Resilient Cardinals gear for No. 1 Bearkats
With five minutes remaining in the second FCS playoff game in Incarnate Word’s history, a moment that could have ended the Cardinals’ season became an example of progress.
Stephen F. Austin’s Rayshad Nichols, a 307-pound defensive lineman, ripped the ball away from UIW running back Kevin Brown and scampered 32 yards for a touchdown to break a fourth-quarter tie.
But coach Eric Morris said the Cardinals “didn’t blink.” The offense rallied around quarterback Cameron Ward, and defensive players approached Morris on the sideline to say, “Coach, go score, and we’ll stop them.”
Ward found Taylor Grimes for a touchdown in the final minute and hit Robert Ferrel for another score in overtime to lift UIW to a 35-28 win — the first playoff victory in program history.
Morris said the resilience “shows exactly how far we’ve come.” Linebacker Isaiah Paul said the sequence highlighted UIW’S “grit and toughness,” and Grimes said the Cardinals proved they could win in different ways.
“One of the best things about our team is we never panic,” Grimes said. “No one on offense was worried. We all trust each other to execute.”
The Cardinals know their ability to take a punch will be tested this week as UIW steps into the program’s first second-round playoff game against No. 1 Sam Houston at 2 p.m. Saturday in Huntsville.
The Bearkats are the defending FCS national champions, riding a 21-game win streak that dates to 2019.
“Of course, they’re going to have explosive plays, but as an offense and defense, we’re going to have some explosive plays, too,” Paul said. “We’re just ready for it. We’re ready for the test.”
Grimes called Sam Houston “the best team in the nation,” highlighting the speed across the roster.
For Morris, the Bearkats’ defensive line was the biggest area of concern, spearheading a unit that ranks second in the FCS in rushing defense. Sam Houston also boasts the No. 7 rushing offense, complementing veteran quarterback Eric Schmid, who has racked up 250.4 passing yards per game with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
While Morris said he doesn’t “think they have a weakness,” the Bearkats have been susceptible to the pass this season, ranking No. 98 nationally by allowing 242.8 yards per game through the air.
Behind Ward’s 347.3 passing yards per game with 42 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, UIW stands as a top-five passing offense.
“If we can protect, there are going to be some seams we can hit, and we can hit some homerun balls,” Morris said. “But the whole name of the game is we have to play well up front.”
UIW and Sam Houston last met less than eight months ago, with the Cardinals hosting their spring finale against the Bearkats at Benson Stadium.
Though Sam Houston pulled away to win, 42-14, Paul recalled how UIW hung around for a chunk of the game, trailing 21-14 halfway through the third quarter.
“We got a little taste of what they can be,” Paul said, “and we got a taste of what we can be, as well.”
Sam Houston enters Saturday’s rematch as a 14-point favorite, with Morris saying the group looks almost identical to the spring.
The Cardinals hope they’ve matured enough since then to close the gap. UIW smashed the program record with 10 victories this fall.
“They’ve just continued to build on their little dynasty they have going on,” Morris said. “They’re the exact same as they were, and I think we’ve added some pieces that have made us a little better, and our young guys have grown up.”
Sam Houston has won eight of nine all-time meetings against UIW, with the programs clashing annually as members of the Southland Conference. The teams will be conference opponents again next year in the Western Athletic Conference before Sam Houston departs for the FBS and Conference USA in 2023.
The Bearkats have won all five meetings against the Cardinals in Huntsville by an average margin of 41.2 points, and UIW is just 1012 on the road during Morris’ four-year tenure.
“There’s going to be a lot of momentum switches in the game,” Grimes said. “Sam Houston is going to have their fair share of good plays, and so are we. You can’t get too high or ever too low. You have to stay levelheaded out there, and just execute.”
Morris highlighted the importance of forcing turnovers and jumping out to a fast start, preventing Sam Houston from gaining early control of the game. The Cardinals rank third in the nation with 26 takeaways this season.
When UIW pulled off its lone victory against Sam Houston, 4326 at Benson Stadium in 2018, the Cardinals forced seven turnovers.
Though few of the names on either side will be the same, Paul said UIW reviewed film of the 2018 game this week to emphasize how takeaways can swing a daunting matchup.
“Seven turnovers is really unheard of, and we did that,” Paul said. “I feel like we can do that again there, and you never know. You never know.”