PINEVILLE, La. – The #20/#17 Louisiana Christian University football team struck on the game's opening possession and never looked back to remain perfect in Sooner Athletic Conference play, rolling to a 69-24 win over the Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies Saturday night at Wildcat Field.
A week after suffering its first loss of the season at the hands of a NCAA Division I opponent, Louisiana Christian (4-1, 3-0 SAC) took no time in jumping ahead of Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-3, 0-2 SAC), needing just six plays to go 68 yards, the last 34 coming as
Bryce Perkins found
Leyton Faul who pulled away from the defense and got to the pylon for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The LCU defense forced OPSU to go 3-and-out and punt the ball back, but the Aggie punter muffed the snap and was tackled for a six-yard loss, giving the Wildcats the ball back at the OPSU 33-yard line. Seven plays later, Matthew Cates, Jr. came in at quarterback and powered in from two yards out to put the Wildcats up 14-0.
OPSU got its first points on its next possession with a touchdown, but LCU needed just seven plays to go 70 yards to answer that score as Perkins found
Omarius Davis in the end zone for an 18-yard scoring strike and a 21-7 lead.
The LCU defense got the next score as the rush of
Cameron Leonard forced the Aggie quarterback to throw an errant pass which
Kristian Doyle took in and raced 61 yards the other way for the score and a 28-7 Wildcat lead on the final play of the first quarter.
Preston Baker got LCU's lone points in the second quarter on a 22-yard field goal, a field goal OPSU matched on the final play of the half, hitting from 41 yards out to make it 31-10 Wildcats at the half.
The Aggies took advantage of getting the score right before half and getting the ball back to start the third, getting a touchdown to open the second half to cut Louisiana Christian's lead down to 31-17 before the Wildcats could respond.
But respond LCU did, getting a 23-yard field goal from Baker and then an eight-yard touchdown rush from
Jaterrius Johnson to go up 41-17 as the third quarter ended.
OPSU scored its final points on a touchdown early in the fourth to make it 41-24, but the rest of the period belonged to the Wildcats.
Obadiah Butler returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Panhandle State 44, and
Datlan Cunningham did the rest, busting free for a 44-yard touchdown rush and a 48-24 lead.
After another Aggie three-and-out, it took just two plays to add to the score as Perkins found
EJ Scott who ran through arm tackle attempts and raced to the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown.
Yet another OPSU punt set up LCU in plus territory and, six plays later, back in the end zone as
Kedrian McNeil busted through from four yards out for a 62-24 score.
The Aggies punted again, and LCU scored again, going 75 yards in just five plays as Cates, Jr. got the ball to Kevin Hill, Jr. who raced 43 yards to paydirt for the game's final score.
Perkins was 18-of-24 for 315 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing twice for 10 yards.
Cates, Jr. passed the ball once, which went for the 43-yard score to Hill, Jr., while rushing twice for five yards and a touchdown.
Scott was the top receiver, making five grabs for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Davis had four receptions for 77 yards and a score.
Faul had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Brandon Henderson, Jr. made three catches for 73 yards.
Cunningham was the top rusher on the night with four rushes for 51 yards and the 44-yard touchdown.
Johnson rushed 11 time for 39 yards and a score.
McNeil had three rushes for 26 yards and a touchdown.
Judson Mixon led the defense with 10 total tackles.
Jordan Oglesby had two sacks as part of his five tackles on the night.
LCU's defense sacked the OPSU quarterback six times on the night. In addition to Oglesby's two sacks,
Jonathan Moore-LeDay had 1.5,
Kaleb Brumfield had one, and
Maddox McDonald had a half-sack.
Doyle had the lone turnover of the contest with the 61-yard interception return for touchdown.
The #20/#17 Wildcats step out of conference play for the final time next week as former American Southwest Conference rival from LCU's NCAA Division III days, East Texas Baptist, comes to Pineville to renew the Battle for the Border Claw on homecoming weekend at Louisiana Christian. Kickoff of the homecoming game against the Tigers (2-2) is set for 4 p.m. at Wildcat Field and will be televised on 446Sports on YouTube and the Urban Edge Network.
