UIW FOOTBALL GAME NOTES Zack Carlton, Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Information OFFICE: 210.805.3071 CELL: 210.896.8694 FAX: 210.829.3574 EMAIL: [email protected] 2017 SCHEDULE UIW (0-5, 0-3 SLC) vs. LAMAR (1-4, 0-3 SLC) 9/2 Fresno State L 66-0 SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium 9/9 Sacramento State L 56-22 9/16 Stephen F. Austin* L 37-31 SATURDAY - Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. CT 9/30 Abilene Christian* L 45-20 TV: UIWtv 10/7 Southeastern Louisiana* L 49-30 RADIO: KUIW.org 10/14 Lamar* 6 p.m. 10/21 McNeese* 6 p.m. LOOKING FORWARD The University of the Incarnate Word football team will seek its first victory of the 2017 season 10/28 Nicholls* 2 p.m. on Saturday as the squad welcomes Lamar University to Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium for a 6 p.m. 11/4 Sam Houston* TBA bout. 11/11 Central Arkansas* 6 p.m. LOOKING BACK 11/16 Prairie View A&M 6 p.m. We’d rather not. * Indicates Southland Conference game SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE Bold indicates home game Saturday’s game will feature a pair of Cardinals squads that are both 0-3 in league play and currently sit at the bottom of the Southland Conference standings. A win for either team would be a huge weight lifted and provide the victor with an ounce of confidence heading into the back half of the SERIES CHECK 2017 schedule. Lamar holds a 3-1 advantage in the all- WHAT’S THE RUSH? time series with UIW. LU earned a 35-28 UIW picked up right where it left off last season with a nonexistent ground game. The Cardinals victory in the most recent meeting between averaged just 117.9 yards rushing in 2016 and opened the 2017 campaign with an abysmal -30 yards programs, on Nov. 12, 2016 in Beaumont, on the ground against Fresno State. Through five games UIW is averaging just 71.8 rushing yards Texas. and currently ranks last in the Southland in rushing offense. SILVER LINING Following a tough home-opening loss to Abilene Christian, junior defensive end DARRIUS CARDINALS IN THE PROS MONTGOMERY provided a silver lining for the Cardinals after being named Southland Conference In UIW’s brief eight-year history of Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 2. A Baytown, Texas native and Goose Creek Memorial football, the Cardinals have had three product, MONTGOMERY tied a UIW record with two blocked punts against the Wildcats on Saturday. players reach the NFL. Tight end Cole Both punt blocks resulted in touchdowns for the Cardinals. In addition to his special teams’ exploits, Wick and linebacker Myke Tavarres each MONTGOMERY added two quarterback hurries, two tackles and a sack for a 10-yard loss against the ACU. signed professional contracts following CRIKEY! the conclusion of the 2016 NFL draft. Australia native JOE ZEMA just might be UIW’s most effective and most important weapon this Wick was selected by the Detroit Lions, season. The Aussie punter set a school record in his first game with a 75-yard boot against Fresno while Tavarres went to the Philadelphia State, and currently ranks first in the Southland Conference with an average of 47.1 yards on 35 Eagles. In 2017, defensive end and Bath, punts. England native Alex Jenkins was signed NEXT MAN UP by the New Orleans Saints as part of the Quarterback TAYLOR LAIRD suffered an injury in the Cardinals’ season-opener and is his return is still uncertain in week seven. If LAIRD is unable to go, transfer SEAN BROPHY will take his place. NFL’s new International Player Pathway BROPHY has gone 101-of-173 for 895 yards, with 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions through five Program. games. He tied a school record with four passing touchdowns against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 16. University of the Incarnate Word 2017 Cardinal Football 1 PROVERBS 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding READY FOR 2017 UIW AUDIO AND VIDEO The dress rehearsal has concluded for Fans of Cardinals football can access audio and video online. Livestream the UIW football program as the Cardinals video of all home games is available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uiw/. completed their transition from NCAA Fans can listen to streaming audio of every game by visiting KUIW.org. Division II to Division I and are immediately eligible for postseason play. The official FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA announcement came on Aug. 23 as For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. the NCAA Division I Board of Directors Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics Administrative