SAN ANTONIO -- The 24th-ranked University of the Incarnate Word football team is slated to face No. 23 Montana State on Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT) at Bobcat Stadium in the first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
 
KICKOFF COVERAGE

• Saturday's game is on ESPN3. A live streaming link can be found on the schedule page at uiwcardinals.com/football.
• Live audio is available for all football games on Stretch Internet and can be found at uiwcardinals.com/broadcast.
• Live stats can be found on the schedule page at uiwcardinals.com/football.

 
2018 HIGHLIGHTS

• In just its second year of Division I postseason eligibility, the UIW football program earned its first berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
• In one season, UIW football Head Coach Eric Morris took the Cardinals from a 1-10 record (2017) to a 6-4 overall mark and a Southland Conference title.
• The Cardinals finished conference play with a 6-2 record and were named co-champions of the Southland Conference. This is the best league record in program history and ties the most wins by Cardinal football in a single season.
• Sunday morning prior to the selections, the Cardinals were ranked No. 24 in both the STATS FCS Media Poll and the AFCA Coaches Poll.
• Following a 40-27 victory over Central Arkansas on Nov. 10, UIW earned its first ranking in program history, coming in at No. 24 in the STATS FCS Media Poll. The Cardinals were one vote outside of the top 25 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, landing at No. 26.
• The UIW offense has set new records including: total offense (4,933 yards), total points (343) and touchdowns (46).
• Freshman quarterback Jon Copeland became UIW's all-time leading passer for a single season (2,984 yards) while breaking the single-season passing touchdowns record (22) and setting the record for most pass completions in a campaign (208).
• Senior running back Ra'Quanne Dickens became the first 1,000-yard rusher in program history, setting the new record at 1,054 yards. He also set the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season (14).
• Senior wide receiver Kody Edwards set the program record for career receiving yards (2,220) while recording four games of 100+ receiving yards, a single-season UIW record.
• On defense, UIW set new program marks in turnovers forced in a season (29) as well as in a single game (seven vs. SHSU, Nov. 3). The defense secured the most interceptions in program history, capturing 18.
• Senior defensive lineman Justin Alexandre has tied the UIW program record for sacks in a single season with 8.5.

 
IN THE POLLS

• Sunday prior to being selected for the FCS Playoffs, the Cardinals were ranked No. 24 in both the STATS FCS Media Poll and the AFCA Coaches Poll.
• Following a 40-27 victory over Central Arkansas on Nov. 10, UIW earned its first ranking in program history, coming in at No. 24 in the STATS FCS Media Poll. The Cardinals were one vote outside of the top 25 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, landing at No. 26.

 
HIGHLIGHTS FROM CENTRAL ARKANSAS

• Senior running back Ra'Quanne Dickens broke the UIW single-season rushing record on a 38-yard run in the second quarter. He finished the game with 213 yards on the ground, setting his season total at 1,054. The previous record was held by Trent Rios (888 in 2010).
• It was his second career 200+ yard rushing game -- also vs. SFA, Sept. 15 (220).
• Dickens becomes the first 1,000-yard rusher in program history.
• Dickens went on to break the UIW single-season rushing touchdown record in the third quarter. He finished the game with three rushing scores to put his season total at 14, breaking the previous record of 11 set by Broderick Reeves in 2013.
• The three rushing scores sets a new career-high for ground touchdowns in a single game for Dickens.
• Senior wide receiver Phillip Baptiste had nine catches for 158 yards, his third 100+ yard receiving game of the season.
• Baptiste now owns 1,465 career receiving yards at UIW, the third most all-time.
• Senior wide receiver Kody Edwards hauled in 140 yards for his fourth 100+ yard performance, a new program record for such performances in a single season.
• Senior quarterback Sean Brophy stepped in and delivered a career-high 243 yards (previous career high was 231 at Sacramento State, Sept. 9, 2017).
• The UIW defense recorded four interceptions to set the UIW single-season record for both picks in a single game and picks in a single season (18). The previous record (16) was set back in 2011.
• Those interceptions also broke the program single-season turnover record. The defense has forced 29 turnovers this season -- the previous record was 27, set in 2009.
• Senior defensive lineman Justin Alexandre tied the program single-season sack record by recording 0.5 sacks. He joins Myke Tavarres (2015) at the top with 8.5 sacks this season.
• Senior defensive lineman Darrius Montgomery collected his second career interception in the second quarter. He becomes the first defensive lineman in UIW history with multiple interceptions in a single season.
• Malick Phillips had two interceptions. He is the first Cardinal with two interceptions in one game since Troy Lara on Nov. 14, 2015 (vs. Lamar).

