BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University is set to open a new season under head coach Pete Rossomando in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA FCS Playoffs against No. 15 Abilene Christian. The game, which has been chosen as the STATS Perform FCS Game of the Week, is one of just two nationally ranked matchups Saturday.
 
The No. 20 Cardinals enter Saturday ranked in the STATS Perform Preseason Top 25 Poll (FCS football's preeminent poll) for the first time in program history. The ranking comes following a season that saw LU tie a school record for wins (as a four-year institution), advance to the NCAA FCS playoffs for the just the second time in school history and the first since 2018 and end the year ranked for the first time in the I-AA/FCS era.
 
Led by the return of starting quarterback Aiden McCown (194-112-6/1,436 yds/10 TDs), who came on last season when 2025 starter Robert Coleman went down with an injury, prove that he can carry the load. He is now another year stronger and knows exactly what is expected him. He will be surrounded by a several big-play weapons including Blake Thomas and 2025 Freshman All-America LaDamion McDowell and protected by a revamped offensive line.
 
The defense is led by preseason All-American Andrew Huff (60 Tackles, 20 unassisted stops, 10.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks) who is the first Cardinal to be named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. Huff was one of the top newcomers last year – twice being named Southland Player of the Week – and is the team's second-leading returning tackler.
 
It is a similar situation for ACU who is looking to build off a nine-win season last year that saw them advance to the second round of the playoffs. A former Southland rival, the Wildcats have won consecutive United Athletic Conference titles which includes back-to-back nine-win seasons.
 
Saturday's contest is set for a 6 p.m. start from Provost Umphrey Stadium. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs. the Wildcats
In a series that dates back to the 1953 season, Saturday marks the first time that Lamar and ACU will play in consecutive weeks, but nine months have passed in between those two weeks. The Cardinals lead the all-time series, 13-11 (.542), but the series is split down the middle in Beaumont, 6-6 (.500). Lamar enters the season opener looking for its first series win since 2019.
 
Historic National Ranking
Lamar ended the 2025 season nationally ranked in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 poll for the first time in poll history. It should come as not shock that Big Red opens the 2026 season ranked in the preseason poll (20th). It marks the first time in program history that Lamar has entered a new season ranked in the STATS Perform poll. Viewed as the preeminent poll in FCS college football, the poll has been around since 1993 when it was the Sports Network I-AA Top 25 poll.
 
Southland Preseason Poll
In addition to the historic national ranking, Lamar enters 2026 picked third in the SLC preseason poll. The Cardinals received a first-place vote and 67 total points in the league's poll.
 
Preseason Watch List
Senior linebacker Andrew Huff enters 2026 with quite a bit of hype. A preseason All-American, Huff was named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List in July. Huff is the first LU player named to the Buchanan Award watch list, and first Cardinal to be named to a national award watch list since 2016 (Kade Harrington - Walter Payton Award).
 
The Rossomando Effect
LU head coach Pete Rossomando has won more games at Lamar in his first three seasons than any other LU head coach after four years, except for only Cardinal Hall of Honor coach Vernon Glass. He has won more games every year than the season before and has led the Cardinals to three consecutive winning records - the first time LU has reached that level of success since the 1965 - 67 seasons.