SAN ANTONIO – Following an hour and forty-minute rain delay pushing kickoff of the home-opener Saturday night, the University of the Incarnate Word football team was chomping at the bit to face No. 9 Southern Illinois University.
 
Head Coach G.J. Kinne made a statement in his first win as a head coach, defeating a higher-ranked FCS opponent by 35 points. On the opposite side of the ball, the defensive line put in work, coming up three minutes shy of three full quarters on the field.
 
The Cardinals came out the gate with a 66-yard receiving touchdown from Taylor Grimes just two minutes into the game. Carson Mohr solidified the 7-0 start that led to a 64-29 Cardinal victory.
 
On his second catch of the night, Grimes caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. for his second touchdown in eight minutes, totaling 121 yards.
 
With under a minute left in the first, Scott Jr. did a somersault into the endzone as the Cardinals took a dominating, 22-0 lead.
 
SIU scored its first touchdown of the game in the second quarter after Ro Elliott rushed for 55 yards into the endzone. The Cardinals answered as Scott Jr. found Darion Chafin on a 79-yard touchdown pass to claim a 21-point lead (29-7).
 
In the red zone, the Salukis rushed for six yards into the endzone, cutting the lead to 29-13 with just under five minutes in the second quarter. SIU ended the half with a 47-yard field goal, bringing the score to 29-16.
 
The Cardinal defense stood strong, holding the Salukis to a fourth and goal 32-yard field goal (29-19) in the third. 
 
Scott Jr. found Marquez Perez as he tip-toed into the endzone then, just over a minute later, Tiji Paul intercepted the Salukis and returned for a 36-yard UIW touchdown (43-19).
 
Jaelin Campbell was left wide open in the red zone and Mohr completed his sixth (6-6) PAT of the night as UIW extended the lead to 50-22 midway through the fourth quarter.
 
Brandon Porter delivered Scott Jr's sixth touchdown of the night off 391 passing yards late in the fourth (57-29). With a minute on the clock, Caleb Berry rushed into the endzone capping off the night with a 64-29 statement win over Southern Illinois.
 
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