Lamar University senior running back Khalan Griffin scored a touchdown with 1:05 remaining in the contest to complete the comeback as the No. 22 Cardinals defeated Texas Southern, 20-17, in front of the largest crowd of the season.
With the victory, the Cardinals improve to 3-1 on the season and wrap up a perfect three-game homestand. The win also hands Big Red its first 3-1 start since the 2014 campaign.
The Southland Conference’s leading rusher, Khalan Griffin, pounded out 124 yards on 22 carries (5.6 ypc) with two scores including the game winner.
“A bad win is better than a good loss,” said head coach Pete Rossomando. “I’m proud of our guys fight there at the end to take the lead. We got the ball back with 3:48 to play and they didn’t bat an eye, just drove it down the field.”
Griffin did his damage on a night when yards were hard to come by as Lamar’s defense took center stage. The Red and White held Texas Southern to fewer than 300 yards of total offense, including just 55 through the air. Senior linebacker Ken Savanah led the Cardinals’ defensive effort with 11 tackles (five unassisted stops) and two sacks totaling 13 yards. Senior Jalen Freeman and junior Tah Banda added eight stops while sophomore Koda Canady made five stops including two for losses.
Both teams combined for just 118 yards through the air (TSU – 55/LU – 65).
The Tigers outgained LU, 278-249, but LU figured out away put up two fourth quarter scores – three in the second half – to rally back from an early 10-point deficit.
The two teams were flagged 26 times for nearly 200 yards in losses, but it was a series of penalties on Lamar’s final drive (against TSU) that allowed the Cardinals to keep a drive alive and eventually score the go-ahead touchdown.
“We still have a lot of things to fix,” added Rossomando. “It’s good when you’re winning and growing as a team, but eventually those things are going to bite us if we don’t fix them. The penalties tonight just kept coming up and grabbing us. We have to get better. We’re getting ready to go play a really good Central Arkansas team who can beat you in a lot of different ways.”
Trailing by four, 17-13, with 3:48 remaining, Lamar started its final drive from its own 24-yard line. After a false start backed LU up five yards, Longino had the Cardinals on the move getting the ball out near midfield. On 3rd-and-1, Longino handed the ball off to Griffin but he was dropped for a one-yard loss bringing up what appeared to be fourth down, but the Tigers were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct giving LU a first down in TSU territory. Five plays later, the Cardinals were facing fourth and eight, but consecutive offsides calls against the Tigers gave LU a first down at the TSU 11 with 1:18 to play.
On first down, Longino scrambled to his left for an eight-yard gain setting up 2nd-and-2 from the three. On the very next play, Griffin took the hand off and punched it in from three yards out.
Texas Southern got the ball back with 65 seconds remaining but could only get the ball to their 27 before Savanah ended the game with his second sack of the night.
The Cardinals now turn their attention to the final non-conference contest of the season. Big Red travels to Conway, Ark., Saturday, Sept. 28, to face nationally ranked Central Arkansas. The game against the Bears is slated for a 6 p.m. start.
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