With stakes higher, Scott carrying Cardinals with legs as well as arm
Getting up from the Benson Stadium turf at the end of a run, Incarnate Word quarterback Lindsey Scott said he heard one of Furman’s defensive ends remark, “Dang, man. You’re strong.”
“Yeah, man,” Scott replied. “I lift.”
Scott has carried significant weight for UIW’S offense all season, setting a FCS record with his 62nd total touchdown in Saturday’s 41-38 win over Furman in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
With his explosive passing totals earning him a nod as one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, Scott knows plenty of fans in San Antonio likely aren’t aware he led the Southland Conference in rushing last season at Nicholls, racking up 990 yards.
After posting season highs of 23 carries and 124 rushing yards against Furman, he knows he’ll need every tool at his disposal when UIW faces undefeated No.
2 seed Sacramento State in the FCS quarterfinals at 9:30 p.m. Friday in Sacramento, Calif.
“I’m 215 pounds, so it’s not like I’m just getting thrown around like a little stick figure,” Scott said. “I’m not as fast as I used to be, but 120-something yards is good enough.”
While the nature of the Cardinals’ offense has made him a pocket passer for the first time in his career, Scott acknowledged the value of “hitting them from all cylinders” in the year’s toughest matchups.
Though Scott said cutting back his rushing from one year to the next wasn’t deliberate, UIW coach G.J. Kinne said the Cardinals wanted to “preserve him as much as we could” early in the year, limiting the physical toll of carrying the ball.
Scott’s 23 rushes were 10 more than his previous season high at UIW, and more than in any game during his final year at Nicholls.
“We knew when we got to those big playoff games, we were going to need his legs, and that’s what happened,” Kinne said. “It changes everything. It really does. I’m excited to hopefully continue to do this for a couple more weeks.”
Expanding Scott’s ground game adds a new dynamic to an offense that
leads the country in scoring with 51.9 points per game.
Already, Scott holds the FCS single-season record for total touchdowns responsible for, amassing 55 passing and seven rushing. He needs three touchdown passes to set another FCS record with 58, and he’s on pace to set new marks for passer rating (210.62) and yards per attempt (11.1).
“It’s cool to be a part of history,” UIW receiver Taylor Grimes said. “Luckily we can play three games to get those numbers up some more, and that’ll be a really hard record to beat.”
Scott said he hasn’t spent any time reflecting on his record-breaking totals the past few days, putting more thought on the quick turnaround to be ready for Friday.
Grimes said Scott never speaks on his individual success, and running back
Marcus Cooper said Scott appears “like he doesn’t even pay attention to it.”
“He locks in and worries about the next game, the next practice,” Cooper said. “He doesn’t let it get to his head. He’s a great guy.”
Scott also earned a little bit of the national spotlight this week, checking in on ESPN’S “Sportscenter” with the No. 2 play in Saturday’s Top 10.
Though Scott was asleep when the program aired, he woke up to a bunch of missed calls and texts about the accolade, saying it felt “pretty sweet” to earn the recognition for making a play he and Kinne agreed was “ill-advised.”
As he was stumbling backward, Scott let go of a flailing pass just before his left elbow came down on the turf, lofting the ball to Darion Chafin over the middle for a 21-yard touchdown during Saturday’s first quarter.
“It was a miracle,” Cooper said. “I just continue to give him praise, because I don’t know how he did it. I was in the game, and I was right next to him when he did it, so it was very crazy.”
Scott’s gaudy totals this year have made him the front-runner for the Walter Payton Award, and on Monday he was announced as one of three finalists invited to the FCS awards banquet Jan. 7 in Frisco.
Scott said he felt “amazing” to be the first player from UIW to earn consideration for the distinction, calling it “an honor and a blessing.”
The other two finalists are Fordham quarterback Tim Demorat and Monmouth running back Jaden Shirden.
Demorat threw for an Fcs-leading 4,891 yards and 56 touchdowns with five rushing scores, though his passing efficiency of 180.69 trails Scott’s 210.62. Shirden averaged 156.5 running yards per game, notching 13 touchdowns.
Kinne said selecting anyone other than Scott for the honor would be “ridiculous.”
“I just hope he wins it, because he deserves it,” Kinne said. “He’s definitely earned it. In my opinion, it’s not even close. So, hopefully, he gets that award and goes out the way he should.”