SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word football team will attempt to go to 3-0 on the season at Benson Stadium on Saturday at 2 p.m. when they take on visiting Southland Conference rival Northwestern State University.
The Cardinals (2-2, 1-1) have won each of their first two home games this season and hope to make it a perfect 3-for-3 against the Demons (0-4, 0-2). Both teams have struggled to score on offense as they are the second and third-lowest scoring teams in the conference, but UIW boasts a top defense while Northwestern State's squad is allowing 47.3 points per game.
UIW lost last week at UTEP when their upset bid fell a little short, but the team proved that they can compete against anybody. The offense is led by sophomore quarterback
Trent Brittain (Eastland/Eastland HS) who set a school record with 358 yards of total offense last week. He is completing 50 percent of his passes with four interceptions and four touchdowns. He averages 185 yards per game through the air and is currently the team's leading rusher with 165 yards on 37 carries.
Junior Sessions (Mesquite/Mesquite HS) is right behind him with 158 yards on 3.5 yards per carry.
Senior tight end
Cole Wick (Hallettsville/Sacred Heart Catholic) is the top receiving threat for the Cardinals with 17 catches for 216 yards.
Jordan Hicks (Arlington/Juan Seguin HS) is the only other player on the team with double-digit receptions, 11.
Jamari Gilbert (Baytown/Baytown Lee HS) had a breakout performance last week and is averaging 26.1 yards per reception on seven grabs. He leads the team with two touchdowns.
The Cardinals are ranked highly in the Southland Conference in a number of defensive categories. The defense is led by senior outside linebacker
Myke Tavarres (Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Ridge HS) who leads the conference with 8.5 tackles for loss and he leads the team with 34 tackles.
Josh Zellars (Baytown/Baytown Lee HS) is second on the team with 31 tackles while
Kobie Douglas (Plano/Plano HS) is among the conference leaders with five pass breakups.
On special teams, Ramon Coto (Houston/Westfield HS) handles kickoff and punt duties. He is averaging 62.9 yards per kickoff with five touchbacks and 39.9 yards on punts.
Cody Seidel (Keller/Fossil Ridge HS) is the main place kicker going 3-for-4 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points.
The Demons have played a difficult schedule with two FBS teams and nationally-ranked Southeastern Louisiana on the docket through the first four weeks. They have played four different quarterbacks, but appear to have settled on J.D. Almond as the starter. He has completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 369 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Ed Eagan is the top receiver with 17 grabs for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He also handles all kickoff and punt return duties. De'Mard Llorens has been the top running back with 197 yards on 4.7 yards per carry, but he is listed as #2 on the depth chart behind Daniel Taylor who has 114 yards on 38 carries this year.
The defense if averaging 3.0 tackles for loss and less than two sacks per game. Chase Collins has 30 tackles to lead the team while Darius Poullard has 23 tackles, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Northwestern State has a strong kicking game behind Chris Moore and Andy Wickman. Moore is 5-for-5 on field goals and 8-for-8 on extra points while Wickman is averaging over 42 yards per punt.
The Demons blew out the Cardinals last year, 49-12 in Natchitoches. Former running back Garrett Atzenweiler was the star of the game with 146 yards on 12 carries. The Cardinals committed four turnovers in the game while the Demons had zero.
This week's game can be heard on 860 AM CBS SportsRadio with Gabe Farias and Shawn Morris on the call. The same broadcast will be live streamed on
www.tsrnsports.com and can be heard on a phone or mobile device by downloading the TSRNSports App. In addition, there is a free video stream available through
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/uiw/.
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