“`html
Lamar University opened its football season with a decisive 21-14 victory over Abilene Christian on Saturday night in Beaumont, Texas. Quarterback Aiden McCown led the Cardinals’ offensive attack, connecting on three touchdown passes to propel his team to victory. The winning performance marked a strong start for the 20th-ranked squad in the Stats Perform FCS rankings.
McCown orchestrated an efficient scoring drive early in the contest, with a 5-yard touchdown reception by Davin Driskill giving Lamar an initial 7-0 advantage. The Cardinals continued their momentum through the first half, with McCown finding Blake Thomas for a 33-yard score in the closing moments of the second quarter. Driskill caught his second touchdown of the evening on a 5-yard play in the fourth quarter, extending Lamar’s lead to 21-7. Despite completing just 17 of 32 pass attempts for 183 yards, McCown’s accuracy in the end zone proved decisive.
Abilene Christian mounted a late comeback effort, with redshirt sophomore quarterback John David Black orchestrating a scoring drive that culminated in a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cristian Driver. The 15th-ranked Wildcats pulled within seven points with over three minutes remaining. However, their final drive stalled inside the Lamar 10-yard line when Black was tackled one yard short of a first down on fourth down with seconds left.
The contest served as a rematch of last year’s playoff matchup, which Abilene Christian won decisively. Both teams will travel to play Power Five opponents next weekend, with Lamar heading to Louisiana-Lafayette and Abilene Christian visiting Texas Tech.
“`
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
About the Author