 
UIW AROUND THE CONFERENCE, IN THE NATION

• UIW leads the SLC and is No. 3 in the Southland Conference in turnovers gained (29).
• The Cardinals lead the Southland and are No. 8 in the FCS with an average of 493.3 yards of total offense per game.
• UIW leads the SLC and is fourth in the nation with 323.7 yards of passing offense per game.
• The Cardinals lead the league and rank fifth in the nation with four defensive touchdowns.
• UIW leads the SLC and ranks No. 18 in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 34.3 points per game.

 
INDIVIDUALS AROUND THE CONFERENCE, IN THE NATION

• Mar'kel Cooks is third in the SLC and fifth in the FCS with three fumbles recovered.
• Jon Copeland is third in the league and 11th in the FCS with 2,984 passing yards this season. He also leads the league and is No. 5 in the nation with 298.4 passing yards per game.
• Copeland leads the Southland and ranks No. 10 nationally with 306.1 yards of total offense per game.
• Copeland is fourth in the league and No. 14 in the FCS with 22 passing touchdowns.
• Ra'Quanne Dickens is second in the league and ranks No. 18 in the nation with 6.47 rush yards per carry; he also leads the league and ranks No. 18 nationally with 1,054 rushing yards.
• Dickens leads the SLC and is No. 5 in the FCS with 14 rushing touchdowns; the 14 TDs leads the SLC and is No. 13 nationally in total touchdowns.
• Dickens leads the league and is No. 16 in the FCS with 105.4 rushing yards per game.
• Phillip Baptiste is No. 4 in the conference and No. 22 in the FCS with nine receiving touchdowns.
• Baptiste is also third in the league and No. 31 in the nation with 842 receiving yards.
• Justin Alexandre is third in the SLC and No. 15 in the nation with 0.85 sacks per game (8.5 sacks total).

 
RUN LIKE THE DICKENS

• Ra'Quanne Dickens broke the UIW single-season rushing touchdown record in the third quarter against Central Arkansas on Nov. 10. He finished the game with three rushing scores to put his season total at 14, breaking the previous record of 11 set by Broderick Reeves in 2013.
• He broke the UIW single-season rushing record on a 38-yard run in the second quarter at UCA. He finished the game with 213 yards on the ground, setting his season total at 1,054. The previous record was held by Trent Rios (888 in 2010).
• That was his second career 200+ yard rushing game -- also vs. SFA, Sept. 15 (220). He is one of three SLC running backs to surpass 200 yards in a single game this season, and he is the only one to have accomplished this feat twice.
• Dickens becomes the first 1,000-yard rusher in program history.
• Dickens now has 1,461 career rushing yards, good for fourth in program history. He is 70 yards away from moving up to third place.
• Dickens scored on a two-yard rush in the third quarter against No. 21 Sam Houston; this was his 11th rushing touchdown of the season and tied the all-time program record.
• Dickens recorded the longest run from scrimmage in program history on Sept. 1 against New Mexico with a 90-yard touchdown run. He then added the fourth longest run from scrimmage in program history in the home opener, vs. SFA on Sept. 15, when he scampered for a 79-yard touchdown run.

 
SCOUTING #23 MONTANA STATE

• The Bobcats are 7-4 overall and finished the regular season with a 5-3 record in the Big Sky after a 29-25 victory at in-state rival and fellow Big Sky member Montana on Saturday in Missoula, Mont. Montana State is ranked No. 23 in both polls.
• Montana State is No. 20 in the nation in red zone offense, scoring on 88.2 percent of its red zone trips.
• The Bobcats also rank No. 18 nationally in rushing offense, averaging 227.1 yards per game.
• MSU is led by QB Troy Andersen, who has a team-high 1,199 rushing yards and 907 passing yards.
• Andersen averages 7.45 rushing yards per carry, good for fourth in the nation. He ranks second in the FCS with 19 rushing touchdowns.
• This is the first meeting between Montana State and UIW.

