SAN ANTONIO – Freshman quarterback
Cameron Ward set a new record for the University of the Incarnate Word football team for most touchdown passes in a season with 24, in six games, to close out the 2021 spring season at home against Sam Houston, falling 42-14.
The game got off to a rocky start with three scoreless possessions as UIW fumbled the ball two plays after the initial kickoff. With the Bearkat defense pressing in the red zone,
Sam Latham recovered a fumble at the two yard-line to prevent them from scoring.
Sam Houston had the ball as time expired in the first quarter as it remained scoreless, but the Bearkats scored on the first snap of the second quarter when Jequez Ezzard rushed for 21 yards for the score to pull ahead 7-0.
The Bearkats added another touchdown getting up the field in ten plays over four minutes.
The Cardinal offense found a groove late in the second quarter making use of its fast-paced offense to get up the field.
Cameron Ward connected with
Robert Ferrel who was one yard shy of the goal line on a six-yard pass. On the following snap, with 22 seconds to go in the half Ward looked up to find a wide-open
Tre Wolf for the one-yard pass and the score, trailing 14-7 at the break.
The connection in the air from Ward to Wolf broke the previously set record, 22, which he'd matched against Northwestern State in the previous game.
SHSU opened scoring in the second half as Eric Schmid was able to connect on three solid passes to put them at the 11-yard line, and then carrying it across the goal line himself, to pull SHSU ahead, 21-7.
Ward found a sweet spot with three connections to
Darion Chafin, highlighted by a 21-yard pass propelling the Cardinals down the field and into the red zone. Two snaps later Ward found
Jayden Jones in the endzone to cut the lead, 21-14.
The Bearkats kept the Cardinals at bay when
John Scifers launched a 68-yard pass for a short drive that resulted in a touchdown on the following snap as Sam Houston pulled ahead 28-14.
The Sam Houston offense ate up six minutes of game time in its opening drive of the fourth quarter before scoring another touchdown.
The Cardinals were unable to find the endzone in its final two drives of the game and the Bearkats put one more away for the win and remain undefeated on the season.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- Ward set the new record for most passing touchdowns in a single season with 24. He also holds the best pass efficiency in a single season at 146.5. The freshman also tied the record for TDs responsible for at 26.
- Kevin Brown concluded the season third in program history for rushing yards in a season with 775.
- Robert Ferrel's six TDs this season are tied for third most in a season in UIW record books.
- Carson Mohr went 30-31 in extra points, for the best PAT kick percentage in a single season at UIW at 96.8 percent. At one point in the season, he held a streak of 46 in a row dating back to the Fall 2019 season.
