BEAUMONT, Texas -- The University of the Incarnate Word football team dropped a heartbreaking, 27-21, contest at Lamar on Saturday afternoon in Provost Umphrey Stadium.
 
Jon Copeland helped engineer 585 yards of total offense for UIW, including 515 passing yards from the freshman quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes but suffered four interceptions.
 
Kam Williams and Kody Edwards each caught 10 passes for UIW: Williams for 153 yards and Edwards for 150. Lamont Johnson caught two touchdown aerials and had 90 receiving yards as well.
 
The result brought UIW's record to 3-3 overall and 3-1 in Southland Conference play. Lamar is now 2-4 overall and 1-3 in conference action.
 
UIW's offense moved the ball consistently early in the game, while its defense was stingy. Missed opportunities by UIW, however, kept the score close.
 
On the opening drive, UIW was stopped on a fourth-and-one deep in Lamar territory after having driven 53 yards. The visiting Cardinal defense then forced a three-and-out, and UIW consequently drove 70 yards in five plays, capped by Copeland's 50-yard scoring pass to Johnson for a 7-0 lead.
 
After the UIW defense forced its second consecutive Lamar punt, the visiting Cardinals turned the ball over with a fumble that rolled out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. On the next LU drive, however, UIW's Darrius Montgomery forced Lamar's Darrell Colbert to fumble and Mar'kel Cooks recovered for UIW to end the LU threat. The turnover extended the UIW defense's turnover streak to seven consecutive games, the second longest streak in school history.
 
The first quarter ended with a 7-0 score in favor of UIW; the visiting Cardinals dominated, 239 to 47, in total yards.
 
As the second quarter opened, UIW was mounting another promising drive, but an interception by Lamar at the LU 11-yard line frustrated a potential touchdown opportunity. LU then tied the score on an 89-yard touchdown pass from Colbert to Juwan Ruffin.
 
The next several exchanges, which consumed more than ten minutes of possession, developed into a battle for field position. Lamar received a fortuitous break when it downed a punt at the UIW two-yard line, but Copeland engineered a ten-play, 85-yard drive that positioned the UIW offense at the Lamar 13-yard-line. With 1:37 remaining in the half, however, another interception cut off UIW's threat in the red zone.
 
At halftime, the score remained 7-7. UIW still dominated in yardage, 320-202, but four turnovers played a significant role on the first half scoreboard.
 
Lamar took the second-half kickoff and scored on a six-play, 75-yard drive crowned by Colbert's 40-yard touchdown pass to Zae Giles. That gave Lamar its first lead, 14-7, with 12:14 showing in the third quarter.
 
UIW then mounted a promising drive which saw a 73-yard touchdown play called back for holding, and subsequently ended on UIW's fourth thrown interception of the game.
 
Even yet, the UIW defense still remained a bulwark. After allowing Lamar to drive into UIW territory on the subsequent series, the visiting Cardinal defenders forced Lamar to turn the ball over on downs.
 
Then Copeland conjured up a 74-yard, 12-play drive culminated by Ra'Quanne Dickens' one-yard touchdown plunge. The key play was a 34-yard, third-and-ten, drive-saving pass from Copeland to Edwards. The touchdown run by Dickens tied the score at 14-14 with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Lamar took back the lead, 21-14, in the opening minutes of the final quarter on a one-yard counter play by quarterback Colbert, ending a 75-yard drive that took nine plays.
 
UIW tied the score with 10:28 remaining in the fourth quarter with a 75-yard drive -- highlighted by a 16-yard, third-down reception by Williams, a 16-yard pass to Edwards, a 34-yard aerial to Jaelin Campbell, and two consecutive receptions by Johnson -- the second a four-yard touchdown pass, Johnson's second of the game.
 
The game then remained tied until the final play of the game. With 12 seconds left on the clock, UIW kicker Rhett Marshall was attempting a 40-yard field goal. Lamar used all three timeouts in an attempt to ice the kicker, and, ultimately, Marshall's kick was blocked. LU scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown to hand UIW its first conference loss of the season.