CARBONDALE, Ill. – The University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals fought to overcome a three-touchdown deficit against Southern Illinois University on Saturday night. The Salukis controlled the lead the entirety of the game, with the Cardinals on their heels, as UIW fell 35-28 at Saluki Stadium.

Quarterback Zach Calzada fired on all cylinders, finishing the night with 366 passing yards and three touchdowns to go along with 62 rushing yards and one TD on the ground.

Roy Alexander (117) and Jalen Walthall (104) combined for 221 receiving yards, while Walthall tallied two touchdowns of his own.

Three Cardinals notched double-digit tackles against Southern Illinois. Declan Williams led the defense with 13 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. Mason Chambers (11) and Dune Smith (10) rounded up the leading tacklers on the night.

The Salukis struck first, scoring five minutes into the game on a 37-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.
Zach Calzada found Josh Lorick down the middle for a 29-yard pass that put the Cardinals just inches away from scoring before Calzada found Logan Compton for a UIW touchdown and an even game (7-7) with five minutes to go in the first quarter.

SIU reclaimed its lead before the end of the quarter, rushing into the end zone for 10 yards (14-7).

The Salukis carried this momentum into the second quarter with a 28-yard rushing TD from SIU's quarterback three minutes in to take a two-touchdown advantage (21-7).

The Cardinal defense answered, stepping up with a big sack from Declan Williams that resulted in a Jalen Walthall 40-yard touchdown on the next drive to chip away at the Saluki lead and bring the score to 21-14.

SIU found the end zone twice more before the end of the half. First, with a 57-yard breakout haul to the house and capping off the second with a short toss from the 1-yard line and a 35-14 halftime edge.

The third quarter was a stalemate for either offense, but UIW's defense continued to challenge the Salukis in the second half as Ronald Wilson stripped the ball from SIU's offense, returning for 37 yards, giving the Cardinals another look at scoring.

Calzada tallied two touchdowns in the fourth, scrambling and taking it himself 23 yards to the house to chip away at the lead (35-21).

Mason Chambers stopped the Salukis in their tracks on fourth-and-1 on the 22-yard line which resulted in the final touchdown of the night as Calzada spun out of the pocket and found an airborne Walthall for a 25-yard TD.

UIW didn't back down, marching down the field and finding themselves within the red zone before penalties pushed the Cardinals back and the Salukis secured the 35-28 victory with a game-ending interception.

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