Breckenridge Texan

By Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan

It’s not every day that a small town sportswriter gets the chance to cover a hometown kid at the collegiate level, especially NCAA Division I football.

But for Breckenridge Texan Publisher Tony Pilkington and I, that is exactly what we got to do Saturday, Nov. 22, when we traveled to Dallas to cover 2023 Breckenridge High School graduate Jerry Lawson and the Louisville Cardinals playing the Southern Methodist University Mustangs.

Former Breckenridge Buckaroo Jerry Lawson joined the University of Louisville Cardinals football team this year as a defensive lineman. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

After he graduated high school, Lawson played collegiate football as a defensive lineman for Abilene Christian University. He was at ACU for two seasons (2023 and 2024) before transferring to the University of Louisville during the 2024 offseason.

I covered Jerry when he was a Buckaroo. Back then, as most players do, at the 3A level, Jerry played both offense and defense.

One thing I learned for sure about Jerry was that if you needed to convert a short yardage situation near the goal line or a fourth down, just hand Jerry the ball and let him go to work. Jerry was big and strong enough that it was going to take the majority of the team just to bring him down and the momentum from a running start being a running back five yards in the backfield was going to carry him forward.

I recall a formation the coaching staff called “jumbo” when he was in high school and that basically meant the ball was going to him nearly every time to convert a short yardage situation.

Jerry was also a big factor on the defensive side of the ball, where he now plays at the collegiate level.

He was also one that the coaching staff could rely on to make a tackle in the backfield for a loss when needed or set the edge so the linebacker corps could come in and get the tackle.

Lawson and the Louisville Cardinals were up against a tough SMU Mustang team Saturday as both teams looked to keep their ACC Championship game hopes alive. Both teams were 7-3 leading up to the game, and SMU was a three-point favorite according to most spreads. SMU ended up winning the game 38-6.

Our plan

Long before Saturday’s game, Tony and I had circled the date on the calendar when we met back in late July to plan our 2025 coverage of Buckaroo football and beyond.

We talked about the idea of going to the game and being on the field as credentialed media to capture the action. But, honestly, I had forgotten about that conversation until I got an email about the media credentials last week.

As the date neared, Tony had reached out to the Louisville Media Relations department for credentials and was referred to the SMU media department, where he applied for the credentials.

Last week, the credentials were approved and our plan of going to Dallas was in full swing. We decided to rent a high-quality camera lens and to stay in Fort Worth overnight to make our Saturday morning drive a little shorter.

Aside from a last-minute glitch with the delivery of the camera lens (solved by a quick drive to Abilene and back), the plan worked, and by Saturday morning, we were on our way to the stadium.

Game day experience

Growing up in West Texas (Lamesa), driving in Lubbock was about as exciting as it got for me. I can navigate Lubbock with my eyes closed, but the DFW Metroplex is a different animal for me. But, the traffic getting to the stadium was really calm compared to what it was later in the day, after the game.

Before the game in Dallas, Jerry Lawson and the Louisville Cardinals warmed up. Click here to see more photos from the Nov. 22 game. (Photo by Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan)

When Tony and I arrived at the stadium, we checked in at the media will-call and picked up the required photographer vests in one of the media rooms.

We went out onto the field during the pregame warm-ups. The players weren’t in full pads at that time, and we got some photos of Jerry warming up. He spotted us on the sideline and came over for a brief chat.

I didn’t really have much to compare the game experience itself to other than a few Texas Tech games that I have been to as a spectator in the stands, but even that was about 13 years ago, so a lot has changed.

Although we were there mostly to cover Jerry, as a football fan and sportswriter, I was keeping up with the game, as well. SMU held a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 21-6 at halftime, but in the second half, scored 17 unanswered points.

Louisville struggled offensively with just 228 yards of total offense.

