SAN ANTONIO – A toss in the backfield from
Eric Rodriguez to
EJ Oakmon with 27 seconds left on Saturday evening gave the East Texas A&M University football team a 52-45 win over the Incarnate Word Cardinals at Gayle & Tom Benson Stadium as the Lions beat the Cardinals for the first time and fought back from being down 21.
UIW scored a touchdown four seconds into the second quarter to lead 28-7 and did not trail in the game until the 6:45 mark of the fourth quarter. After the Lions took their first lead of the game on a 36-yard field goal from
Ozlo Rigby (Panama City, Fla.), the Cardinals' Will Faris drilled a 57-yard field goal with 1:55 left, which is the largest made field goal in UIW history.
The Lions got the ball on their own 25-yard line and put together a nine-play 75-yard game-winning drive in one minute and 28 seconds with Oakmon (Pflugerville) receiving the pitch from Rodriguez (Fort Bend Travis) and rushing it in to put the Lions ahead by seven.
EJ OAKMON GAME-WINNING TOUCHDOWN HIGHLIGHT
UIW had a Hail Mary attempt on the last play of the game, but the pass did not reach the end zone. The Cardinals were outscored 31-10 in the second half.
East Texas A&M and UIW had played six times prior to Saturday as conference foes in two different conferences and the Cardinals had won all six meetings. The win on Saturday is the first ever win for the Lions against the Cardinals. East Texas A&M is now 2-5 on the season and 2-1 in Southland Conference action, while UIW falls 2-5 overall and 0-3 in conference.
A year ago, the Cardinals won the Southland and played in the quarterfinals round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
The Lions outgained the Cardinals, 526-492, with both teams forcing two turnovers each.
On the first drive of the game, UIW's Jaylon Spears rushed in a nine-yard touchdown, but the Lions answered with a 37-yard touchdown catch by
Paul Odidi (Mansfield Timberview) from
Ron Peace (Malakoff).
Spears rushed in another touchdown with 3:18 left in the first, this one from 10 yards out. With 1:15 left in the first, Jalen Walthall caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from EJ Colson and then Austin Samaha had a one-yard rushing touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in the second quarter as the Cardinals went up 28-7.
The Lions began their rally with Oakmon scoring a one-yard touchdown on fourth down to finish off a 12-play 75-yard drive.
Devin Matthews (Seguin) brought the Lions back within seven on a 39-yard touchdown catch from Peace. Spears scored his third touchdown of the day with 27 seconds left in the first half, rushing in a 11-yard touchdown.
Rodriguez came in for Peace due to an injury and found Odidi for a six-yard touchdown in the third quarter to put the Lions back within seven. The Cardinals pushed their lead back up to 14 with 3:13 left in the third quarter as Colson found Josh Lorick for a 25-yard touchdown catch.
With 1:02 left in the third quarter, Rodriguez ran in a touchdown from eight yards out as the Lions went 75-yards on six plays in 2:11 and entered the fourth quarter trailing by seven. Matthews scored his second touchdown of the day, a 17-yard catch from Rodriguez to tie the game at 42.
Rigby was a perfect 7 for 7 in point-after attempts and added a field goal, which momentarily gave the Lions their first lead of the game. He has made his last six field goal attempts and is now 9 for 11 on the season.
Peace went 13 for 24 for 192 yards and two touchdowns behind center, while Rodriguez was 16 for 21 for 193 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns as well. Oakmon was the leading rusher as he had 45 net rushing yards on eight attempts and scored two touchdowns.
Among the Lion receivers, Odidi had nine catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns, while
Christian Jourdain (New Orleans) had six catches for 104 yards, and Matthews had 82 yards for two touchdowns on six receptions as well.
Defensively,
Kyree Anderson (Cy-Lakes) totaled 12 tackles, including one sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, and an interception, while
Orion Kupu (Gilbert, Ariz.) had an interception as well.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
The Lions head home for Homecoming presented by Brookshire's, to host SFA next Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at
www.LionAthletics.com/tickets.
-ETAMU-
