Junior quarterback Thomas Specia threw it, Thomas Specia ran with it, and Thomas Specia had a direct hand in five of Incarnate Word's six touchdowns as the Cardinals won the first ever game in UIW history.

And in getting themselves into the unbeaten column, the Cardinals knocked Monterrey Tech off that list.  The Borregos had not lost a game since the middle of the 2006 season.  Since that time MT had won 26 consecutive contests and had captured the last five consecutive titles in Mexico's national league of American football.

UIW defeated Monterrey Tech 42-39 Saturday at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium in a game long anticipated by many, many football fans.  “I ran into Mickey Agnese today,” Cardinals Coach Mike Santiago said after the win.  “She said they wanted this for me, but really I wanted it for the players and for Dr. (UIW President Louis) Agnese.  He has waited years for this.”

As they might say in West Texas, “the joint was jumpin'” when a standing-room only crowd of 6,235 surged through the gates at Benson Stadium to be a part of history.  And with the faithful cheering near every move by the Cardinals, a turning point might have come less than four minutes into the contest.

Monterrey Tech got a 63-yard return of the game's opening kickoff from Adrian Gonzalez.  That went to the UIW 19 but the Savage Rams were pushed back to the 45 and had a third and 14 when Gonzalez caught a 42-yarder from Jorge Martinez to reach the Cardinal three.  The UIW defense stiffened and allowed just a field goal which made it 3-0 MT with 11:21 on the first quarter clock.

Up stepped Specia.  With a first and 10 at the UIW 39, he hit running back Trent Rios with a nine-yarder.  On the next play, second and one, he totally fooled everyone on the field with a fake to the right and a naked bootleg back to the left side.  No Borrego player was within 15 to 20 yards of the signal caller.  Specia went 52 absolutely untouched and UIW had the lead 7-3 following the point after by Saul Meza.

“On that first touchdown run people usually catch up with me,” Specia said.  “I was just waiting but down the field my momentum got me there.”

The Borregos led briefly at 17-14 with 11:36 to go in the second quarter before Specia nailed Derrick Walls on a 25-yarder in the corner of the end zone.  Meza again converted, UIW led 21-17 and would never trail again.

“Specia was alert on the sideline,” Santiago said.  “He made all the necessary adjustments.”

On the night, in the passing game, Specia, a product of San Antonio's Reagan High School and of College of DuPage in Illinois, was 18-27 with zero interceptions, 277 yards and three touchdowns.  He also ran the football 10 times for 78 yards and another two touchdowns.

In the scoring column for the Cardinals, quarterback Peden Lynch crossed the goal line on a one-yard sneak.  Then, receiving, Walls finished with two TD catches while wide receiver Kenneth Pryor got the other.

“Every expectation about tonight got filled,” Specia said afterward.  “We knew we were younger, we knew we were smaller than they were, and we knew they have a good program.  But we have a lot of guys in our locker room who come from programs where they don't know how to lose.” 

The Cardinals now head northeast to meet Arkansas Tech on September 5 in Russellville.  Kickoff that day is 6 p.m.