Weber State University Athletics
Saturday, September 14
Beaumont, TX
5:00 p.m. MT
Weber State University
at
Lamar
Up next: Wildcats hit the road at Lamar Saturday night
9/10/2024 2:39:00 PM | Football
Weber State and Lamar meet for the first time ever Saturday in Beaumont, Texas.
• After a dominating home and conference opening win, Weber State hits the road for the next two games and begins a three-game stretch against a new conference.
• Weber State will play at Lamar University on Saturday night in Beaumont, Texas in the first meeting ever between the two schools.
• Weber State is coming off a 43-16 win over Portland State on Saturday night in the home and Big Sky opener.
• After the win, Weber State is ranked 20th in the nation in the Stats Perform poll and 25th in the AFCA Coaches poll.
• Damon Bankston was named Big Sky Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's win.
• Both Weber State and Lamar are 1-1 on the season entering Saturday's game.
• This is the first of three-straight games for WSU against teams from the Southland Conference.
• Weber State is coming off a 6-5 season last year and won the final three games of the season, including a win over No. 4 Idaho. WSU has had nine-straight winning seasons.
• Head coach Mickey Mental returns for his second season as the head coach at Weber State.
• The Wildcats return nine starters off last year's team but have just seven seniors on this year's roster.
Media coverage
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Weber State radio broadcast will be on 103.1 FM "The Wave" with Carl Arky and former WSU head coach and athletic director Jerry Graybeal calling the action.
Live stats available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
Weber State moving up in national rankings
Movin' on up. After Saturday's win, Weber State has moved up in the national polls. The Wildcats are now ranked 20th in the Stats Perform FCS poll and are 25th in the AFCA Coaches poll.
WSU is one of six teams in the Stats poll. Montana State is third, Idaho is fourth, Montana eighth, Sacramento State 11th and UC Davis 15th.
Wildcats dominate in win over Vikings
Weber State totaled 535 yards of offense, forced two turnovers, and outscored Portland State 27-6 in the second half in Saturday's home and Big Sky opening win.
The Wildcats had 316 yards rushing and 240 yards passing in the win. The Wildcat defense had three sacks with eight tackles for loss and had an interception and a fumble recovery in the win.
Damon Bankston named Big Sky Player of the Week
Damon is Da-man. After another strong performance in leading Weber State to a home and Big Sky opening win, Wildcat junior running back Damon Bankston has been named the Big Sky Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Bankston ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns in leading WSU to the win over the Vikings. He had a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter and then broke off a 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Through two games, Bankston has rushed for 238 yards and two touchdowns. He is currently first in the Big Sky and eighth in the nation in rushing yards per game at 119.
Bankston is now 21st in Weber State history in career rushing yards with 1,458 yards and 18 touchdowns in 29 games played at WSU. He needs just 42 more yards to become the 21st player in Weber State history to reach 1,500 career rushing yards.
As a team, Weber State ranks fifth in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 235.5 yards per game in the first two games.
Strong defensive performance in win
The Weber State defense held Portland State to just six points in the second half and held the Vikings to 240 yards of total offense in the win. WSU had three sacks with eight tackles for loss and forced two turnovers.
Kemari-Munier Bailey had a sack and two tackles for loss, Garrett Beck also had a sack while Keahnist Thompson had 1.5 tackles for loss with half a sack.
Junior transfer Angel King recovered a fumble and had an interception in the win.
Three field goals for Kyle Thompson
Senior kicker Kyle Thompson added to his career numbers as he connected on three field goals in Saturday's win. He made field goals of 46 yards, 41 yards, and 25 yards in the win. He became the third player in Weber State history to reach 50 career field goals made. Thompson is third in career field goals with 52 and needs 16 more to become WSU's all-time leader. He also has 300 career points, fourth most in school history and is a perfect 144 for 144 on extra point attempts. He needs 26 more points to become Weber State's all-time leader.
He is currently tied for third in the nation with four field goals through the first two games.
Prior to the season, Thompson was named to the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award preseason watch list, which is presented annually to the nation's top place-kicker in FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA for excellence on the football field and in the community. He is one of 12 kickers in FCS football named to the preseason watch list and is the only player from the Big Sky Conference on the list.
