PINEVILLE, La. – The #19/#17 Louisiana Christian University football team scored 16 unanswered points in the second quarter to break a tie cruise to a 50-36 win over the East Texas Baptist Tigers on Homecoming Saturday at Wildcat Field to retain the Border Claw.
Datlan Cunningham opened the scoring for Louisiana Christian (5-1, 3-0 SAC) with a 5-yard touchdown run, and
Bryce Perkins later connected with
Grayson Thibodeaux for a 31-yard score as LCU twice took the lead in a first quarter, though East Texas Baptist (2-3, 0-0 ASC) answered both of those scores and when the first quarter ended, the score was tied 14-14. Perkins found
EJ Scott for a 24-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
Preston Baker followed with a 45-yard field goal to cap a 15-play, 58-yard drive before Perkins scored on a 13-yard run with 49 seconds remaining before halftime.
After LCU's lead narrowed to 30-21 with 12 minutes left in the third quarter,
Travis Adams returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. Baker's extra point restored the 16-point advantage just 14 seconds after the ETBU's score. Perkins then connected with
Braylon Jackson for a 70-yard touchdown with 2:29 left in the quarter, pushing the Wildcats ahead 43-21 after an unsuccessful two-point attempt.
The margin dropped to 43-28 early in the fourth quarter, but
Kedrian McNeil scored on a 3-yard run with 5:53 remaining. Baker's extra point made it 50-28. LCU allowed one final touchdown and a two-point conversion at 3:26, completing the scoring.
Perkins completed 18 of 26 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns while adding 28 rushing yards and a score. Scott caught 10 passes for 121 yards. Cunningham led the ground attack with 91 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, while
Jaterrius Johnson added 50 yards on 16 attempts. McNeil contributed 44 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
Judson Mixon led the defense with six tackles.
Jermarian Jackson recorded five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble, while
Jaden Jones intercepted a pass and
Kristian Doyle recovered a fumble.
Jonathan Moore-LeDay and
Jordan Oglesby each added five tackles. The Wildcats allowed 331 passing yards but limited the opponent to 62 rushing yards and recorded three sacks, five tackles for loss and seven pass breakups.
LCU finished with 489 yards, including 221 on the ground, and controlled possession for more than 34 minutes. The Wildcats produced 26 first downs, converted three of five fourth-down attempts and recovered all three of their own fumbles.
The Wildcats wrap up their three-game homestand next Saturday as one of the two teams LCU shared the 2025 SAC championship with, and the team that earned the conference's berth in the 2025 NAIA Football Championship Series, Texas Wesleyan, comes to Pineville. Kickoff of Saturday's game against the Rams (3-2, 3-0 SAC) is set for 2 p.m. at Wildcat Field and will be live streamed on 446Sports on YouTube and through the Urban Edge Network.
