BEAUMONT – The Incarnate Word Cardinals suffered a heartbreaking 27-21 loss to the Lamar Cardinal at Provost Umphrey Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The loss was the first for UIW since September 8 when they fell to North Texas 58-16 and snaps their three-game winning streak. The Cardinals also suffered their first loss in conference play.
UIW opened the scoring in the first quarter when freshman quarterback Jon Copeland found Lamont Johnson for a 50-yard touchdown reception, putting the Cardinals up 7-0. In the second quarter, UIW threatened to score again and had the ball on Lamar’s 13-yard line but Copeland’s pass was intercepted.
Lamar tied the game going into the locker room with Darrel Colbert’s 89-yard touchdown pass to Jawun Ruffin to make it a 7-7 ball game going into the second half. The Cardinal opened the third quarter with a six-play, 75-yard drive as Colbert found Zae Giles for a 40-yard touchdown to put Lamar up 14-7.
UIW tied the game on Ra’Quanne Dickens’ one-yard touchdown run. Lamar opened the fourth quarter by taking the lead right back as Colbert ran the ball in for a score. Copeland tied the game up with a 75-yard drive, capped off with a four-yard touchdown to Lamont Johnson, his second score of the game.
The game would remain scoreless until the final seconds when UIW kicker Rhett Marshall came on to attempt the game-winning field goal. Lamar used all three of its timeouts to ice the kicker and would block the kick, returning it all the way for a touchdown as time expired.
Copeland finished the game with 515 yards passing on 39 competitions to go along with two touchdowns. He also threw four interceptions.
UP NEXT:
Incarnate Word is now 3-3 (3-1, SLC) on the season and will return home to welcome the McNeese State Cowboys 5-1 (4-0, SLC) to Benson Stadium at 6 pm Central Time for a nationally televised game next Saturday.