 
RECEIVING CORPS

• Senior wide receiver Kody Edwards hauled in 140 yards at Central Arkansas for his fourth 100+ yard performance, a new program record for such performances in a single season.
• Edwards also registered 122 yards through the air against No. 21 Sam Houston on Nov. 3.
• He broke the career receiving yards record with a 58-yard touchdown catch at Abilene Christian on Sept. 29. He now has 2,220 yards in his career, becoming the first Cardinal to eclipse 2,000 receiving yards in program history.
• Senior wide receiver Phillip Baptiste had nine catches for 158 yards at UCA, marking his third 100+ yard receiving game of the season.
• Baptiste now owns 1,465 career receiving yards at UIW, the third-most in program history.
• The UIW offense had two wide receivers eclipse 150 yards at Lamar (Oct. 13) for the second consecutive game.
• Junior wide receiver Kam Williams hauled in a team-high 153 yards receiving at Lamar (Oct. 13), marking his second career game of 150+ yards through the air. Edwards made 10 catches for 150 yards, which marks a new season high for the senior.
• In the game against Southeastern Louisiana on Oct. 6, Baptiste finished with 174 yards on seven catches, the most yards of any UIW receiver this season, and the second most in a single game by any UIW receiver (two tied for first with 188 yards) in program history. Williams put up 163 yards on six catches. This was the third-most receiving yards in program history.

 
DEFENSES CAN'T COPE

• Freshman quarterback Jon Copeland broke numerous program records in his first 10 games in black and red.
• Copeland set a new record for pass completions in a single season with 16 completions against No. 21 Sam Houston (Nov. 3). This breaks Trent Brittain's record of 183 set in 2015. He now has 208 completions this season.
• With four touchdowns against No. 21 Sam Houston on Nov. 3, Copeland set a new program record for passing touchdowns in a single season (21). This tops Trent Brittain's record of 18 set in 2016.
• Copeland added a passing touchdown at UCA and now has 22 passing touchdowns on the season.
• He broke the UIW single-season passing record against #19 Nicholls with a 17-yard pass to senior wide receiver Kody Edwards. Copeland surpassed the record previously held by Trent Brittain (2,274 passing yards in 2016). He now has 2,984 passing yards.
• Copeland became UIW's third 2,000-yard passer when he racked up 236 yards against No. 6 McNeese on Oct. 20.
• Copeland threw for 515 yards, a new program record, at Lamar on Oct. 13. That breaks the program record of 411 he set on Oct. 6 against SLU.
• Copeland threw for over 400 yards in two consecutive games (vs. SLU and at Lamar). He has five games with over 300 passing yards this season, becoming the first quarterback in program history to throw for 300 yards in four or more games in a single season.
• He is the first quarterback in program history to throw for 400-or-more yards in consecutive games, and the first to throw over 500 in a single game.
• Copeland was also the first SLC quarterback to eclipse 500 yards passing in a single game and just the second in the FCS this season (Davlin Hodges -- Samford – 562 yards – Oct. 6). Only three FCS quarterbacks have achieved this accomplishment this season.
• When Copeland took the field against New Mexico in week one, it was the first time that a true freshman started at quarterback for the Cardinals in a season-opening game. Previously, UIW had started a redshirt freshman (Trent Brittain, 2013) in a season opener and started a true freshman (Taylor Woods, 2012) in midseason games. In that game, Copeland threw for 328 yards and one touchdown, while running for another.

 
HIGH ALTITUDE X2
Bobcat Stadium sits at an altitude of 4,940 feet above sea level. While that elevation is high, the Cardinals have played in higher this season. UIW faced New Mexico in game one on Sept. 1 in Dreamstyle Stadium, which is 5,100 feet above sea level.
 
RANKED WINS

• The Cardinals secured a dominating, 43-26 victory over 21st-ranked Sam Houston on Nov. 3 for their second ranked win in program history.
• UIW secured its first win over a ranked foe with a 45-17 victory over the Cowboys at Benson Stadium in a nationally televised contest. UIW held McNeese to just 222 yards of total offense (90 yards below its per game average) and forced four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble recovery) in the victory.

