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 (0-1, 0-0 SLC) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (0-1, 0-0 MW) 9/2 Fresno State L 66-0 9/9 Sacramento State 8 p.m. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Hornet Stadium 9/16 Stephen F. Austin* 6 p.m. SATURDAY - Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. CT 9/30 Abilene Christian* 6 p.m. TV: Pluto TV 10/7 Southeastern Louisiana* 4 p.m. RADIO: KUIW.org 10/14 Lamar* 6 p.m. 10/21 McNeese* 6 p.m. LOOKING FORWARD 10/28 Nicholls* 2 p.m. The University of the Incarnate Word football team will make its second trip to California 11/4 Sam Houston* TBA in as many weeks and pray for a better outcome against Sacramento State, after a lopsided 11/4 Central Arkansas* 6 p.m. 66-0 defeat at Fresno State to open the 2017 season. 11/16 Prairie View A&M 6 p.m. LOOKING BACK * Indicates Southland Conference game It’s hard to say what was more stiffling in week one - the 110 degree temperatures in Bold indicates home game Fresno, or the Bulldogs. UIW was held to just 125 total yards in week one, including -30 yards rushing. In stark contrast, Fresno State racked up 613 yards of total offense. SOMETHING’S GOT TO GIVE SERIES CHECK This week’s game will feature two teams voted at the bottom of their respecitive Saturday’s meeting will be just the conference preseason polls. The Cardinals were picked to finish last in the Southland, while second in program history between UIW the Hornets were selected to finish second-to-last in the Big Sky. A win on Saturday for either and Sacramento State. The previous team would be a huge confidence builder coming off of a loss in week one. meeting came on Aug. 30, 2014 in San WHAT’S THE RUSH? Antonio, with the Hornets earning a 49-13 The Cardinals picked up right where they left off last season with a non-existant ground victory at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium. game. UIW averaged just 117.9 yards rushing in 2016, and opened the 2017 campaign with an abysmal -30 yards on the ground against the Bulldogs. DESMOND HITE, arguably the CARDINALS IN THE PROS Cardinals’ most explosive player, was routinely met in the backfield and completely bottled up In UIW’s brief eight-year history of by Fresno State in week one. football, the Cardinals have had three CRIKEY! players reach the NFL. Tight end Cole Austrailia native JOE ZEMA just might be UIW’s most effective and most important Wick and linebacker Myke Tavarres each weapon this season. The Aussie punter set a school record in his first game with a 75-yard signed professional contracts following boot against Fresno State, and finished with an average of 50.5 yards on eight punts. ZEMA the conclusion of the 2016 NFL draft. currently ranks second at the FCS level in punting average. Wick was selected by the Detroit Lions, NEXT MAN UP while Tavarres went to the Philadelphia Quarterback TAYLOR LAIRD suffered an injury in the Cardinals’ season-opener and is doubtful for Saturday’s contest. The Sacramento native was excited to get the start in front Eagles. In 2017, defensive end and Bath, of family and friends in his home town, but that now appears unlikely. If LAIRD is unable to England native Alex Jenkins was signed go, transfer SEAN BROPHY will take his place. BROPHY saw limited action against Fresno by the New Orleans Saints as part of the State, going 6-of-11 for 65 yards. NFL’s new International Player Pathway READY FOR 2017 Program. The dress rehearsal has concluded for the UIW football program as the Cardinals 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 completed their transition from NCAA UIW AUDIO AND VIDEO Division II to Division I and are immediately Fans of Cardinals football can access audio and video online. Livestream eligible for postseason play. The official video of all home games is available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uiw/. announcement came on Aug. 23 as Fans can listen to streaming audio of every game by visiting KUIW.org. the NCAA Division I Board of Directors Administrative Committee approved the FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA recommendation from the NCAA Division I For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Strategic Vision and Planning Committee to Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics elect UIW to Division I active membership. on Facebook at UIW Athletics. Head Coach Larry Kennan is determined to have the team ready to compete for an FCS UIW