Zero turnovers through the first two games
Through the first two games, Weber State is one of 14 teams in FCS football, and the only team in the Big Sky, that have not had a turnover through the first two games of the season.
Weber State is 5-0 under coach Mental when leading its opponent in turnover margin.
15 Wildcats head home to Texas
Saturday's game will be a homecoming for 15 Weber State players who are from the Lone Star State. The 15 players from Texas is the third-most from any state behind Utah and California.
The 15 Wildcats from Texas are: Zavien Abercrombie (Arlington), Damon Bankston (Katy), Marcus Chretien (Houston), Adrian Cormier (Richmond), Toddrick Dixon (Arlington), Davion Godley (Fulshear), Pierre Hunter (Dallas), AJ Jayroe (Frisco), Dahlyn Jones (DeSoto), Logan Mackay (Houston), Tre Parks-Vinson (Fort Worth), Jayleen Record (Dallas), Marvin Session (Missouri City), and Khalil Stolden (Arlington).
Unofficial members of the Southland Conference
Weber State is a charter member of the Big Sky Conference and joined the league when it was formed in 1963. The Wildcats aren't looking to leave the Big Sky but will unofficially have a new conference for the next three games.
WSU's next the game will all be against teams from the Southland Conference. The Wildcats will play at Lamar on Saturday, at Northwestern State on September 21, and host McNeese on September 28.
Seven seniors on the Wildcat team
Weber State begins the 2024 season with just seven seniors on the roster. The seven seniors are linebacker Garrett Beck, defensive tackle Zeke Birch, defensive tackle Steven Bryant, defensive end Kemari Munier-Bailey, long snapper Grant Sands, wide receiver Jacob Sharp, and kicker Kyle Thompson. Sharp is the only senior on the current depth chart on offense.
Seven seniors is the fewest of any school in the Big Sky Conference.
Head coach Mickey Mental returns for second season as head coach
Mickey Mental is in his second season as head coach at Weber State and his third season as the offensive coordinator with the Wildcats. Prior to coming to Weber State in 2022, Mental was the head coach at Notre Dame College in Ohio for two seasons where he posted a 16-2 overall record and a 13-1 record in conference play. In the spring 2021 season, he led the Falcons to a conference championship.
A native of Olmstead Falls, Ohio, Mental came to WSU for the 2022 season as the offensive coordinator under Jay Hill and helped lead the Wildcats to a 10-3 overall record and a trip to the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
Team captains
As selected by their teammates, Weber State has named five captains for the 2024 season. The five captains are junior running back Damon Bankston, senior linebacker Garrett Beck, senior defensive end Steven Bryant, junior wide receiver Jayleen Record, and junior cornerback Jalon Rock.
About Lamar
The Lamar Cardinals enter Saturday's game with a 1-1 record. Lamar opened the season with a 34-27 loss at Texas State, then beat Mississippi Valley State 28-14 last Saturday at home. The Cardinals had 438 yards of total offense in Saturday's win and senior Khalan Griffin had 23 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
Through two games, Lamar is fourth in the nation in red zone defense, 12th in tackles for loss and interceptions, and 15th in turnover margin.
Like Weber State, Lamar was 6-5 overall last season. The Cardinals were third in the Southland Conference at 5-2. They have 20 starters returning from last year, including 10 of 11 starters on offense.
The Cardinals were picked to finish fourth in the Southland preseason poll and 12 players were named to the preseason all-conference team.
Pete Rossomando is in his second season as head coach at Lamar. He has also spent time as head coach at New Haven, Central Connecticut State, and Charlotte.
Series history
This will be the first-ever meeting between Weber State and Lamar. This is the first of a two-game series announced last year but the next one won't be for four years.
The two teams are scheduled to play on September 9, 2028 in Ogden.
Weber State is 2-6 all-time against teams currently in the Southland Conference. The 'Cats have played Stephen F. Austin, McNeese, and Nicholls in their history.
Quick hits
This will be Weber State's first game in the state of Texas since playing at Stephen F. Austin in 2014...Through two games, Oscar Doyle is sixth in the nation in punting, averaging 46.4 yards per punt...WSU was selected sixth in the Big Sky preseason poll.
