BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Christian walked into A.W. Mumford Stadium willing to measure itself against a Division I opponent.
Southern supplied the measuring stick—and then spent much of Saturday night swinging it.
The Jaguars rushed for 367 yards, controlled the football for more than 37 minutes and converted all seven of their red-zone opportunities into points on the way to a 50–31 victory over the Wildcats before 18,069 fans.
LCU never folded beneath the bright lights. The Wildcats scored 21 second-half points, produced touchdowns covering 47, 30 and 69 yards and actually outscored Southern 21–20 after halftime. But an early Southern surge, three LCU turnovers and the Jaguars’ relentless rushing attack created a hole too deep to escape.
Southern finished with 539 yards of offense and averaged 7.2 yards per rushing attempt.
Southern Lands the First Heavy Punch
Southern established the tone with an 11-play, 82-yard opening touchdown drive. Trey Holly finished it with a two-yard run, giving the Jaguars a 7–0 lead with 8:24 remaining in the opening quarter.
LCU answered exactly the way it needed to.
Joe Johnson carried four times during a six-play, 75-yard drive before Bryce Perkins found Darius Washington for a 47-yard touchdown. Preston Baker’s extra point tied the game at 7–7.
For a moment, the Wildcats had matched the Division I Jaguars stride for stride.
Then Holly found daylight.
On Southern’s second play following the touchdown, Holly exploded for a 69-yard scoring run. Just 25 seconds after LCU tied the game, Southern was back in front, 14–7.
The Jaguars added an 18-yard touchdown pass from Christian Johnson to Daejawn Smith late in the quarter, building a 21–7 advantage.
Scoring Flow
| Quarter | Time | Scoring play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8:24 | Southern: Trey Holly 2-yard run | Southern 7–0 |
| 1st | 6:39 | LCU: Darius Washington 47-yard pass from Bryce Perkins | 7–7 |
| 1st | 6:14 | Southern: Holly 69-yard run | Southern 14–7 |
| 1st | 0:33 | Southern: Daejawn Smith 18-yard reception | Southern 21–7 |
| 2nd | 10:12 | Southern: Christian Johnson 15-yard run | Southern 27–7 |
| 2nd | 7:14 | LCU: Preston Baker 39-yard field goal | Southern 27–10 |
| 2nd | 0:03 | Southern: Nathan Zimmer 33-yard field goal | Southern 30–10 |
| 3rd | 10:28 | Southern: Miles Dixon 18-yard reception | Southern 37–10 |
| 3rd | 9:28 | LCU: Leyton Faul 30-yard pass from Phillip Jones II | Southern 37–17 |
| 4th | 14:29 | LCU: Datlan Cunningham 2-yard run | Southern 37–24 |
| 4th | 11:22 | Southern: Wydell Clark Jr. 5-yard reception | Southern 44–24 |
| 4th | 8:06 | Southern: Emeka Iloh 22-yard reception | Southern 50–24 |
| 4th | 6:43 | LCU: Matthew Cates Jr. 69-yard run | Southern 50–31 |
Turnovers and Short Fields Tilt the Night
LCU moved the football at times, but several possessions ended before they could produce points.
A fourth-and-one stop at the LCU 45 gave Southern a short field late in the first quarter. The Jaguars turned that opportunity into a touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, Perkins was intercepted at the LCU 45. Southern again capitalized, driving 45 yards for a touchdown and a 27–7 lead.
The Wildcats finished with three turnovers—one interception and two lost fumbles—while Southern did not lose a turnover.
That difference mattered.
Southern scored 12 points directly following LCU turnovers and added another touchdown after the fourth-down stop. Against a Division I opponent, those extra possessions became expensive in a hurry.
Wildcats Show Fight After Halftime
Southern opened the second half with an eight-play, 66-yard touchdown drive, stretching the lead to 37–10.
LCU responded in only 51 seconds.
Phillip Jones II entered at quarterback and completed his only pass of the game, a 30-yard touchdown strike to Leyton Faul. The three-play drive cut the deficit to 37–17.
The Wildcats followed with their most complete possession of the night, marching 76 yards in 11 plays. Perkins completed five passes during the drive, including a 26-yard connection with EJ Scott that moved the ball to the Southern two-yard line.
Datlan Cunningham powered in from there, bringing LCU within 37–24 with 14:29 remaining.
The Wildcats had climbed within 13 points.
Southern answered with the game’s decisive sequence.
Holly broke loose for 66 yards, setting up a five-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Wydell Clark Jr. Moments later, a strip-sack gave Southern possession at the LCU 14. On fourth-and-18, Johnson found Emeka Iloh for a 22-yard touchdown.
Two Southern touchdowns in just over three minutes pushed the margin to 50–24.
Matthew Cates Jr. supplied LCU’s final response, sprinting 69 yards for a touchdown with 6:43 remaining.