Single Season Tackles playoff spot right away. UIW finished 6-5 overall in 2015 and Name Year Tackles led all Division I programs in the state of 1. Myke Tavarres 2015 110 Texas in yards allowed per game. The Cardinals stumbled with a 3-8 overall mark 2. Juan Asencio 2011 88 last season, but ended the year with back- to-back victories over Lamar and rival HBU. 3. Josh Zellars 2016 87 Following the season, defensive end ALEX 4. Josh Zellars 2015 83 JENKINS was selected by the New Orleans Saints, becoming the third UIW player in 5. Sean Hoeferkamp 2016 77 the last two years to reach the NFL ranks. He joins teammates COLE WICK (Detroit 6. Padyn Giebler 2014 76 Lions) and MYKE TAVARRES (Philadelphia 7. Padyn Giebler 2015 71 Eagles) as Cardinals selected by NFL teams. 8. Chaz Pavliska 2009 71 UIW returns seven starters on offense 9. Jamarkese Williams 2016 71 and seven starters on defense from last year’s squad, but the Cardinals lost their 10. Robert Johnson 2014 69 all-time leading passer, TRENT BRITTAIN, and all-time leading tackler, JOSH 2017 Southland Conference Preseason Poll ZELLARS, to graduation. UIW will look for key contributions from returning offensive Coaches’ Poll weapons like DESMOND HITE, DORLAND FIELDS and JAMARI GILBERT, while 1. Sam Houston (20) 200 expecting solid leadership from DRAVEN 2. Central Arkansas (2) 177 TAYLOR on the front line. Defensively the Cardinals hope to get strong performances 3. McNeese 163 out of QUANDRE WASHINGTON and 4. Southeastern Louisiana 136 JAWUN JILES in order to slow down one of the toughest FCS football conferences 5. Nicholls 133 in the nation. Last season Sam Houston, Central Arkansas, McNeese and Nicholls 6. Stephen F. Austin 114 each earned votes in the national polls, 7. Lamar 68 while the Bearkats and Bears both landed spots in the FCS playoffs. 8. Abilene Christian 66 The Cardinals will be relatively inexperienced at the running back and 9. HBU 56 quarterback positions in 2017, but boast a 10. Northwestern State 49 veteran core of wide receivers. Returning offensive players accounted for 74.4 11. UIW 48 percent of the team’s receiving yards and 40 percent of its rushing yards, but totaled 2016 Southland Conference Teams in the Postseason just 14.7 percent of its passing yards last FIRST ROUND: season. Central Arkansas 31, Illinois State 24 UIW’s two most explosive offensive SECOND ROUND: weapons, GILBERT and HITE, are back Eastern Washington 31, Central Arkansas 14 for the 2017 campaign, and with KYLE Sam Houston 41, Chattanooga 36 KENNAN taking over as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Cardinals are QUARTERFINALS: primed to put on an offensive exhibition this James Madison 65, Sam Houston 7 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 (9/2/17) FRESNO STATE 66 UIW 0 THE LAST TIME THE CARDINALS… Rushed for 100-149 yards: 104, Broderick Reeves vs Sam Houston, 10/8/16 FRESNO, Calif. – The University of the 174, Junior Sessions vs Abilene Christian, 10/25/15 Incarnate Word was no match for Fresno Rushed for 150 or more yards: State on Saturday as the home team cruised Rushed for 200 or more yards: 244, Broderick Reeves at McMurry, 11/2/13 to a 66-0 victory on Derek Carr night at Two Rushers for 100 or more yards: 128, Zach Rhodes; 121, Trent Rios vs Eastern Bulldog Stadium. HOW IT HAPPENED New Mexico, 9/14/12 The Cardinals (0-1) came out of the Two rushing touchdowns: 2, Dorland Fields at Lamar, 11/12/16 tunnel with a ton of excitement, feeding off 3, Trent Brittain vs Northwestern State, 10/3/15 of the energy of 39,447 fans in attendance at Three rushing touchdowns: Saturday’s contest. The Bulldogs (1-0) quickly Four rushing touchdowns or more: 6, Broderick Reeves at McMurry, 11/2/13 dashed any hopes of an upset however, Passing for 200-299 yards: 234, Trent Brittain vs Houston Baptist, 11/17/16 scoring on just their second drive of the ballgame and jumping out to a 17-0 advantage Passing for 300-399 yards: 313, Trent Brittain at Lamar, 11/14/15 after one quarter of play. Passing for 400 or more yards: none Fresno State replicated their first quarter 3, Trent Brittain vs Houston Baptist, 11/17/16 output in the second, adding 17 points to Three touchdown passes: secure a 34-0 lead at the break. Four touchdown passes: 4, Trent Brittain vs Sam Houston, 10/8/16 UIW managed just 77 yards of total offense Receiving for 100-149 yards: 120, Kody Edwards at Lamar, 11/12/16 in the first half, including -17 rushing yards, and went 1-of-9 on third-down conversions.