Looking ahead
After Saturday's game the Wildcats will play at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana next Saturday night.
The next home games is on September 28 against McNeese.
• Weber State will play at Lamar University on Saturday night in Beaumont, Texas in the first meeting ever between the two schools.
• Weber State is coming off a 43-16 win over Portland State on Saturday night in the home and Big Sky opener.
• After the win, Weber State is ranked 20th in the nation in the Stats Perform poll and 25th in the AFCA Coaches poll.
• Damon Bankston was named Big Sky Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's win.
• Both Weber State and Lamar are 1-1 on the season entering Saturday's game.
• This is the first of three-straight games for WSU against teams from the Southland Conference.
• Weber State is coming off a 6-5 season last year and won the final three games of the season, including a win over No. 4 Idaho. WSU has had nine-straight winning seasons.
• Head coach Mickey Mental returns for his second season as the head coach at Weber State.
• The Wildcats return nine starters off last year's team but have just seven seniors on this year's roster.
Media coverage
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Weber State radio broadcast will be on 103.1 FM "The Wave" with Carl Arky and former WSU head coach and athletic director Jerry Graybeal calling the action.
Live stats available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
Weber State moving up in national rankings
Movin' on up. After Saturday's win, Weber State has moved up in the national polls. The Wildcats are now ranked 20th in the Stats Perform FCS poll and are 25th in the AFCA Coaches poll.
WSU is one of six teams in the Stats poll. Montana State is third, Idaho is fourth, Montana eighth, Sacramento State 11th and UC Davis 15th.
Wildcats dominate in win over Vikings
Weber State totaled 535 yards of offense, forced two turnovers, and outscored Portland State 27-6 in the second half in Saturday's home and Big Sky opening win.
The Wildcats had 316 yards rushing and 240 yards passing in the win. The Wildcat defense had three sacks with eight tackles for loss and had an interception and a fumble recovery in the win.
Damon Bankston named Big Sky Player of the Week
Damon is Da-man. After another strong performance in leading Weber State to a home and Big Sky opening win, Wildcat junior running back Damon Bankston has been named the Big Sky Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Bankston ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns in leading WSU to the win over the Vikings. He had a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter and then broke off a 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Through two games, Bankston has rushed for 238 yards and two touchdowns. He is currently first in the Big Sky and eighth in the nation in rushing yards per game at 119.
Bankston is now 21st in Weber State history in career rushing yards with 1,458 yards and 18 touchdowns in 29 games played at WSU. He needs just 42 more yards to become the 21st player in Weber State history to reach 1,500 career rushing yards.
As a team, Weber State ranks fifth in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 235.5 yards per game in the first two games.
Strong defensive performance in win
The Weber State defense held Portland State to just six points in the second half and held the Vikings to 240 yards of total offense in the win. WSU had three sacks with eight tackles for loss and forced two turnovers.
Kemari-Munier Bailey had a sack and two tackles for loss, Garrett Beck also had a sack while Keahnist Thompson had 1.5 tackles for loss with half a sack.
Junior transfer Angel King recovered a fumble and had an interception in the win.
Three field goals for Kyle Thompson
Senior kicker Kyle Thompson added to his career numbers as he connected on three field goals in Saturday's win. He made field goals of 46 yards, 41 yards, and 25 yards in the win. He became the third player in Weber State history to reach 50 career field goals made. Thompson is third in career field goals with 52 and needs 16 more to become WSU's all-time leader. He also has 300 career points, fourth most in school history and is a perfect 144 for 144 on extra point attempts. He needs 26 more points to become Weber State's all-time leader.
He is currently tied for third in the nation with four field goals through the first two games.
Prior to the season, Thompson was named to the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award preseason watch list, which is presented annually to the nation's top place-kicker in FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA for excellence on the football field and in the community. He is one of 12 kickers in FCS football named to the preseason watch list and is the only player from the Big Sky Conference on the list.
Zero turnovers through the first two games
Through the first two games, Weber State is one of 14 teams in FCS football, and the only team in the Big Sky, that have not had a turnover through the first two games of the season.
