Pace, Blumrick Reach Career Milestones in Homecoming Bout with Cardinals

Saturday, October 27

Nacogdoches, Texas

3 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

2-6 , 2-5

Lamar

4-4 , 3-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Lamar

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Pace, Blumrick Reach Career Milestones in Homecoming Bout with Cardinals

10/27/2018 6:50:00 PM | Football

Box Score

‘Jacks rack up 335 passing yards, hold Lamar to 72 yards through the air and recover pair of fumbles in setback

By: Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

Photos

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin football team accrued 335 yards through the air and saw two of its key playmakers achieve career milestones in a hard-fought, 24-17 loss to Lamar inside Home Bryce Stadium Saturday afternoon on homecoming. The Lumberjacks (2-6, 2-5 Southland) held the visiting Cardinals (4-4, 3-3 Southland) to just 72 passing yards and forced a pair of turnovers on fumbles in front of an energetic homecoming crowd but it wasn't enough to prevent Lamar from racking up 369 yards on the ground.

Tamrick Pace compiled seven receptions for 158 yards and a pair of scores, moving into 10th all-time on the Lumberjacks' career touchdown leaderboard while also rising to 16th all-time in career receiving yardage. Starting quarterback Jake Blumrick threw for 335 yards on the day, and in doing so became the 13th SFA signal caller to amass 3,000 yards in his career.

"Not good enough," interim head coach Jeff Byrd said following the game. "We didn't play well in the first half and we dug ourselves a hole. We tried to dig out of it and didn't leave ourselves enough time. That's the bottom line, that's what happened today. It was a tale of two halves. We needed a break or two to go our way and it didn't go our way. You can't go out and put yourself in a hole like that to begin with."

First Half Struggles
The 'Jacks were outscored 17-0 in the first half of play and were outgained 294-146, including 186-41 in the second quarter alone. Despite junior Butler Community College transfer cornerback Jadarius Byrd forcing a fumble and sophomore safety Trenton Gordon coming up with the loose ball on Lamar's opening drive of the game, SFA couldn't turn the miscue into any points. The Cardinals would score the first points of the game at the 3:36 mark of the first quarter on a quarterback keep as starter Jordan Hoy ran it in himself from two yards out. Another quarterback rush by Hoy, this one for 68 yards, with 7:25 to go in the second quarter put the visitors ahead 14-0 before Lamar's Elvin Martinez knocked through a 30-yard field goal with three minutes remaining in the half to cap a 10-play, 60-yard drive that used nearly 3:30 of clock.

Third Quarter Statement
Down, but certainly not out, the 'Jacks proved they would not be subdued for long as SFA came away with its second takeaway of the afternoon on the Cardinals' opening drive of the second half. Senior linebacker Ryan Woods forced a fumble and junior East Mississippi Community College transfer linebacker Quin Jones recovered it at the Lamar 43, however, the turnover would not yield any points. Thanks in large-part to a 50-yard connection from Blumrick to Pace, the 'Jacks marched 70 yards down the field in just four plays and 1:28 for their first scoring drive of the afternoon. Blumrick found Pace from 14 yards out to make it a 10-point affair at 17-7 after five minutes of second-half action. Another long pass from Blumrick to Pace, this time an acrobatic 47-yard reception by the wideout, highlighted SFA's following offensive possession but a strip sack by the Cardinals' Daniel Crosley quickly abrupted the Lumberjacks' drive after reaching the Lamar seven-yard line. The visitors would go ahead 24-7 just under the two-minute mark of the third quarter after an offensive fumble recovery in the end zone by the Cardinals' Dewan Thompson Jr. completed a seven-play, 80-yard drive. Blumrick completed eight of his 13 pass attempts for 162 yards in the quarter.

Strong Finish
Holding the Cardinals to just 33 total offensive yards and one first down in the final quarter of play, SFA outscored Lamar 10-0 in the fourth. Junior place-kicker Storm Ruiz nailed a 46-yard field goal to finish off an 11-play, 44-yard drive that took over three minutes in the beginning of the fourth to get back within two possessions at 24-10. After forcing a three-and-out on the Cardinals' ensuing possession, the 'Jacks went 87 yards on 10 plays and scored on the second Blumrick to Pace touchdown hookup of the afternoon from nine yards out. Making it a one-touchdown game with 9:16 remaining, SFA would see the field on offense just two more times and was limited to only 12 yards on its final two drives.

The Bottom Line
Led by a game-high 225 rushing yards on 21 carries from Hoy, Lamar outgained the 'Jacks 441-420 in total yards. The Cardinals got another 85 yards on the ground from Myles Wanza and 45 yards on 14 rushes from A.J. Walker. Blumrick finished the game 25-of-42 passing with no interceptions as Pace led all receivers and sophomore Garden City Community College transfer wide receiver Remi Simmons collected 80 yards on seven catches. Senior wideout Terian Goree reeled in six receptions for 60 yards, while sophomore running back Josh McGowen led SFA's ground attack with 50 yards on 16 attempts. The 'Jacks claimed eight tackles for loss in the contest, fronted by junior safety Alize Ward's 12 total tackles and 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. With nine tackles for a loss of 45 yards, Lamar got a game-high 15 tackles from Rodney Randle and anther 13 from Davon Jernigan.

Quotables

Coach Byrd on Jake Blumrick and Alize Ward's play:
"These two guys were ready to go to war. We all know we have to do things better. They go to war every day and we just can't dig ourselves that hole."

Coach Byrd on Jake Blumrick's grit:
"He doesn't take a lot of credit but when we push that ball downfield he has to stand there. He's getting hit and he knows he's getting hit, but he stands there and delivers that football."

Jake Blumrick on his third-straight 250-plus yard passing game:
"We have playmakers all over the field so they make it easy. We did a lot in the first half kind of quick-gaining them. Coach (Kevin) Barbay did a good job calling plays for us to take some shots down the field because they (Lamar) were kind of coming up on us. Again, we just have those guys out there where we put the ball up and I have full faith that they are going to come down with it, they make it a lot easier. Remi (Simmons) and those guys, you just get the ball to them, just throw them a little five-yard pass and they can break it and cut it to 20."

Of Note
In three seasons donning the Purple and White, Pace has accumulated 1,901 receiving yards and now has 18 career touchdown catches. His 158-yard receiving performance is his first 100-yard game of the season and seventh of his career. In just two seasons taking snaps behind center, Blumrick has amassed 3,119 passing yards and ranks 13th in career passing yards among all former Lumberjack gunslingers. Ruiz' fourth-quarter field goal was his third 40-yard kick of the season as he is a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond 40 yards this season. He has now made nine 40-plus yard field goals in his career and is 9-for-10 from that distance.

Up Next…
The 'Jacks will enjoy a weekend off from competition next week with SFA's bye week, before traveling to Thibodaux, Louisiana, Saturday, Nov. 10 for its final Southland road game of the regular season at Nicholls. Kickoff from Guidry Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football throughout the 2018 season.

-SFA-