In a week when several teams were idle, Lamar and Houston Christian provided the fireworks with a pair of thrilling conference victories.

No. 20/24 Lamar 33, East Texas A&M 23
Lamar led for only three seconds — but they were the ones that mattered most. Quarterback Aiden McCown found Kyndon Fuselier cutting across the middle for a go-ahead touchdown with three seconds left, giving the Cardinals a stunning 27-23 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, East Texas A&M’s desperate lateral attempt was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Ronnie Hamrick, sealing Lamar’s 33-23 road win on Saturday evening at Commerce Memorial Stadium.

It was déjà vu for the Lions, as Lamar once again stole victory in the final minute for the second straight season in Commerce. The Cardinals are now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Southland play — their first 5-1 start since 1974 — and remain tied atop the conference standings. Lamar outgained East Texas A&M 348-329, led by McCown’s sharp performance through the air (24-for-33, 285 yards, 1 TD).

HCU 20, Northwestern State 17
Houston Christian snapped a four-game skid with a gritty home win over Northwestern State, riding a powerful ground attack and late defensive stops. The Huskies rushed for 242 yards as a team, paced by redshirt freshman Xai’Shaun Edwards, who nearly broke the school’s single-game record with 214 yards and two touchdowns.

On defense, redshirt senior Zayteak McGhee anchored the effort with a career-high 17 tackles, while Thio Georges and Jayven Anderson each picked off passes — pushing HCU’s interception total to a league-best nine. Northwestern State quarterback Abram Johnston threw for 124 yards and two touchdowns while adding 85 rushing yards on 11 carries. Myion Hicks (69 yards) and Kolbe Burrell (58 yards) contributed on the ground for the Demons, who fell to 1-5 (0-2 Southland).

Week 8 Schedule (All Times Central, ESPN+)

• UTRGV at Lamar – 3:00 p.m., Beaumont, Texas

• Northwestern State at Southeastern – 4:00 p.m., Hammond, Louisiana

• East Texas A&M at UIW – 4:30 p.m., San Antonio, Texas

• Nicholls at SFA – 6:00 p.m., Nacogdoches, Texas

• HCU at McNeese – 6:00 p.m., Lake Charles, Louisiana