After back-to-back heartbreaking losses in the past two weeks, the Louisiana College football team took to the road to try their luck against Texas Lutheran University on the first Saturday of October. While it wasn’t the heartbreak of the previous weeks, the Wildcats night was filled with missed chances and the inability to keep the defense off the field as TLU ran to a 47-30 victory. The Wildcats return to Pineville next week as they celebrate Homecoming and host McMurry University with a 6pm kickoff.
The Wildcat caught the first break of the game when TLU took the opening kickoff down the field but missed a 35-yard field goal. Their luck would change on the next TLU possession as a 3rd-and-short turned into a 50-yard touchdown run for the Bulldogs, giving them a 6-0 lead after a missed point after attempt.
On the Bulldogs next possession, after an LC punt pinned them at their own 10, TLU chewed over six minutes off the clock on an 18-play, 90-yard touchdown drive that put them ahead 12-0, after another missed extra point.
The Wildcat defense seemed to find their footing, creating two turnovers on the next two Bulldog possessions. A fumble recovery by Brandon Zimmer gave LC good field position, but they were unable to convert the chance into points. The next drive did produce fruit as Orel Ledet Jr. picked off a Kyle Grona pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 12-7.
The Bulldogs answered the score with another lengthy drive, going 75-yards in 10 plays for another touchdown to give themselves a two score cushion once again. LC had a response on their next turn, as D’Ondre Joseph found Aaron Woods out of the backfield for a 17-yard touchdown pass making the score 19-14 TLU.
The Wildcats were primed to take the lead after a blocked punt by Quadrell Jimmerson gave the Wildcats the ball at the TLU 37 yard line. LC would have to settle for a field goal though on the drive as Sebren knocked it through from 26 yards out to make it a 19-17 game. A big return on the ensuing kickoff gave the Bulldogs a chance to get another score before the break. An eight-yard run with 11 seconds left on the clock put TLU back up 26-17 and gave them the momentum heading into the half.
Another TLU turnover led to immediate points for the Wildcats in the second half, when Ryan DeMattie recovered a fumble and Joseph hit Drake Battaglia for a 29-yard score on the next play to make it a two-point game once again. The 11-play touchdown drive that followed by the Bulldogs, was the story of the rest of the game as the LC defense was beginning to show the wear and tear of the TLU ground attack. The Wildcats ran seven offensive plays in the third quarter after their touchdown, compared to 18 by TLU that included two touchdowns.
The LC offense tried to give the defense a rest in the fourth with a 10-play scoring drive that ended with a 39-yard pass to a wide-open Shedrick Davis for a touchdown. The Bulldogs though came right back with a 10-play drive of their own to all but wrap up the game with a 17-point lead with just 1:47 remaining on the clock. TLU converted two 3rd-and-long plays on the drive to keep possession of the ball.
TLU held the ball for 40:23 of game time, the second time this year a team has held the ball for over 40 minutes against the Wildcats. They ran a total of 94 plays for 538 yards, compared to just 57 plays and 321 yards for the Wildcats.
D’Ondre Joseph finished the game with 277 passing yards on 17-of-27 attempts with three touchdowns and one interception. Shedrick Davis led all receivers with eight catches for 120 yards and a score, and D.J. Latino had a big night with seven grabs for 117 yards. Orel Ledet Jr. and Ryan DeMattie both had 11 tackles in the game. Ledet added an interception for a touchdown, as well as a forced fumble, and a sack.
The Wildcats return to Pineville for their only home game in the month of October as they celebrate Homecoming Week. LC welcomes McMurry to Wildcat Stadium for a 6pm kickoff. Visit lacollege.edu for a full list of activities surrounding the Homecoming week on campus. Follow @LC_ftball on Twitter and like LC Athletics on Facebook for the latest on Louisiana College football.
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