Hoy leads Lamar to 65-16 thrashing of NAIA’s Bethel (TN)

BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — Jordan Hoy threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns and ran for three scores as Lamar scored on its first two possessions to open the season on Thursday night with a 65-16 thrashing of Bethel (Tenn.), an NAIA school.

The Cardinals needed just seven plays to go ahead 14-0 in the first quarter.

Hoy hit Case Robinson on a 26-yard scoring strike to take a 7-0 lead early in the game. He followed that with a 7-yard TD pass to Erik Pizarro after Lamar’s defense forced a fumble. Hoy ran it in from the 8 for the next score, on the first play of the second quarter, and the Cardinals sprinted to a 41-13 advantage at the break. Hoy was 14 of 19 passing for 173 yards and two scores by halftime. He rushed for 50 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.

Derrion Randle ran for 79 yards and a score and Cole Starnes added 72 yards rushing and a TD.

The Cardinals amassed total 658 yards while limiting Bethel to 197.

Bethel’s Rodrigo Campos nailed three field goals and added an extra point after Christian Arrambide plunged in from the 1.