 
THREE STRAIGHT

• The three victories from Sept. 15-29 (Stephen F. Austin, 31-7, on Sept. 15; Abilene Christian, 44-34, on Sept. 29; Southeastern Louisiana, 52-34, on Oct. 6.) marks the first time the Cardinals have won three consecutive games since 2013 (HBU, 24-3, Oct. 26; McMurry, 47-43, Nov. 2; Abilene Christian, 34-31, Nov. 9).
• This is just the third time in program history the Cardinals have won three consecutive games (also Oct. 3-Oct. 24, 2009).

 
A CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
UIW plays top-notch Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponents. Three schools will represent the Southland in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. In addition to UIW, Nicholls (No. 14 in the AFCA Coaches Poll) and Lamar (RV in the AFCA Coaches Poll) also earned bids to the playoffs. UIW dropped a 27-21 decision at Lamar on Oct. 13 and fell at Nicholls (48-21) on Oct. 27.
 
10TH YEAR: CARDINAL FOOTBALL
This is UIW's 10th year of college football. The Cardinals won their inaugural game on Aug. 29, 2009, by a score of 42-39 against Monterey Tech. In that first year, UIW competed as a Division II independent. For the next four seasons, UIW played in the Division II Lone Star Conference. The Cardinals joined the Division I ranks as an independent in 2013 before becoming a member of the Southland Conference in 2014.
 
138th YEAR: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD
In 1881, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, an order of Catholic nuns based in Paris, founded UIW as a center of higher education for young women. In 1970, male students first enrolled in undergraduate programs. UIW is the largest Catholic school in Texas and the fourth-largest private university in the state. Enrollment is approaching 11,000, which includes off-campus learning programs in Texas and international locations.
 
COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHING PRODIGY
Eric Morris, who turned 33 on Oct. 26, is one of college football's youngest head coaches. He is more than two years younger than another coach who has received a lot of attention for his youth, 34-year-old Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma. Morris is not the youngest head coach in college football, however. Sean Lewis of Kent State, 32 years old, is more than six months younger.
 
HEAD COACH: DEEP TEXAS TIES
UIW's new head coach, Eric Morris, comes to UIW from Texas Tech and has deep Texas ties. He played at Tech before spending five years as its offensive coordinator, and he has brought the same exciting style of offense to Benson Stadium. He was also a graduate assistant under University of Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin, who later went on to coach at Texas A&M. Additionally, Morris coached at Washington State under former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach.
 
ASSISTANT COACHES: MORE TEXAS TIES
Only one of Eric Morris' 11 position coaches/coordinators does not have a Texas background as either a player, coach, scholar, or native-born son.
 
PASSION FOR CHANGE
The Cardinals have an all new staff filled with young coaches who have a ton of energy and passion. Throughout the spring and in fall camp, they worked to change the culture of the team and will look to sustain that momentum throughout the season. Many of the players have remarked that they can relate to a youthful coaching staff that seems to have boundless energy.
 
SIX YEARS WITHOUT NATURAL TURF FOR THE CARDINAL GRIDDERS
UIW has played 69 consecutive football game on an artificial playing surface. The Cardinals last played on natural grass on Oct. 13, 2012 at Texas A&M-Kingsville's Javelina Field. All Southland Conference football teams play home games on artificial turf.
 
SPEAKING OF PLAYING SURFACES
UIW enjoys the Southland Conference's newest crop of artificial turf. Benson Stadium received new Field Turf over the summer, replete with a camouflaged end zone pattern in school colors of red and black with white lettering. The installation of the field turf garnered national attention from social media, Sportscenter, and more.
 
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
When new UIW head football coach Eric Morris held spring football drills in March, he had a roster that numbered in the sixties. When fall drills began in August, those numbers had increased to 105. The new roster included a 20-player recruiting class announced on Feb. 7 (19 high school prospects and one transfer), plus numerous recruited and walk-on players who joined the team later.
 
TEAM CAPTAINS
Five team captains, chosen by their fellow student-athletes, will provide leadership on and off of the field for the Cardinals this season. Center Tyler Preston from Georgetown and wide receiver Kody Edwards from Mesquite, both seniors, represent the offense. Senior linebacker Silas Stewart, from Wilmington, Delaware, and junior linebacker Mar'kel Cooks, from Irving, Texas, will lead the defense, while special teams members will look to senior kicker Cody Seidel, from Keller, Texas.