Weber State is 5-0 under coach Mental when leading its opponent in turnover margin.
15 Wildcats head home to Texas
Saturday's game will be a homecoming for 15 Weber State players who are from the Lone Star State. The 15 players from Texas is the third-most from any state behind Utah and California.
The 15 Wildcats from Texas are: Zavien Abercrombie (Arlington), Damon Bankston (Katy), Marcus Chretien (Houston), Adrian Cormier (Richmond), Toddrick Dixon (Arlington), Davion Godley (Fulshear), Pierre Hunter (Dallas), AJ Jayroe (Frisco), Dahlyn Jones (DeSoto), Logan Mackay (Houston), Tre Parks-Vinson (Fort Worth), Jayleen Record (Dallas), Marvin Session (Missouri City), and Khalil Stolden (Arlington).
Unofficial members of the Southland Conference
Weber State is a charter member of the Big Sky Conference and joined the league when it was formed in 1963. The Wildcats aren't looking to leave the Big Sky but will unofficially have a new conference for the next three games.
WSU's next the game will all be against teams from the Southland Conference. The Wildcats will play at Lamar on Saturday, at Northwestern State on September 21, and host McNeese on September 28.
Seven seniors on the Wildcat team
Weber State begins the 2024 season with just seven seniors on the roster. The seven seniors are linebacker Garrett Beck, defensive tackle Zeke Birch, defensive tackle Steven Bryant, defensive end Kemari Munier-Bailey, long snapper Grant Sands, wide receiver Jacob Sharp, and kicker Kyle Thompson. Sharp is the only senior on the current depth chart on offense.
Seven seniors is the fewest of any school in the Big Sky Conference.
Head coach Mickey Mental returns for second season as head coach
Mickey Mental is in his second season as head coach at Weber State and his third season as the offensive coordinator with the Wildcats. Prior to coming to Weber State in 2022, Mental was the head coach at Notre Dame College in Ohio for two seasons where he posted a 16-2 overall record and a 13-1 record in conference play. In the spring 2021 season, he led the Falcons to a conference championship.
A native of Olmstead Falls, Ohio, Mental came to WSU for the 2022 season as the offensive coordinator under Jay Hill and helped lead the Wildcats to a 10-3 overall record and a trip to the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
Team captains
As selected by their teammates, Weber State has named five captains for the 2024 season. The five captains are junior running back Damon Bankston, senior linebacker Garrett Beck, senior defensive end Steven Bryant, junior wide receiver Jayleen Record, and junior cornerback Jalon Rock.
About Lamar
The Lamar Cardinals enter Saturday's game with a 1-1 record. Lamar opened the season with a 34-27 loss at Texas State, then beat Mississippi Valley State 28-14 last Saturday at home. The Cardinals had 438 yards of total offense in Saturday's win and senior Khalan Griffin had 23 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
Through two games, Lamar is fourth in the nation in red zone defense, 12th in tackles for loss and interceptions, and 15th in turnover margin.
Like Weber State, Lamar was 6-5 overall last season. The Cardinals were third in the Southland Conference at 5-2. They have 20 starters returning from last year, including 10 of 11 starters on offense.
The Cardinals were picked to finish fourth in the Southland preseason poll and 12 players were named to the preseason all-conference team.
Pete Rossomando is in his second season as head coach at Lamar. He has also spent time as head coach at New Haven, Central Connecticut State, and Charlotte.
Series history
This will be the first-ever meeting between Weber State and Lamar. This is the first of a two-game series announced last year but the next one won't be for four years.
The two teams are scheduled to play on September 9, 2028 in Ogden.
Weber State is 2-6 all-time against teams currently in the Southland Conference. The 'Cats have played Stephen F. Austin, McNeese, and Nicholls in their history.
Quick hits
This will be Weber State's first game in the state of Texas since playing at Stephen F. Austin in 2014...Through two games, Oscar Doyle is sixth in the nation in punting, averaging 46.4 yards per punt...WSU was selected sixth in the Big Sky preseason poll.
Looking ahead
After Saturday's game the Wildcats will play at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana next Saturday night.
The next home games is on September 28 against McNeese.
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