Aiden McCown throws for 3 TDs and Lamar defeats Abilene Christian 21-14 in opener

Aiden McCown connected with the pass-catching Davin Driskill three times via touchdown throws, as Lamar edged out Abilene Christian 21-14 in their season opener on Saturday night. The Texas duo's first 5-yard scoring connection established a 7-0 Cardinals lead early in the first quarter. McCown subsequently connected with Blake Thomas for a 33-yard touchdown to widen the advantage to 14-7 with just seconds left in the second quarter.

McCown's drive resulted in a further 14-point lead for the Cardinals in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. However, Lamar's John David Black's 4-yard touchdown pass to Cristian Driver reduced the gap to 21-14 with three minutes remaining. Black's final drive aimed to get the Wildcats inside the Lamar 10-yard line but fell short with 14 seconds on the clock, as McCown completed 17 of 32 passes for 183 yards.