San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Cardinals get crunch-time win
Robert Ferrel caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime and Dante Heaggans came up with a key defensive play as the Incarnate Word Cardinals held on for a 35-28 win over the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in the first round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday.
Ferrel caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Ward on the second play in overtime and Heaggans preserved the victory by knocking down SFA quarterback Trae Self ’s pass in the end zone on fourth down, much to delight of the home crowd at Benson Stadium.
UIW advances to the second round of the FCS playoffs, where they will meet the No. 1 ranked Sam Houston State Bearkats at Bowers Stadium in Huntsville next Saturday at 2 p.m.
The game was tied at 21 when SFA defensive lineman Rayshad Nichols stripped the ball from UIW running back Kevin Brown, returning the fumble recovery 32 yards for the score with 5:16 in the fourth quarter. Chris Campos booted the point after to give the Lumberjacks their first lead of the game at 28-21.
UIW (10-2) came back with a 16-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 7yard scoring pass from Ward to a wide-open Taylor Grimes in the end zone with 38 seconds in regulation. Carson Mohr then added the PAT to tie it at 28.
Despite facing stiff pressure from the SFA defense, Ward threw for 328 yards and four touchdowns and also added a rushing score. The Lumberjacks were in Ward’s face throughout the game, sacking him six times.
Grimes caught three of Ward’s TDs, finishing with 118 yards on 10 catches,
with Ferrel also topping 100 yards receiving on 14
catches.
UIW struck first on a 4yard touchdown pass from Ward to Grimes at the 7:08 mark of the first quarter. Later in the opening quarter, UIW pinned SFA inside the Lumberjacks’ 1-yard line on a 61-yard punt by Keven Nguyen.
SFA (8-4) was able to get out of that hole on a 77yard pass from Self to Jeremiah Miller, who found a soft spot in the UIW zone on a crossing pattern to get
to the UIW 18-yard line. Two plays later, Self connected with QuenTyvian Borders to tie it at 7 at 14:50 in the second quarter.
UIW regained the lead on a 6-yard scoring run by Ward three minutes later. SFA would tie it before halftime as Self connected with Borders again, this time on a 8-yard scoring pass with 1:30 left in the first half.
The Cardinals regained the lead on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Ward to Grimes, who caught the ball as SFA defender Myles Brooks tried to go for the interception. Grimes then ran it the rest
of the way, stretching his arm over the pylon for a 2114 UIW lead with 2:34 left in the third quarter.
SFA knotted it again at 21 on a 5-yard strike from Self to tight end Keshon Williams with 8:00 minutes in the fourth quarter.
Self finished with 243 yard passing and three scores for the Lumberjacks.
On defense, Elliott Davison came up with key interceptions for UIW, one that led to a Cardinals touchdown in the third quarter and the other that stopped a SFA drive at the UIW 16 in the final seconds of regulation