Team Statistical Comparison
| Category | Louisiana Christian | Southern |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 31 | 50 |
| First downs | 18 | 27 |
| Total offense | 349 | 539 |
| Rushing yards | 174 | 367 |
| Passing yards | 175 | 172 |
| Offensive plays | 59 | 73 |
| Yards per play | 5.9 | 7.4 |
| Third downs | 3-of-11 | 6-of-12 |
| Fourth downs | 0-of-1 | 1-of-1 |
| Red-zone scoring | 2-of-2 | 7-of-7 |
| Turnovers lost | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 22:58 | 37:02 |
| Sacks allowed | 3 | 1 |
LCU Offensive Leaders
| Player | Category | Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Bryce Perkins | Passing | 12-of-19, 145 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Phillip Jones II | Passing | 1-of-1, 30 yards, 1 TD |
| Matthew Cates Jr. | Rushing | 2 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD |
| Kedrian McNeil | Rushing | 5 carries, 44 yards |
| Joe Johnson | Rushing | 11 carries, 39 yards |
| Datlan Cunningham | Rushing | 11 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD |
| Darius Washington | Receiving | 2 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD |
| EJ Scott | Receiving | 4 catches, 52 yards |
| Leyton Faul | Receiving | 1 catch, 30 yards, 1 TD |
| Omarius Davis | Receiving | 2 catches, 19 yards |
Explosive Plays Kept LCU Swinging
The Wildcats did not consistently sustain drives, but they proved capable of landing quick strikes.
Washington’s 47-yard touchdown reception tied the game in the opening quarter. Faul’s 30-yard touchdown gave LCU an immediate answer after Southern scored to open the second half. Cates delivered the longest Wildcat play of the night with his 69-yard touchdown run.
Obadiah Butler also helped LCU in the return game, averaging 29.5 yards on four kickoff returns with a long of 44 yards.
The Wildcats averaged 5.9 yards per offensive play despite facing a larger Division I roster.
Southern’s Two-Headed Rushing Attack
Southern’s offensive formula was not complicated. The Jaguars ran the ball, stayed ahead of the chains and kept running until LCU proved it could stop them.
That moment never fully arrived.
| Southern rusher | Carries | Yards | Average | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Holly | 22 | 200 | 9.1 | 2 |
| Mike Franklin | 15 | 130 | 8.7 | 0 |
| Princeton Cahee | 6 | 23 | 3.8 | 0 |
| Christian Johnson | 5 | 3 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Team | 51 | 367 | 7.2 | 3 |
Holly and Franklin combined for 330 yards on 37 carries. Each averaged better than eight yards per attempt.
Christian Johnson complemented the rushing attack by completing 16 of 22 passes for 172 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. He also scored on a 15-yard run, accounting for five Southern touchdowns.
Defensive Leaders
LCU’s defense spent 37 minutes on the field and faced 73 plays, but several Wildcats continued battling through the workload.
| Player | Tackles | Tackles for loss | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Jackson | 10 | 2.5 | 0 |
| Jaden Jones | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Kristian Doyle | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Johnson II | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Trace McHugh | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Brazzle | 5 | 2.5 | 0 |
| Jonathan Moore-LeDay | 5 | 1.5 | 1 |
Ted Jackson led the Wildcats with 10 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Moore-LeDay recorded LCU’s only sack, while Doyle blocked a fourth-quarter extra-point attempt.
Three Things We Learned
1. LCU’s explosiveness travels
The Wildcats produced three touchdowns of at least 30 yards against a Division I defense. Washington, Faul and Cates each supplied a scoring play capable of changing momentum immediately.
The pieces are there. The next step is creating more possessions between the fireworks.
2. Winning first down remains essential
Southern averaged 7.2 yards per rush and recorded 27 first downs. The Jaguars repeatedly stayed ahead of the chains, allowing them to control both tempo and possession.
LCU forced only two punts and one missed field goal over Southern’s first 10 meaningful possessions.
3. The Wildcats continued competing
LCU trailed 30–10 at halftime and 37–10 early in the third quarter. The Wildcats could have allowed the game to drift toward a runaway.
Instead, they scored 21 second-half points and pulled within 13 early in the fourth quarter.
The final score was decisive, but so was the Wildcats’ willingness to keep answering.
Five Stats That Tell the Story
| Stat | Why it mattered |
|---|---|
| 367 Southern rushing yards | The Jaguars controlled the game at the line of scrimmage. |
| 37:02 time of possession | LCU’s defense was forced to play nearly an entire extra quarter. |
| 3–0 turnover margin | Southern received multiple short fields and protected the football. |
| 7-for-7 in the red zone | Every Southern trip inside the LCU 20 produced points. |
| 21 LCU second-half points | The Wildcats continued fighting and outscored Southern 21–20 after halftime. |
Special Teams Provided Bright Spots
Baker converted a 39-yard field goal, made all four extra-point attempts and averaged 42 yards on three punts.
LCU also averaged 27 yards per kickoff return, with Butler producing 118 yards on four opportunities.
Those contributions helped the Wildcats manufacture field position on a night when Southern’s offense frequently forced LCU to travel the length of the field.
The Bottom Line
This was a difficult night, but it was not an empty one.
Louisiana Christian stepped into a Division I stadium, absorbed Southern’s early charge and continued trading punches into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats scored 31 points, produced 349 yards and uncovered several explosive weapons capable of changing games.
But Southern’s 367 rushing yards, flawless red-zone production and three forced turnovers were too much weight to carry.
The lesson from Baton Rouge is written plainly across the stat sheet: explosive plays can keep LCU alive, but controlling the line of scrimmage and protecting the football will determine how far these Wildcats can climb.
Southern won the night.
LCU leaves with the film—and film has a way of turning bruises into blueprints.
Rewatch the game here: https://youtube.com/live/Jm2e2IuSXCU
Doug Gann covers the LCU Wildcats all season long and can be reached at info@446sports.com
