LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – The University of the Incarnate Word football team suffered their first loss of the season in the Southland Conference opener at #23 McNeese State, 43-6 at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night.

The first half was well-played by the Cardinals (1-1, 0-1), but they were unable to put any points on the board against a strong Cowboys (1-0, 1-0) defense.  Four times the team crossed over midfield, but they were limited to two punts, a long missed field goal and a turnover on downs.

The offensive highlights for the first half included red-shirt sophomore quarterback Trent Brittain (Eastland/Eastland HS) setting a pair of UIW career records and senior tight end Cole Wick (Hallettsville/Sacred Heart Catholic) putting up big receiving numbers.  Brittain went 12-of-18 for 152 yards through the air and moved into first place on the school's career passing yards and total offensive yards lists.  Wick was Brittain's main target hauling in a career high six passes for 72 yards in the half.

The Cowboys were able to get on the scoreboard midway through the first quarter.  They drove 72 yards in six plays with the touchdown coming on a 36-yard run by Derrick Milton with 3:50 left in the quarter.  The key play of the drive was a pass interference call against the Cardinals that sustained the drive.

In the second quarter, the UIW defense came up with a strong goal line stand.  The Cowboys had a second-and-goal at the 3-yard line, but could not punch the ball into the end zone.  Unfortunately, the Cardinals gave up two points on their first play on offense when they were called for intentional grounding in the end zone which made the score 9-0 heading into the break.

The Cowboys came out of halftime and took over the game with a strong third quarter.  They scored on all four of their drives and put the game out of reach with two touchdowns and two field goals while holding the Cardinals to negative-10 yards of offense.

McNeese State put together scoring drives of 62, 39, 43 and 36 yards in the third quarter.  Trent Manuel booted a pair of short field goals while Daniel Sams figured on the two touchdowns.  He completed a 2-yard score to Austin Nelson and also ran in a score from two yards out.

The Cardinals were able to put a score on the board in the fourth quarter, but it would not change the tide.  Jordan Scelfo (Tucson, AZ/Salpointe Catholic HS) came off the bench to throw an 11-yard scoring strike to Kody Edwards (Mesquite/Poteet HS).

The Cardinals would finish with 227 yards of total offense and only 12 on the ground.  Brittain finished 12-of-23 for 152 yards while Scelfo was 5-of-6 for 63 yards and a touchdown.  Wick led all players with seven catches for 92 yards.  Jordan Hicks (Arlington/Juan Seguin HS) added two grabs for 43 yards.  The team finished with 13 first downs and had the ball for 24:07.

The UIW defense played valiantly, but eventually ran out of steam.  Myke Tavarres (Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Ridge HS) and Alex Jenkins (Bath, Eng./St. Gregory's) each had 10 tackles to lead the team.  Tavarres contributed two pass breakups and Jenkins added a team high 1.5 tackles for loss.  Padyn Giebler (Ivan/Stephenville HS) chipped in with nine stops on the night.

The Cowboys racked up 406 yards of total offense with the yards split nearly even.  They gained 225 yards on the ground on 51 carries and picked up 181 through the air.  Milton led the team with 75 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.  Ryan Ross had 65 yards on the ground while David Hamm added 60 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.  Sams was 12-of-21 for 181 yards and a touchdown.  Tavarious Battiste led the team with three catches for 64 yards.  They held the ball for 35:53 and scored on 5-of-6 drives in the red-zone.

The McNeese State defense provided great pressure all night long and finished with four sacks.  Dominique Hill led the team with five tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss.  The defense blocked a kick and also recovered three fumbles.

The Cardinals head back home next weekend to play against Southland rival Nicholls.  Game time is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.
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