Box Score

Box Score

HAMMOND – In a game that featured 1,050 yards of total offense, Lamar scored 28 unanswered points in a six-minute span of the second half to get past Southeastern Louisiana, 48-38, in Southland Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Strawberry Stadium.

The Lions (1-4, 0-2 SLC) led 24-13 midway through the third quarter, before Lamar took over behind senior quarterback Andre Bevil, who threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns on 19 of 32 passing. The Cardinals, playing in their first Southland Conference contest since bringing back the program prior to the 2010 season, moved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Southland Conference play.

Junior Sam Fairley and sophomore LaTruan Weary each had rushing touchdowns for the Lions. Senior quarterback Brian Young threw for 291 yards and two scores on the day, hitting senior Brandon Collins and freshman Dean Johnson on scoring passes. Senior Kory Theodore led the Lions with seven catches for 113 yards.

Defensively, junior Tay Alford paced Southeastern with 13 tackles. Sophomore Walter Smith and senior Devin Boutwell each forced fumbles for the Lions. Junior Ricky Irvin recovered a fumble and junior Robert Alford had his first interception of the season.

However, Lamar countered with 561 yards of total offense, behind Bevil and wide receiver Marcus Jackson, who caught five passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing a 62-yard scoring strike to J.J. Hays. Hays, Mike Venson and Payton McVey each caught scores for the Cardinals. Venson handled the majority of the rushing load for Lamar, finishing with 27 carries for 84 yards.

The Lions held a 17-13 at halftime, but a pair of fumbles inside the Lamar 10-yard line on separate drives helped the Cardinals keep within striking distance. A Fairley 26-yard touchdown run gave Southeastern the early lead. Lamar countered with a 44-yard catch and run by Jackson to pull within one at the end of the first quarter, after Justin Stout had his point after attempt was blocked.

Lamar took their first lead on a four-yard scoring run by Octavious Logan with 11:55 remaining in the half. That lead would last just 13 seconds, as Southeastern struck back with a 51-yard scoring strike from Young to Collins. An interception by Robert Alford set up a 40-yard field goal by sophomore Seth Sebastian and a 17-13 halftime lead for the Lions.

The two teams traded empty possessions to start the second half, before the Lions broke through. Weary's first carry of the game was good for a 38-yard touchdown run – the first of his collegiate career – to put Southeastern on top, 24-13, with 8:30 left in the third quarter.

Lamar answered with its most methodical drive of the game, marching 80 yards on 11 plays and taking 4:23 off the clock. On a play action pass, Bevil found a wide-open McVey from two yards out to cut the lead to 24-20, with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter.

Junior quarterback Nathan Stanley led the Lions on an impressive drive on Southeastern's next possession, but Lamar's Mario Foster stuffed Fairley on a fourth-and-one at the Lamar 34-yard line to give Lamar the momentum back for good.

On the ensuing play, Bevil tossed a lateral to Jackson, who found a wide open Hays streaking down the field for a 62-yard touchdown and a 27-24 lead. After a three-and-out by the Lions, Lamar put together a five-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a 32-yard Bevil to Venson scoring hookup and a 34-24 lead under a minute into the fourth quarter.

Any chance of a Southeastern comeback was ended on the next drive, as Stanley was intercepted by Ryan Clark to set Lamar up at the Lion 24-yard line. Two plays later, Logan scampered in from six yards out for a 41-24 lead with 13:25 left in the game.

Southeastern cut the deficit to 10 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Young with 10:47 left, but Lamar answered as Bevil again found a wide-open Jackson from 29 yards out to put Lamar up, 48-31, with 8:14 remaining. The Lions would manage a score in the final minute on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Young to Johnson to cut the final margin to 10.  

Southeastern will be off next weekend, before heading to Northwestern State for a 6 p.m. contest in Natchitoches on Oct. 15. That game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net.