PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University football team scored 21 first quarter points and never looked back on its way to a dominant 42-6 win over the Fort Lauderdale Eagles Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Field.
 
It took about half of the quarter for the offense to awaken, but once it did, the Wildcats (4-2, 3-0 SAC) moved almost at will. Bryce Perkins ended a nine-play, 47-yard drive that ate up 3:30 off the clock by finding Trace Williams in the end zone from seven yards out to open the scoring with 8:42 left in the first.
 
LCU's next drive needed nine plays and 3:52 off the clock to traverse 60 yards, capping it with an eight-yard scoring run by James Owens.
 
Wanting to see more of the offense, the Wildcats executed a perfect onside kick, recovering it uncontested at the Fort Lauderdale 49-yard line. LCU turned that into another touchdown four plays later as Perkins found Omarius Davis from 13 yards out to go up 21-0 when the first quarter came to an end.
 
The defense and special teams added to the score to open the scoring in the second quarter. Forced to punt, the Eagle punter couldn't handle the snap cleanly and was tackled quickly in the end zone for a safety, giving LCU a 23-0 lead.
 
Fort Lauderdale (0-5) would get its only points of the day on its next possession, hitting a 19-yard touchdown pass to cut the Wildcat lead down to 23-6 after the point after was missed.
 
But the Wildcats allowed no more and only piled on more from there. LCU answered the Eagle score with a touchdown of its own on the ensuing drive, going 61 yards in 10 plays over 3:34 with Perkins finding Xavion Butler from 18 yards out for the score, putting the Wildcats up 30-0.
 
The rest of the half saw Levi Hilborn showing off the range in his leg as he ended the next drive, which started deep in Fort Lauderdale territory following a big punt return, with a 43-yard field goal. After Cameron Leonard picked off the Eagle quarterback to give the Wildcats one more possession before halftime, Hilborn struck again, this time from 45 yards out, as time expired to make the score 36-6 Wildcats at the break.
 
The only scoring in the second half came midway through the third quarter as the Wildcats took over at their own nine-yard line and methodically moved down the field, thanks in part to several big rushes by Owens and Ashontis Brooks, Jr. A 25-yard rush by Owens set up the Wildcats at the 12 and Perkins found Butler again for the touchdown to end an eight-play, 91-yard drive which took just 2:31 to get downfield for the 42-6 final score.
 
Perkins hit on 15 of his 30 pass attempts for 175 yards but threw for four scores.
 
His favorite target on the day was Butler, who made four catches for 67 yards, two of which ended up in the end zone.
 
Brenen Hawkins also had four catches for 36 yards.
 
Davis got 55 yards on three catches and a touchdown.
 
Brooks, Jr. was the top back on the day, getting 14 carries for 117 yards.
 
Owens had five rushes for 49 yards and a score.
 
Leonard and Jermarian Jackson both had interceptions.
 
The Wildcats racked up 329 total yards of offense while the LCU defense held the Eagles to just 133 yards overall. LCU scored on six of their seven trips inside the Fort Lauderdale red zone.
 
With non-conference play now behind them, the Wildcats will make their case for being at the top of the Sooner Athletic Conference for the remainder of the season, starting next Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas when LCU heads over to take on Texas Wesleyan. Kickoff of Saturday's contest against the Rams (3-2, 3-0 SAC) is set for 2 p.m. at the Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium, the site of the 2025 NAIA Football National Championship Game.