One more step for the Louisiana Christian Wildcats, and it’s at home Saturday.
But it’s also the toughest challenge in the conference season for LCU.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats clinched a share of the Sooner Athletic Conference championship last Saturday with a blowout win at Arkansas Baptist. It is the second straight SAC co-championship and third in four years for the ‘Cats.
LCU has much more at stake this Saturday afternoon against Ottawa when the Wildcats ((9-1, 7-0 SAC) host the Spirit (7-2, 6-1 SAC) at 2 o’clock.
Coach Ben McLaughlin’s squad can capture outright ownership of the SAC crown and the league’s automatic bid to the NAIA Football Championship Series with a win.
The contest will be live streamed on YouTube through the 446Sports channel.
Senior running back Datlan Cunningham sparkled last Saturday, earning SAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season as the Wildcats scored the final 38 points to run away from the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes 62-13.
Cunningham ran for three touchdowns and 146 yards on just 17 carries.
LCU raced to a two-score lead just over three minutes into play and Arkansas Baptist never got closer.
Bryce Perkins connected with Xavion Butler for a 63-yard touchdown just 36 seconds into the game, then found Omarius Davis for a 55-yard score with 11:57 remaining in the first quarter. Perkins finished 9-of-16 passing for 208 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Cunningham’s first TD, a 12-yard run, got LCU up 21-0 and his 26-yard scoring run with 3:58 left made it 31-13.
The Wildcats paired four second-half rushing touchdowns with a defensive shutout. Cunningham scored from 8 yards out in the third quarter, and Jaterrius Johnson followed with an 18-yard touchdown run and finished with 139 yards on 11 carries. Kevon Johnson contributed 62 yards on 10 carries, including a 4-yard fourth-quarter score, before Kedrian McNeil capped the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown run with 3:39 left.
LCU amassed 635 yards of offense, including 427 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
The Ottawa game wraps up the regular season. The NAIA playoffs begin Nov. 21 with a first-round home playoff game within LCU’s reach.