Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT – Lamar heads to 19th-ranked Central Arkansas on Saturday looking to continue their climb up the Southland Conference standings.

Winners of three straight, the Cardinals enter the week as the league’s hottest team. Over the course of the past three weeks, the Cardinals have catapulted their way into the middle of the conference fight jumping from a 10th-place tie in the standings to a two-way tied for sixth (with Abilene Christian – which is not on the Cardinals’ 2018 schedule). Riding their longest win-streak since the 2016 campaign, Big Red sits just a game back of second-place in the standings (there is a four-way tie for fourth in the Southland) with three games remaining. One of those teams in the midst of that four-team tie is LU’s next opponent.

One of the Cardinals’ goals entering the 2018 season was to have a winning season, and due to the current three-game win streak LU is still on track for that. The Cards need to win two of their final three games to record their first winning season since 2014 – their only above .500 record since the sport’s return. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, to accomplish that task they will have to face one of the toughest stretches of the season. Two of the final three remaining games are against nationally ranked teams (UCA and McNeese State). Both games against ranked opponents will also be on the road.

Facing a nationally ranked opponent has had no impact on the Cards’ mindset recently as one of the teams in the current streak was then-No. 14 Sam Houston State. The Cardinals dismantled SHSU, 41-23, for the second victory in the current streak.

While the Cardinals are trying to climb the Southland ladder, UCA enters the week looking to separate from the herd and keep pace with league-leading McNeese. The Bears (5-3, 4-2 Southland) have won three of their past four games but had a three-game streak snapped last week at McNeese falling a game back of the Cowboys in the standings.

The Cardinals have ridden a dominant ground attack and an opportunistic defense during the current three-game streak. Big Red currently leads the Southland averaging better than 260 rushing yards per game and is currently second in the Southland in scoring offense (32.6 ppg). Unfortunately, UCA owns the Southland’s second-best rush defense (103.6 ypg) and leads the league in scoring offense.

“We have a very tough challenge this week in Conway,” said LU head coach Mike Schultz. “They are nationally ranked for a reason. Let’s face it, Central Arkansas has one of the better defenses in this league. Having said that, they also lead the Southland in scoring. UCA does not have a weak link. This is going to be a huge challenge in all three phases of the game.”

History is not on the Cardinals side in the series. Central Arkansas remains the one Southland school that LU has not defeated since the sport’s return in 2010. LU is 0-7 all-time against the Bears, including three losses in Conway.

Saturday’s game is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. from Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas. It can be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI. It will also be televised on Eleven Sports.