SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word football team has a big challenge this Saturday when they play #11 McNeese State University at 6 p.m. at Benson Stadium as part of Homecoming Weekend.
The Cowboys (4-2, 2-1) are the third ranked opponent on the Cardinals (1-6, 1-3) schedule this year. Earlier in the season, UIW lost at #1 North Dakota State and at home to then #11 Southeastern Louisiana.
The game will be broadcast on the Fox College Sports Central channel with David Saltzman and Neal Raphael calling the game. It will be available on DirecTV 608-1 and Dish 452. It will stream at
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/uiw/. The radio broadcast will be on CBS SportsRadio 860 AM with Gabe Farias and Shawn Morris on the call.
The Cardinals are coming off a bye week and have installed a new quarterback as the starter. Junior
Jordan Scelfo (Tucson, AZ/Salpointe HS) will get the nod this week after flashing potential in the team's last game at Northwestern State. He went 3-for-3 for 62 yards and a touchdown and led the team on a 6-play, 95-yard scoring drive in his one chance to lead an offensive drive.
The UIW offense has gotten a boost from sophomore running back
Junior Sessions (Mesquite/Mesquite HS) in recent weeks. He has 184 yards on 36 carries in his last two games and leads the team with 275 yards for the season.
Joseph Sadler (Devine/Devine HS) is the second-leading ground gainer with 138 yards on 27 carries.
The most consistent member of the Cardinals offense has been senior wide receiver
Casey Jennings (Fremont, CA/Washington HS). He has 30 receptions for 370 yards and a touchdown. Junior tight end
Cole Wick (Hallettsville/Sacred Heart Catholic HS) returns to the field this week after missing the last game with an injury. He has 12 catches for 170 yards and a score.
The defense has a big challenge this week when they go up against the top rushing offense in the Southland Conference. The Cowboys are averaging over 270 yards per game on the ground. Junior linebacker
Padyn Giebler (Ivan/Stephenville HS) will be charged with leading the squad and he enters the contest with a team high 47 stops. Sophomore defensive tackle
Corey Lee (Humble/La Porte HS) continues his assault on the UIW record books. He is among the conference leaders with 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks on the season.
UIW freshman kicker-punter
Ramon Coto, Jr. (Houston/Westfield HS) will play a big role in the field position game. He is averaging 42.0 yards per punt, including 10 boots of at least 50 yards. He has also boomed 8-of-18 kickoffs for touchbacks. He is 6-of-10 for the season on field goal attempts and was 2-for-2 in his last game.
The Cowboys are 0-2 on the road this year with losses at Nebraska and Sam Houston State. They are averaging 38.5 points per game and allowing 19.2 points per game. Quarterback Daniel Sams is a dual-threat option who has picked up 578 yards on the ground this year. He is 40-of-81 for 506 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Tyler Bolfing has also played in every game this year and is 34-of-54 for 493 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sams leads the rushing attack with 7.9 yards per carry, but he gets a lot of help. Derrick Milton, Kelvin Bennett and Ryan Ross and each averaging over 50 yards per game. Milton and Ross have combined for 11 touchdowns and both are averaging over 5.7 yards per carry. The receiving unit is balanced with six receivers who have between 108 and 179 yards. Ernest Celestie and Jereon McGilvery lead the team with 179 yards receiving each.
The defense is a strong unit that allows 310 yards per game. Brent Spikes leads the squad with 43 tackles while Dominique Hill and Brian Hine each have 6.5 tackles for loss. Aaron Sam has a pair of interceptions including a 98-yard touchdown against Nebraska.
In the kicking game, Jean Breaux handles punts and kickoffs. He is averaging 41.2 yards per punt and has nine touchbacks in 42 kickoffs. Alex Kjellsten is the team's place kicker. He is 5-of-6 on field goal attempts and 27-of-29 on extra points.
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