Defensive Lineman Jerry Lawson and the Louisville Cardinals took on the SMU Mustangs in Dallas on Saturday, Nov. 22. (Photo by Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan)

The Cardinals were without starting quarterback Miller Moss, who was out due to a foot injury, and they leaned on redshirt freshman Deuce Adams for most of the game. Redshirt junior Brady Allen also got snaps at quarterback. Being without their starting quarterback really turned the tide of the game, it seemed.

In my opinion, the score of the game – not really being close – also had a lot to do with how engaged the crowd. As the visiting team, the Cardinals were up against not only the SMU football team but the home crowd, as well.

The student section was definitely “loud and proud” and became rowdier the longer the game went on. There were a few of the students who tried to heckle the Louisville players, yell things at them that I can’t repeat here.

There were also a few noticeable traditions that were on display at the game.

SMU’s teams are known as the Mustangs, and they have a pony that two people run out on to the field with after touchdowns and to start the game. I am not sure what the significance of that is, but I would compare it to what Tech does at the start of the game with the “Masked Rider.”

On the sidelines

With the media credentials Tony and I had, we were able to walk the sidelines, similar to what we do on Friday nights with the Buckaroos, but the difference was not having access to the players’ bench area.

That was a quick change in pace for me because I am used to being able to walk the sidelines and follow the ball. I had to quickly adjust to not crossing a yellow line that was on the turf.

The SMU cheerleaders kept fans entertained throughout the game along with contests and recognition of other athletic teams in between timeouts.

It was SMU’s Senior Night, so the senior students were honored, just like the Buckaroos were at their last regular game of the season.

Tony and I got several photos of the game, a few that were posted on the Breckenridge Texan Facebook page and more in the Photo Gallery posted on this website.

Jerry Lawson, former Buckaroo now with the University of Louisville, fights off a block in the game against SMU. (Photo by Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan)

Post game experience

While most media went to the post-game press conference, Tony and I loaded our gear up and went outside, where fans, friends and family waited to greet the players.

When Jerry came out, the smile on his face as he saw all the family, friends and former teammates was priceless. Everyone gathered around to get photos with Jerry and tell him “good job.”

It was a nice reminder that, no matter the fame or success, Jerry always has time to stop and take photos with those who support him. That was also evident earlier in the year when Jerry visited Breckenridge and was on the sidelines of a Buckaroo game. While there, young kids stopped Jerry to pose for photos and get his autograph. Jerry definitely hasn’t forgotten his roots, and his actions show the quality of man he is and was raised to be.

After the game on Saturday, Jerry Lawson posed for pictures with family and friends, including his mom, Loree Roberson, and Aalyiah Salazar. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Overall game experience

The experience itself was one that I will remember for a while.

Now, I have covered my share of teams in big arenas, but nothing at the Division I level.

While in college at South Plains College in Levelland, I was a broadcast journalism major and was involved in several live broadcasts of the SPC Texans and Lady Texans basketball games.

I was also on the student newspaper staff and traveled to San Antonio and College Station for a collegiate competition, where we covered a UTSA and Texas A&M baseball game as part of the competition.

I will say Saturday’s game at SMU was a lot more fun.

At my first newspaper job in Levelland, I covered two local high schools (Smyer and Whitharral) at the Class 1A Girls State basketball tournament at the Frank Irwin Center in Austin.

While that experience was great and is something I hang my hat on proudly, being on the big stage with national media Saturday and seeing all the expensive gear that the other media members had was eye opening for sure.

After all the Buckaroo games I’ve covered, I’m glad that my first Division I game was covering a Buckaroo like Jerry Lawson.

Click here to see the Breckenridge Texan’s Photo Gallery from Saturday’s event.

Jerry Lawson, now a defensive lineman with the University of Louisville Cardinals, posed for a picture on Saturday with Breckenridge Texan Publisher Tony Pilkington, left, and sportswriter Brant Thurmond, left. (Courtesy Photo)

Cutline, top photo: Mark Hagen, co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for the University of Louisville, goes over plays with defensive linemen Jerry Lawson and Justin Beadles during Saturday’s game against SMU. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)