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(STATS) - Lamar held All-America running back Kade Harrington out of its spring game Saturday, but the depth at the position was likely enough to be concerning to the opposition.
The Cardinals still managed 223 yards and a touchdown on 43 carries as the offense edged the defense, 25-23.
Harrington is coming off a junior season with 2,092 rushing yards - the most in the FCS. The Southland Conference player of the year finished second to Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp in voting for the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year.
With 11 returning starters - six on offense and five on defense - the Cardinals are hoping to build on last year's injury-plagued 5-6 season.
Emmitt Raleigh had the most carries in the scrimmage with 22, totaling 54 yards. Emmanuel Atoyebi had 72 yards on three carries, including a 68-yarder, while Derrion Randle added 12 carries for 39 yards.
Starting quarterback Carson Earp was among the injured players last season, but he was healthy for spring practices. None of the Cardinals' quarterbacks had a big scrimmage as they combined to complete only 14 of 36 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
The defensive standouts were cornerback Xavier Bethany with a team-high six tackles, linebacker Kevin O'Neill with five tackles, including two for loss, and cornerback Brendan Langley with three tackles and two pass breakups. The defense, though, no longer has All-Southland first-team selection Larance Hale, a senior defensive end who was dismissed for a violation of team rules last month.
Lamar will kick off its 2016 schedule on Sept. 3 when it hosts Coastal Carolina.