Committee approved the on Facebook at UIW Athletics. recommendation from the NCAA Division I Strategic Vision and Planning Committee to UIW Single Season Tackles elect UIW to Division I active membership. Head Coach Larry Kennan is determined to Name Year Tackles have the team ready to compete for an FCS 1. Myke Tavarres 2015 110 playoff spot right away. UIW finished 6-5 overall in 2015 and 2. Juan Asencio 2011 88 led all Division I programs in the state of 3. Josh Zellars 2016 87 Texas in yards allowed per game. The Cardinals stumbled with a 3-8 overall mark 4. Josh Zellars 2015 83 last season, but ended the year with back- to-back victories over Lamar and rival HBU. 5. Sean Hoeferkamp 2016 77 Following the season, defensive end ALEX 6. Padyn Giebler 2014 76 JENKINS was selected by the New Orleans Saints, becoming the third UIW player in 7. Padyn Giebler 2015 71 the last two years to reach the NFL ranks. 8. Chaz Pavliska 2009 71 He joins teammates COLE WICK (Detroit Lions) and MYKE TAVARRES (Philadelphia 9. Jamarkese Williams 2016 71 Eagles) as Cardinals selected by NFL teams. UIW returns seven starters on offense 10. Robert Johnson 2014 69 and seven starters on defense from last year’s squad, but the Cardinals lost their all- 2017 Southland Conference Preseason Poll time leading passer, TRENT BRITTAIN, and all-time leading tackler, JOSH ZELLARS, to Coaches’ Poll graduation. UIW will look for key contributions 1. Sam Houston (20) 200 from returning offensive weapons like DESMOND HITE, DORLAND FIELDS and 2. Central Arkansas (2) 177 JAMARI GILBERT, while expecting solid 3. McNeese 163 leadership from DRAVEN TAYLOR on the front line. Defensively the Cardinals hope to 4. Southeastern Louisiana 136 get strong performances out of QUANDRE 5. Nicholls 133 WASHINGTON and JAWUN JILES in order to slow down one of the toughest FCS 6. Stephen F. Austin 114 football conferences in the nation. Last season Sam Houston, Central Arkansas, 7. Lamar 68 McNeese and Nicholls each earned votes 8. Abilene Christian 66 in the national polls, while the Bearkats and Bears both landed spots in the FCS playoffs. 9. HBU 56 The Cardinals will be relatively 10. Northwestern State 49 inexperienced at the running back and quarterback positions in 2017, but boast a 11. UIW 48 veteran core of wide receivers. Returning offensive players accounted for 74.4 percent 2016 Southland Conference Teams in the Postseason of the team’s receiving yards and 40 percent FIRST ROUND: of its rushing yards, but totaled just 14.7 Central Arkansas 31, Illinois State 24 percent of its passing yards last season. SECOND ROUND: UIW’s two most explosive offensive Eastern Washington 31, Central Arkansas 14 weapons, GILBERT and HITE, are back for the 2017 campaign, and with KYLE Sam Houston 41, Chattanooga 36 KENNAN taking over as the team’s offensive QUARTERFINALS: coordinator, the Cardinals are primed to put James Madison 65, Sam Houston 7 on an offensive exhibition this season. 2 University of the Incarnate Word 2017 Cardinal Football PROVERBS 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding Last Game (10/7/17) SOUTHEASTERN LA 49 UIW 30 THE LAST TIME THE CARDINALS… Rushed for 100-149 yards: 104, Broderick Reeves vs Sam Houston, 10/8/16 UIW Football Outlasted by Southeastern Rushed for 150 or more yards: 168, Derrick Mitchell at Stephen F. Austin, 9/16/17 Louisiana, 49-30 Rushed for 200 or more yards: 244, Broderick Reeves at McMurry, 11/2/13 HAMMOND, La. – The University of the Two Rushers for 100 or more yards: 128, Zach Rhodes; 121, Trent Rios vs Eastern Incarnate Word football team was unable to New Mexico, 9/14/12 slow down the high-powered Southeastern Two rushing touchdowns: 2, Dorland Fields at Lamar, 11/12/16 Louisiana offense on Saturday morning, dropping a 49-30 decision at Strawberry Three rushing touchdowns: 3, Trent Brittain vs Northwestern State, 10/3/15 Field. Four rushing touchdowns or more: 6, Broderick Reeves at McMurry, 11/2/13 HOW IT HAPPENED Passing for 200-299 yards: 202, Sean Brophy vs Abilene Christian, 9/30/17 After a defensive struggle through the first 10 minutes of play, the Cardinals (0-5, 0-3 Passing for 300-399 yards: 313, Trent Brittain at Lamar, 11/14/15 SLC) jump-started a wild first half with a 43- Passing for 400 or more yards: none yard field goal from Jose Perez at the 4:55 Three touchdown passes: 3, Trent Brittain vs Houston Baptist, 11/17/16 mark of the opening frame. Four touchdown passes: 4, Sean Brophy at Stephen F. Austin, 9/16/17 The Lions (3-3, 3-1 SLC) immediately responded with a 99-yard kickoff return to Receiving for 100-149 yards: 120, Kody Edwards at Lamar, 11/12/16 take a 7-3 lead.