Southeastern opens SLC road slate at No. 6/8 UIW

Game 6 | Southeastern (0-5, 0-1 SLC) at No. 6/8 UIW (3-1, 0-0 SLC)
Oct. 7, 2023 | 4 p.m. | Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium (6,000) | San Antonio, Texas
Series History: Series tied, 5-5
Last Meeting: Southeastern 41, No. 4/7 UIW 35 (9/24/22 | Hammond, La.)
Television: ESPN+
—Announcers: Karl Schoening, Sam Kaman and Katie Goodman
Radio: Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM
—Announcers: Allen Waddell, Kemmler Chapple and Robbie Rhodes

HAMMOND, La. – The reigning Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana University football team will open the road portion of its conference schedule Saturday, traveling to No. 6/8 UIW for a 4 p.m. contest at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.

The game between the Lions (0-5, 0-1 SLC) and the host Cardinals (3-1, 0-0 SLC) will be televised on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM).

Southeastern will be looking to bounce back from a narrow 14-13 loss to Tarleton State in its nonconference finale last Saturday. The Lions outgained the visiting Texans, 410-203, but committed three turnovers and were just 2-for-5 on red zone opportunities.

SLU is averaging 17.0 points and 336.6 yards per game offensively heading into Saturday’s contests. Eli Sawyer (64-for-105, 759 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) and Zachary Clement (37-58, 428 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT) have shared quarterback duties through the first five games of the season.

Darius Lewis leads the team with 24 catches for 278 yards, Tight ends Jacob Logan and Bauer Sharp share the team lead with three touchdowns. Harlan Dixon (186 yards, 2 TD) and Rodeo Graham Jr. (118 yards) are the top running backs on the roster.

Coming off its best effort of 2023, the Lion defense is allowing 34.2 points and 463.2 yards per contest. Ian Conerly-Goodly leads the team with 53 tackles, followed by Herman Christophe IV (51), Anthony Britton Jr. (34), Coryell Pierce (24) and KK Reno (23).

Conerly-Goodly also has a team-high four tackles for loss, while Arlen Williams has collected two sacks. Tyrone Legette has a team-high two interceptions.

Punter Austin Dunlap carries a 44.1 punting average – good for 15th nationally – into Saturday’s game. Lewis is averaging 15.0 yards per punt return to lead the SLU special teams units.

After dropping their season opener at UTEP, the Cardinals have bounced back with wins over Northern Colorado (42-7), Abilene Christian (27-20) and North American (63-3).

Zach Calzada (81-for-123, 1,193 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT) has handled the majority of the work under center for a UIW offense that is averaging 36.5 points and 493.5 yards per contest.

Brandon Porter leads the Cardinals with 23 catches for 376 yards and a pair of scores. Timothy Carter (157 yards, 2 TD), Tre Siggers (151 yards, 2 TD) and Jarrell Wiley (146 yards, 1 TD) are the team’s top contributors on the ground, while Calzada has a team-high four rushing touchdowns.

Opponents are averaging 14.5 points and 254.0 yards per contest versus UIW. Tylan Foster has a team-high 24 tackles, while Steven Parker leads the Cardinals with 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Tre Richardson paces the team with a pair of interceptions.

UIW punter Ben D’Aquila carries a 43.6 punting average, while Mason Lawler (2-2 FG, 20-20 PAT) has been perfect as a place kicker.

The all-time series between the two Southland Conference foes is tied, 5-5. Southeastern earned a dramatic 41-35 win last season in Hammond, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Cardinals. SLU last won in San Antonio in 2016.

Following the trip to San Antonio, Southeastern will celebrate Homecoming next Saturday, hosting SLC foe Lamar at 3 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and can be heard on Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM and The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM.

The annual Homecoming parade will roll through campus at 11:30 a.m. and the 2023 SLU Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned at halftime. First Guaranty Bank will be the game sponsor for the clash between Southeastern and visiting LU.

Season and single-game tickets for the 2023 home football season, which continues with visits from Lamar, McNeese (Nov. 4) and Nicholls (Nov. 18) are available online at https://vivenu.com/event/2023-football-2klkar.

TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2023-24 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on X, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and follow lionupfootball on Instagram.

TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.

All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.

INSIDE SOUTHEASTERN FOOTBALL WITH FRANK SCELFO
The 2023 season of Inside Southeastern Football with Frank Scelfo is airing from its new home – Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux (305 CM Fagan Dr) in Hammond. Hosted by Scelfo and Allen Waddell, the hour-long radio show will air Mondays throughout the football season on Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM and The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.