NACOGDOCHES — NACOGDOCHES – Quarterback Ryan Mossakowski came off the Cardinals’ bench in

the second half to throw three long touchdown passes to Jordan Edwards on

Saturday night at Homer Bryce Stadium, but Lamar University couldn’t overcome

a 21-point halftime deficit in dropping its Southland Conference football

contest 40-26 to Stephen F. Austin.



The game was delayed nearly two and a half hours due to inclement weather and

the two teams were finally cleared to begin the game at 8:23 p.m. After falling

behind 27-6 at the half, it was Mossakowski and Edwards who were lighting up the

sky in the second half.



LU linebacker James Washington intercepted Brady Attaway midway through the

third quarter to stop a Lumberjack drive and give the Cards the ball at their

own 21-yard line. After a pass interference call gave Lamar a first down at its

own 40, Mossakowski hit Edwards for a 60-yard score to make it a 27-13 game with

5:58 to play in the third.



SFA (4-5 overall, 3-2 in the Southland) answered with a touchdown less than two

minutes later as backup quarterback Joe Minden found Ryan Gambel from eight

yards out to cap an eight-play, 65-yard drive and give SFA a 34-13 lead.



Following a 54-yard kickoff return by VanLawrance Franks, Lamar began its

ensuing drive at the SFA 40-yard line. On third-and-nine, Edwards was able to

come down with a tipped pass for a 39-yard score that pulled the Cards to within

34-20 with three minutes on the clock.



Jordan Wiggs would close the third quarter with a 27-yard field goal for the

‘Jacks to push the lead back to 37-20. Wiggs hit four field goals in the game

for the Lumberjacks, including a 21-yarder with just under 10 minutes to play in

the game to close out the SFA scoring.



Lamar’s final score was a 56-yard hookup from Mossakowski to Edwards that came

with 6:23 to play in the contest and ended up being the final points of the

game. Mossakowski finished 11-of-27 for 231 yards with three touchdowns and one

interception.



Edwards, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday Saturday night, became just the

second Cardinals’ receiver in school history to go over 200 yards in a game as

he finished with 208 yards on six catches, all coming in the second half. J.J.

Hayes set the school record of 212 yards against Northwestern State last season.

Edwards also became just the sixth player at Lamar with three touchdown catches

in a game.



The Lumberjacks struck first in the game with a touchdown following Collin

Garrett’s interception of a Caleb Berry pass. Garrett intercepted the pass at

his own 21-yard line and returned it 33 yards to set SFA up at the Lamar 46-yard

line.



SFA would need six plays and just over two minutes to get the ball in the end

zone. Running back Doug Gentry, who finished with 93 yards on 19 carries, took

it in from the 13-yard line to put SFA ahead 7-0 with 9:36 to play in the first

quarter.



The Cardinals were able to put up a pair of Justin Stout field goals in the

first quarter to make it a 7-6 game. Tyrus McGlothen picked off a Brady Attaway

pass and returned it 22 yards to the SFA 24-yard line to give the Cardinals

great field position.



Lamar moved it six yards before bringing on Stout for a 34-yard field goal. On

the ensuing kickoff, Stout kicked a perfect pooch kick that was recovered by

LU’s Nashon Davis at the SFA 30-yard line. Lamar took it down to the 16-yard

line and Stout was once again good from 34 yards to cut the Lumberjacks’ lead

to one.



Following Lamar’s two field goals, SFA would run off 20 unanswered points to

take a 27-6 lead into the half. Wiggs connected on a 33-yard field goal with

13:08 to play in the half to push SFA’s lead to 10-6.



Attaway, who would finish 26-of-48 for 242 yards and two touchdowns before being

pulled in the third quarter, capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive by hitting D.J.

Ward for an 11-yard touchdown and a 17-6 lead with 6:50 to play in the first

half. Wiggs would add a 29-yard field goal three minutes later as SFA went ahead

20-6.



The final score of the first half came on an Attaway 12-yard pass to Kris Lott

with just 24 seconds to play. The Lumberjacks were able to go 56 yards in 11

plays after taking over from their own 44-yard line following a 49-yard Kollin

Kahler punt.



DePauldrick Garrett finished with 68 yards rushing on 20 carries as the

Cardinals managed 98 rushing yards as a team.



With Minden finishing 12-of-22 for 148 yards, the Lumberjacks finished with 390

yards passing on the day. The Cardinals came into the game ranked first in the

Southland Conference in pass defense as they were allowing just 182.2 yards per

game through the air.



Lamar’s defense provided a 12-yard sack from Ronnie Jones and finished the

game with four interceptions. In addition to McGlothen and Washington, Nashon

Davis and Mark Murrill each picked off a Lumberjack pass.



Junior defensive back Chad Allen registered a career-high 17 tackles to lead all

players, while linebacker Jermaine Longino added 16.



Lamar, which fell to 3-7 on the year and 0-5 in the league, will play its final

home game of the 2012 season next Saturday when Nicholls visits Provost Umphrey

Stadium for a 3 p.m. kickoff.