cardinals to a winning season and the nation's fourth-largest single-season turnaround (at the FCS level) in year one, Lamar won seven games last year. Big Red tied a single-season record for wins (as a four-year institution) in 2025. Rossomando already has more wins after three seasons than any other LU head coach after the first four years with the program.
 
Lamar is making its first appearance in the postseason since 2018 when the Cardinals rallied to close the season with six-straight wins. Lamar traveled to Northern Iowa that season but dropped a heartbreaker in Cedar Falls.
 
Led by first-team All-Southland defensive back Kristian Pugh, the Cardinals bring one of the nation's top defenses to Abilene. The Cardinals held five teams to 17 points or fewer and six to 21 or less this season.
 
The Cardinals lead the all-time series against Abilene Christian, 13-10 (.565), but ACU has won the previous three meetings. Saturday's contest will be the first between the two schools since 2022. Oddly, each team has done better on the road in the series with Lamar holding a 7-4 advantage in Abilene, but the Cardinals are looking for their first win in Abilene since 2016.
 
Saturday's game is set for a noon kick off from Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.
   
We're BAAAAAAACCCCKKKK!
The Cardinals are making their second appearance in the NCAA FCS playoffs and the first since 2018.
 
Last Time Here
The Cardinals traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa in 2018 to take on Northern Iowa. Big Red jumped out to a 13-0 first quarter lead but the Panthers would rally to take a 16-13 lead late in the contest. Lamar had a chance to tie the game but missed a 36-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining.
 
LU vs. the Wildcats
The Cardinals lead the all-time series against Abilene Christian, 13-10 (.565), but ACU has won the previous three meetings. Saturday's contest will be the first between the two schools since the 2022 campaign. Oddly, each team has done better on the road in the series with Lamar holding a 7-4 series advantage in Abilene, but the Cardinals are looking for their first win in Abilene since 2016.
 
LU vs. the Playoff Field
The Cardinals enter the 2025 NCAA FCS Playoffs having played three of the teams in the field and have posted a 2-1 (.667) record in those games. The Cardinals defeated No. 4 South Dakota and No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana during the regular season with the lone loss coming at No. 19 Stephen F. Austin.
 
All-Southland Conference
Ten Cardinals were named to the 2025 All-Southland Conference teams, including five first-team selections. Lamar's 10 selections include Devyn Gibbs (first-team tight end), Reggie Brooks (first-team offensive line), Knox Boyd (first-team offensive line), Ben Woodard (first-team kicker), Kristian Pugh (first-team defensive back), Kortez Winslow (second-team offensive line), Peyton Christian (second-team defensive line), Paul Omodia (second-team defensive back), LaDamion McDowell (second-team kick returner) and Kydon Fuselier (second-team punt returner).
 
Weekly Recognition
During the 2025 season, Lamar recorded nine (4 - defensive and 5 - special teams) conference players of the week selections. During head coach Pete Rossomando's three seasons with Lamar, the Cardinals have recorded 20 SLC Player of the Week selections. Prior to Rossomando's arrival, the Cardinals had received just 27 weekly accolades since bringing back the program (for the 2010 season). Big Red also had two STATS Perform FCS National Players of the Week picks in 2025.
 
Changing the Culture
Prior to head coach Pete Rossomando's arrival, Lamar had never been ranked in the NCAA FCS polls. The Cardinals have landed in the FCS top-25 polls in each of the past two seasons and Lamar has been ranked for the last 12 weeks (climbing as high as 14th).
 
Claiming a Piece of History
Lamar's win over Southeastern Louisiana was its eighth of the season and tied a single-season school record (as a four-year institution). A win Saturday would be the most wins in a season since 1949 (when the Cardinals won 10 games), but a win Saturday would set a new single-season record as a four-year institution (Lamar was a junior college through the 1951 season).
 
Winning Record
Lamar has secured a winning season in three consecutive years which is the program's longest run of success since the 1965 through 1967 seasons. The win over Southeastern Louisiana also secured a step forward for a third-straight season under head coach Pete Rossomando. After guiding the Cardinals to six wins (a five-win improvement from the previous season) in his first year, the Cardinals won seven games last year.
 
Texas Two Step
LU's victory over Southeastern Louisiana was Lamar's second over a nationally ranked program in 2025. It is the first time Lamar has defeated two ranked teams in the same year since 2018. LU is one of just eight FCS teams who have recorded multiple wins over top 25 teams this year.
 
Beaumont's Air Defense System
Beaumont senior Kristian Pugh picked off his fourth pass of the season, and second in as many weeks, in the regular-season finale against McNeese. Pugh ended the season tied for first in the Southland with his four picks. He has seven interceptions for his career. In addition to Pugh's success in the secondary, sophomore Paul Omodia led the Southland with 12 pass breakups in 2025. 
 
The Rossomando Effect
In the three years prior to Pete Rossomando's arrival, Lamar had won a total five games. Rossomando took over a program that had won just one game the year before. In his first season, he won six games and posted the team's first winning season since 2018. It was the fourth-best single-season turnaround at the FCS level. LU took another step forward last season with seven wins. In his third year, the Cardinals have won eight games and advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs. Rossomando has won more games in his first three years with the program than any prior LU coach after four seasons with the team.