Box Score


HAMMOND – Facing the top-ranked defense in the Southland Conference, Southeastern Louisiana racked up 566 total yards on a way to a 56-34 victory over Lamar  on Homecoming Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium.
 
Southeastern (6-2, 3-0 Southland) erased a 14-0 first quarter deficit by scoring 42 unanswered points on the way to the lopsided win over the visiting Cardinals (3-5, 0-3 Southland). With the win, the Lions are off to their best overall start since 1981.
 
The win extended Southeastern's win streak to five games – matching the program's longest since 1983 – and remained in a tie for the Southland lead with McNeese State, which defeated Nicholls, 55-30. The two teams will break that tie next Saturday, when the Lions travel to Lake Charles for a 7 p.m. contest.
 
Junior quarterback Bryan Bennett led the offensive explosion for the Lions, throwing for 237 yards and two touchdowns on 15 of 22 passing, while also rushing for a team-high 95 yards on 11 carries. Sophomores Xavier Roberson and Rasheed Harrell each rushed for two touchdowns, while sophomores Kody Sutton and Darius Guy each had a score as the Lions racked up 310 yards rushing.
 
Sophomore Jeff Smiley and senior Marquis Fruge' each had receiving touchdowns from Bennett. Junior Isaiah Kepley finished with a team-high 72 yards.
 
Senior Cqulin Hubert led the Lion defense with eight tackles including two for loss, while juniors Drew Misita, Marquel Combs and Isiah Corbett were all credited with sacks. Senior defensive back Theo Alexander recorded his first interception of the season.
 
Lamar quarterback Caleb Berry finished with 299 yards and four touchdowns through the air, connecting on scores to Kade Harrington, Mark Roberts, Michael Handy and Jordan Edwards. Harrington also led the Cardinals with 19 carries for 100 yards.
Lamar jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead on Berry touchdown passes to Roberts and Handy. The Lions answered with a seven-play, 77-yard drive on the final drive of the first quarter. Sutton highlighted the drive with a 32-yard run and closed out the march with a one-yard plunge to pull Southeastern within 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Sutton's score started a run of four consecutive drives that saw the Lions score touchdowns. The Lions outscored Lamar, 21-0, in the second quarter, as Harrell raced in from 17 yards out, Roberson scored on a 10-yard run and Bennett found Smiley on a 23-yard scoring throw to give Southeastern a 28-14 halftime lead.
 
Any chance of a Lamar comeback was ended in the third quarter. A 47-yard Bennett run highlighted Southeastern's five-play, 81-yard scoring drive to open the second half. Fruge' accounted for the final 31 yards, taking in a Bennett pass and racing in to put Southeastern up, 35-14.
 
After the two teams traded punts over the next several possessions, Harrell scored on a 27-yard touchdown run to put the Lions up, 42-14, with 5:05 left in the third quarter. Lamar would get no closer than 21 the rest of the way.
 
Southeastern's showdown with McNeese will be broadcast on KSLU 90.9 FM, the flagship station of the Southeastern Sports Radio Network, as well as Northshore Broadcasting stations Kajun 107.1 FM and The Joint 104.7 FM. Fans can listen online at www.LionSports.net or on their smart phone using the TuneIn Radio app. LionVision subscribers can access a live video stream, provided by McNeese State, at LionSports.net.