GOODWELL, Okla. – The Louisiana Christian University football program received the ball backed up on their own one-yard line with a five-point lead and just over 11 minutes left in the ballgame. In a pressure packed situation on the road in a hostile environment, all the Wildcats did was march all the way into the end zone on 18 plays while chewing up nine minutes and nine seconds off the clock to turn a nerve-wracking final quarter into a two-score contest which proved to be the final tally in a championship-defining 29-17 victory at Oklahoma Panhandle State.

The Basics:
 

• Score
  • (RV) Louisiana Christian – 29
  • Oklahoma Panhandle State – 17

 

• Records
  • (RV) Louisiana Christian (5-0, 4-0 Sooner)
  • Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-3, 2-2 Sooner)

 

• Location
  • Goodwell, Oklahoma – Anchor D Stadium at Carl Wooten Field

 

• Series History
  • Louisiana Christian Leads 2-1 (66.7%)

 

• Winning Streak
  • Louisiana Christian (W1) | Oklahoma Panhandle State's Last Win: October 1, 2022 (28-16)

 
Wildcats Top Performers:
 

• It's not often that a placekicker gets the spotlight, but Levi Hilborn deserved it this week, going a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals with makes from 30, 25, and 20 yards that kept the Cats in the game as his nine points gave the squad a 9-7 halftime edge.

 

• Daylon Charles was the leader of the ground game with a season-high 128 yards on 18 carries for a 7.1 average per tote.

 

• Taevion Cunningham was next in line with another season-best of 80 which included a personal-long rush of 37 yards and his third multi-touchdown game of the year, hitting paydirt from 15 and 8 yards out.

 

• Sal Palermo III set a new campaign-best in the rushing category as well with 72 yards and the game-icing score on the 99-yard backbreaking drive in the fourth quarter. The signal-caller was also 14-of-18 (77.8%) for 146 yards with his arm.

 

• Ethan Christman had a career evening in terms of receiving yards, posting game-highs in both receptions (5) and receiving yards (65).

 

• Ernest Simon topped the defense with seven tackles while adding an additional 1.5 tackles for loss to his line and also registering his first career pass breakup.

 

• Andre Reed kept his TFL streak intact by the slimmest of margins, contributing a half-TFL to give him at least 0.5 in each contest.

 

• Cole Jones and Pop McGee kept their streak of at least one pass defended in all five games alive with each picking up one.

 

• Detavius Eldridge took part in both quarterback takedowns as he collected 1.5 sacks against the Aggies with Logan Brimmer chipping in the other half-a-sack.

 

• Other defenders that got in on the TFL party were Tyren Young (1.0) and Wilbert Robertson (1.0).

 

• Jacob Weaver, the team's primary holder on field goal and PAT tries, got to punt for the first time since fall of 2021, connecting on a 42-yard boot.

 

• Hunter Martensson made life difficult on the OPSU returners, blasting touchbacks on half of his six kickoffs.

 
Notes:
 

• Defensively, the Orange and Blue put together statistics as if they were playing Madden on rookie mode, surrendering only four catches for 27 yards over 22 attempts for a completion percentage of merely 18.2%.

 

• It was the first time since October 1, 2016 that LCU had allowed less than 100 yards through the air, last doing so in a 35-7 win over Howard Payne in which they ceded just 65 passing yards.

 

• The men from Pineville lost three fumbles and had a -3 turnover margin but still earned the dub, claiming a victory with that low of differential in the past seven seasons.

 

• The Wildcats' 70 carries and 364 rushing yards are the most in a Sooner Athletic Conference matchup in school history while the latter is the second-highest total since rejoining the NAIA.

 
Next:
 

• The first day game of the 2023 campaign beckons on Saturday when the Orange and Blue hosts North American at 2 p.m. inside Wildcat Field.

 
Follow the football program on Facebook (@LCUWildcatsFootball), Twitter/X (@LCU_Ftball) and Instagram (@LCU_Ftball).
 
Follow the Wildcats on Facebook (@LCUAthletics), Twitter/X (@LCU_Wildcats) and Instagram (@LCU_Wildcats).