SAN ANTONIO – Kevin Brown's speed led the University of the Incarnate Word football team on Saturday night against Northwestern State in a final-second 49-47 heartbreak, scoring a career-high three rushing touchdowns.

The Demons struck first just three minutes into the game when Bryce Rivers connected with Levar Gumms for a 12-yard touchdown pass. 

UIW exploded on its first offensive play when Tre Wolf hurdled over a defender quickly getting the first down. Two plays later, Cameron Ward tossed it to Brown who then reversed it to Robert Ferrel who went the 23-plus yards diagonally into the endzone taking a big hit on the way in for the first Cardinals' score of the game.

NSU added to its score off a 30-yard field goal with 5:01 to go in the quarter, regaining the lead 10-7.

The Demons forced the Cardinals to punt in just three plays on the following drive, but Brandon Richard got the ball back for UIW when he picked off the NSU pass two plays later. The Demon defense held off the Cardinals, but a 32-yard field goal by Carson Mohr tied up the game.

With 40 seconds left in the first quarter, NSU flew down the field to get ahead, 17-10.

The Cardinals defense forced the Demons to punt when Cameron Preston and Blaine Hoover sacked Bryce Rivers, to start the second quarter. Ferrel returned the punt for 60 yards to the visitor's 15-yard line. Inside the red zone, Ward dished one off to Brown who powered past the goal line enduring tackles from three different angles for the score.

At the 6:24 mark in the second quarter, Ward found Darion Chafin who took off with the pass down the sideline for 28 yards, before stepping out of bounds three yards shy of the endzone. Brown finished off the drive scoring his second of the game, giving UIW its first lead.

UIW started the second half with the ball, but pressure from the NSU defense forced the Cardinals to punt. The Demons went on to score in that 75-yard, six-play drive to tie the score, 23-23, after a missed extra point from a mishandled snap.

After a scoreless UIW drive, NSU got back down the field, scoring on a 42-yard field goal to get ahead, 26-23.

Brown scored his third touchdown of the game, taking off on a 53-yard foot race leaving his defenders in the dust getting down the field with 4:13 to go in the third.

Despite a UIW fumble, the Cardinals' defense gave NSU no options for a short 22-second possession to get the ball back as time expired in the third quarter.

The Cardinals capitalized on the drive to start the fourth quarter. UIW was able to convert a fourth down, with four to go, when Ward passed one to Ferrel for a 21-yard gain. On the next snap, Ward launched a 23-yarder to Ferrel for the score as UIW extended its lead, 37-26.

The Demons cut into the Cardinals' advantage when Scooter Adams took off on a 65-yard run putting NSU 10 yards shy of the goal line. He then carried it in for ten yards two snaps later putting the game at, 37-33.

UIW fumbled the ball twice in its next possession, recovering it the first time, but was unable to keep possession on the second fumble as it was punched out and picked up by NSU. The Demons turned around to score the touchdown to take back the lead, 40-37, with 7:22 to go in the game.

The Cardinals tied the game on the following drive with Mohr's 37-yard field goal, 40-40. 

NSU responded with a 76-yard drive that ate up four minutes and 42 seconds, capped by an Adams nine-yard run, but Gerald Bowie III blocked the extra point to give the Cardinals a chance as the Demons went up, 46-40, with 1:28 remaining. 

The Cardinals marched right down the field after Ferrel returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the NSU 48-yard line. It took Ward just three passes to get UIW in the endzone with a 34-yard flick of the wrist to a wide-open Chafin, Mohr's extra point was good, and the Cardinals were ahead 47-46 with 55 ticks on the clock. 

But it was too much time as NSU went down the field to set up a game-winning 32-yard field goal as time expired.

Postgame notes: 

• Kevin Nguyen punted for a season-high three times for 178 yards.
• Kevin Brown scored a season-high three touchdowns, marking the first time a Cardinal has scored three rushing TDs in a single game since Keyondrick Philio's three against Abilene Christian (Sept. 28, 2019). The three rushing touchdowns in the game are tied for second-best in UIW history and are the most in a single game since 2013.
• Cameron Ward threw for 400-plus yards for the third consecutive game at 431 (33-59-1). With the two touchdown passes, one to Ferrel and one to Chafin, Ward tied the single-season record for touchdown passes.
• Gerald Bowie III powered the defense with eight tackles (five ast., three solo), a blocked PAT, one fumble recovery and recorded one solo sack for a loss of seven yards.
• Brown rushed for 160 yards, marking the fourth game he has rushed for over 100 yards.