Stephen F. Austin at Lamar Preview: Southland Lead at Stake

No. 2 Stephen F. Austin has not lost to Lamar since 2018. On Saturday, the Lumberjacks put a perfect season and the Southland Conference lead on the line in Beaumont, against a Lamar team that is unbeaten at home.

SFA (9-0, 6-0 Southland) plays at No. 12 Lamar (7-2, 5-1) at 3 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 7, at Provost Umphrey Stadium. The game streams on ESPN+. Ranks are from our Week 9 FCS Top 25.

A win would give SFA at least a share of the Southland title and the league's automatic FCS playoff bid. A Lamar win would tie the Cardinals with SFA for first place with two games left.

How to Watch Stephen F. Austin at Lamar

Kickoff is 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET) on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, Texas. The game streams on ESPN+, and Lamar's radio call is on KLVI 560 AM. Southland commissioner Chris Grant plans to attend, according to the Enterprise.

Both head coaches spent the week asking fans to fill the place. "This is what everyone wants: an opportunity to play a championship-type team in our house," Lamar head coach Pete Rossomando told the Enterprise. SFA head coach Colby Carthel made a similar pitch after last week's win over Houston Christian, also as reported by the Enterprise. "I want to see a packed stadium: a sea of red on one side and a sea of purple on the other," he said. "Let's go play a big one."

Stephen F. Austin's Season So Far

SFA has won eight of its nine games by double digits. The Lumberjacks opened with a 38-27 win at McNeese, then beat East Texas A&M 44-7 and won 26-7 at Abilene Christian. The only close call came on Oct. 3, a 28-26 win over Incarnate Word.

Since then, SFA has won 56-0 at Nicholls, beaten Southeastern Louisiana 45-24 and handled Houston Christian 37-6 last Saturday. The Lumberjacks score 40.9 points per game and allow 13.4. They average 466.4 yards per game and give up 325.6.

The defense is the part that travels. SFA holds opponents to 98.2 rushing yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry. It has 37 sacks and 13 interceptions, and opponents convert just 27.3% of their third downs.

Lamar's Season So Far

Lamar opened with a 21-14 win over Abilene Christian and lost 38-7 at FBS Louisiana a week later. The Cardinals then won 23-17 at Idaho and opened Southland play with wins over Nicholls (49-18), Northwestern State (42-14) and Incarnate Word (38-35).

Their only league loss came on Oct. 17, 34-31 at Southeastern Louisiana. Lamar has won two straight since, beating Houston Christian 35-10 and winning 52-23 at UTRGV last week. The Cardinals are 4-0 at home.

Lamar scores 33.1 points per game and allows 22.6. It converts 47.8% of its third downs and holds opponents to 26.3%, slightly better than SFA on both counts. Both teams have allowed 11 sacks.

Rossomando is in his fourth season, and Lamar had a winning record in each of his first three. The Cardinals reached the FCS playoffs last season and were picked third in this year's Southland preseason poll, behind SFA and Southeastern Louisiana.

Where the Matchup Turns

SFA's offense starts with Gavin Rutherford, who has thrown for 2,059 yards and 23 touchdowns, and Jaylen Jenkins, who leads the rushers with 610 yards. Bugs Mortimer (32 catches, seven scores) and Clayton Wayland, the Southland Offensive Player of the Week, stretch defenses. Malachi Williams' 56 tackles and Makai Frisby's five interceptions head a unit that allows 98.2 rushing yards per game and has 37 sacks.

Lamar answers with Aiden McCown, who has 1,699 passing yards and 16 touchdowns plus 343 rushing yards, and Jojo Uga, who averages 6.0 yards per carry. Blake Thomas and tight end Davin Driskell, who has eight touchdown catches, are the top targets. Andrew Huff (5.5 sacks) and T.J. Nelson lead the front seven, while Mar Mar Evans and Bryce McDonald anchor the secondary.

How Do SFA and Lamar Compare Against Common Opponents?

The two teams have played five common opponents, and SFA has the better results in all five. Both beat Abilene Christian, but SFA won 26-7 in Abilene while Lamar won 21-14 at home. SFA beat Nicholls 56-0, and Lamar beat the Colonels 49-18.

The biggest gap is Southeastern Louisiana. SFA beat the Lions by 21 at home. Lamar lost to them by three on the road. SFA also won 28-26 over Incarnate Word and 37-6 over Houston Christian. Lamar beat those teams 38-35 and 35-10.

Stephen F. Austin vs. Lamar Series History

The series is tied 16-16 since 1951. SFA has won the last four meetings: 24-17 in 2019, 42-6 in 2021, 27-20 in 2024 and 26-15 last November in Nacogdoches. That last win helped SFA clinch the 2025 Southland title.

Lamar's last win in the series was 24-17 at Nacogdoches in 2018. Its last home win over SFA was a 46-45 game in 2013. The Lumberjacks have won eight of the last 10 meetings.

What Our FCS Ratings Say

Our FCS ratings back up SFA's edge. Through Week 9, the Lumberjacks are No. 3 of 128 teams with a 21.5 power rating. Lamar is No. 11 at 14.9.

Both teams have strong résumés. SFA ranks fourth in strength of record and Lamar ranks eighth. Lamar has played the tougher schedule, 39th in the FCS to SFA's 56th, so the Cardinals have been tested. Home field could help close some of the gap.

What Does the Game Mean for the FCS Playoffs?

The 24-team FCS playoff field is announced Nov. 22. Our bracket projection after Week 9 has SFA as the No. 3 seed and the Southland's automatic qualifier, with Lamar in as an at-large team and the No. 10 seed. The interactive Week 9 projection shows the full field. As far as Redshirt Sports knows, the committee doesn't use our poll, but it can be a good indicator.

For SFA, a win would lock up the automatic bid and keep it in the race for a top-two seed. A loss would likely still leave the Lumberjacks in the field, but it could cost them a home game in the quarterfinals.

For Lamar, the stakes are bigger. A win would tie the Cardinals with SFA for the Southland lead, give them an inside track to the automatic bid and add a signature win for a seed. A loss would drop Lamar to 7-3, with a home game against East Texas A&M on Nov. 14 and a trip to McNeese on Nov. 21 left to build an at-large case.

SFA finishes at UTRGV on Nov. 14 and at home against Northwestern State on Thursday, Nov. 19.