Two FBS teams highlight Lamar's 2012 football schedule - 12 News KBMT and K-JAC. News, Weather and Sports for SE Texas

Two FBS teams highlight Lamar's 2012 football schedule 

BEAUMONT – Lamar University will open its 2012 football schedule on Sept. 1 with a road game at former rival Louisiana-Lafayette, now a member of the Sun Belt Conference.  

The Louisiana-Lafayette game will be Lamar's first against a Football Championship Subdivision school since the Cardinals revived their football program in 2010. Lamar has a 10-16 all-time record against the Rajun Cajuns, who were 42-33 winners in the last meeting of the teams in 1989. The Cardinals' last win in the series was 14-12 in 1981.  

Coach Ray Woodard's Cardinals, who went 4-7 in 2011, will face a second FBS school when they travel to Honolulu, Hawaii to play a Sept. 15 game against the University of Hawaii. The Cardinals' home opener in 16,000-seat Provost Umphrey Stadium is set for Sept. 8 against Prairie View A&M; their Southland Conference opener will be in Beaumont against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 29, and their 2012 Homecoming Game will be against McMurry University on Oct. 13. 

"I'm excited about the coming season and the schedule we will play," said Woodard upon announcing the schedule. "We have some challenging road games with the two FBS contests. 

"It will be a great way to open the season against longtime rival Louisiana-Lafayette, and, of course, there's the trip to Hawaii. That should be a lot of fun for the players, the coaches and the entire travel party." 

For the third-straight season, the Cardinals, who have gone 9-13 during their two-season startup process, will play six home games and five road contests. Their other home games are against Langston on Sept. 22, defending Southland Conference champion and NCAA national finalist Sam Houston State on Oct. 27 and Nicholls on Nov. 10. 

The Cardinals' other road games will be Oct. 6 at Northwestern State, which holds an 8-5-1 series lead but was a 28-13 loser to coach Larry Kennan's 1979 team in the schools' last meeting, on Oct.20 at Central Arkansas, on Nov. 3 at Stephen F. Austin and on Nov. 17 at longtime rival McNeese State.

 "The only thing is we're hoping the McNeese game won't be our last one," said Woodard. "One of our team goals is to make the (FCS) playoffs in our second year of eligibility." 

2012 Lamar Football Schedule 

Sept. 1             at Louisiana-Lafayette                     Lafayette, Louisiana          TBA 

Sept. 8             Prairie View A&M                       Beaumont, Texas             TBA 

Sept. 15           at Hawaii                                        Honolulu, Hawaii              TBA 

Sept. 22           Langston                                       Beaumont, Texas             TBA 

Sept. 29           Southeastern Louisiana*             Beaumont, Texas             TBA 

Oct. 6              at Northwestern State*                   Natchitoches, Louisiana     TBA 

Oct. 13            McMurry University$                 Beaumont, Texas             TBA 

Oct. 20            at Central Arkansas*                      Conway, Arkansas             TBA 

Oct. 27            Sam Houston State*                    Beaumont, Texas             TBA 

Nov. 3             at Stephen F. Austin*                     Nacogdoches, Texas          TBA 

Nov. 10           Nicholls*                                       Beaumont, Texas              TBA 

Nov. 17           at McNeese State*                         Lake Charles, La.              TBA 

* --Southland Conference Game
$ -- 2012 Homecoming
Home games in bold.

LAMAR