Box Score SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – One week after turning the ball over five times in a loss, the University of the Incarnate Word did not commit a single turnover in a 24-3 win over visiting Houston Baptist University on Homecoming at Benson Stadium on Saturday night.

The Cardinals (4-4) improved to 4-0 on the season at home and have now held three of their four opponents to three points or less in those wins.  UIW used a strong running game to their advantage and had a 14 minute advantage in time of possession over the Huskies (2-3).  The four wins on the season for the Cardinals matches the combined win total from the past two years combined.

The game began a little sloppy.  The Cardinals started the game with the ball, but went three-and-out after a miscommunication on the center snap resulted in a fumble and a 10-yard loss.  On the ensuing punt, HBU fumbled an attempted fair catch and the Cardinals recovered at the visitor's 33-yard line.  A 21-yard pass to Cole Wick (Hallettsville/Sacred Heart Catholic HS) quickly put the Cardinals in the Red Zone.

UIW continued to move the ball and earned a first-and-goal from the 4-yard line after a 5-yard run by Junior Sessions (Mesquite/Mesquite HS).  The Cardinals were stopped on first and second down and then Terrell Brown broke through the line and sacked Trent Brittain (Eastland/Eastland HS) for an 18-yard loss on third down.  Jake Wilcox (San Antonio/Reagan HS) was called on the field and he calmly drilled a 38-yard field goal with 8:35 left in the first quarter.

The Cardinals forced the Huskies into a quick punt on their first official drive.  UIW took over at their own 12-yard line and picked up three first downs in succession with Brittain rushing for 14 yards and then completing a 14-yard pass to Daryl Brooks (Teague/Teague HS) and an 11-yard pass to Clint Killough (San Antonio/MacArthur HS).  The Cardinals eventually were slowed down and turned the ball over on downs at the HBU 30-yard line.

Another 3-and-out by the Huskies gave the ball back to UIW at their own 18-yard line.  This time the Cardinals drove down the field and were able find the end zone.  Brittain hit Killough in stride from 31 yards out to make it 10-0 with 8:55 remaining in the first half.  The drive was 10 plays for 82 yards and took up 5:53.

The Cardinals got the ball back with 5:38 left in the second quarter taking over at the 12-yard line again.  A Matt Bass (Alvin/Alvin HS) 34-yard run had the Cardinals rolling again.  Seven consecutive runs moved the ball from the HBU 46 all the way to paydirt.  John Oglesby (Katy/Seven Lakes HS) capped off the drive with a 4-yard scoring jaunt after picking up 26 yards on four carries on the possession.  UIW went into halftime with a 17-0 lead.

A different Huskies offense entered the field at the start of the second half.  Ka'Darius Baker connected on a big 41-yard pass play to Kenneth Bibbins on the second play from scrimmage moving the ball inside UIW territory.  Another 19-yard pass play to Darian Lazard put the ball in the Red Zone for the first time.  HBU moved the ball all the way down to the 1-yard line, but the Cardinals stood strong with a pair of goal line stands.  They settled for a 19-yard Travis Shinn field goal with 11:15 left in the third quarter.

The field goal would prove to be the only points of the third quarter as the two defenses combined to allow just 109 yards in the quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter the Cardinals caught another break on special teams.  Emmanuel Nunez's (Dallas/Seguin HS) 32-yard punt landed on an HBU player trying to block on the return and the ball was recovered by Troy Lara (San Antonio/Madison HS) giving the ball back to the Cardinals at the Houston Baptist 36-yard line.

Sessions shouldered the load for much of the drive picking up 32 yards on three carries, but it was Bass who found the end zone.  He scored from 1-yard out with 12:08 remaining in the game to make it 24-3 and put the game out of reach.

The UIW defense stood strong over the final 12 minutes of the game.  They forced a punt, intercepted a pass and stopped the final drive with a fourth down sack.

The Cardinals rushed for 195 yards on 48 carries with Sessions leading the way with 115 yards on 18 carries.  It was his second time rushing for at least 100 yards this year.  Bass, five carries for 46 yards and a touchdown, and Oglesby, eight carries for 37 yards and a touchdown, also got in on the action.  Brittain was 13-of-21 passing for 164 yards and a touchdown while Killough led the receiving corp with five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.

The UIW defense limited the Huskies to 220 yards of offense and only 12 first downs.  The Cardinals racked up four sacks and forced three turnovers in the game.  Brandon Tanksley (Katy/Morton Ranch HS) led the team with seven tackles.  Devin Haywood (San Antonio/Roosevelt HS) added six tackles, two pass breakups and an interception, his school-record ninth career interception.  Nick Ginn (Corpus Christi/Calallen HS) added two tackles for loss and a sack. 

The Huskies were led on offense by Baker who went 16-of-33 for 175 yards and an interception.  Darian Lazard had five catches for 64 yards and Kenneth Bibbins added four catches for 67 yards.  Lazard also led the team with four carries for 21 yards.

The Huskies had three players with at least 10 tackles in the game.  Garrett Dolan led the way with 12 while Cody Moncure and Taylor Thompson each had 10 stops.  HBU tallied a total of four sacks.

The Cardinals are back in action next Saturday at McMurry for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
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