SAN MARCOS, Texas -- After surviving an overtime scare to start Southland Conference play, the University of the Incarnate Word football team begins arguably its most challenging slate of the season.
A three-game road stretch, which ends with consecutive matchups against SLC front-runners Stephen F. Austin and Lamar, will begin this Saturday with a short trip up I-35 take on Texas State, the only FBS team on the Cardinal schedule this season.
The game will also serve as a reunion of sorts, as the Bobcats are led by former Cardinal coach G.J. Kinne, who is in his fourth season at Texas State.
Kickoff will be at 5 p.m. The game will air on the USA Network.
LAST TIME OUT: UIW 30, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 23 (OT)
Leading 20-10 at the half, UIW found itself trailing 23-20 late in the fourth quarter, after the Huskies converted a 3rd-and-21 into a 53-yard touchdown pass.
Luckily, the Cardinals were able to respond. After the offense moved the ball 56 yards downfield,
Joey Bryson tied the score with a 23-yard field goal, which led to the game eventually going to overtime.
Two plays after spinning out of a potential sack and hitting
Price Morgan for 14 yards on 3rd-and-6, UIW quarterback
Emmett Brown scored his second rushing touchdown of the game from 10 yards out. After allowing one first down, the Cardinal defense ended the game, securing the 30-23 when after
Patrick Batiste broke up and fourth-down pass in the end zone.
Incarnate Word, which improved to 2-1 with the win, continues to rate high in several major FCS statistical categories.
The Cardinal offense ranks third in the country in scoring at 44.7 points per-game, while also coming in fifth in total offense (507.3 yards per-game) and ninth in passing offense (300.7). The unit is countered by a defense that is 12th in the FCS at 289.3 yards per-game and ninth against the run at 93.7 an outing.
There has been one persistent issue, however, and that's turnovers. UIW enters the week tied for last in the FCS with a minus-eight turnover differential, recording 11 giveaways and three takeaways.
Brown has thrown for 812 yards and accounted for six touchdowns. While he's effectively spread the ball around, his top target has been Isaiah Champaigne.
Champaigne (22 receptions, 254 yards, two touchdowns), has recorded double-digit catches in back-to-back weeks and is currently seventh in the country with 7.7 catches per-game.
The offense has had some good field position thanks to
Jayden Hibbler, who is second in the nation with 214 punt return yards. Hibbler has also been part of a strong, balanced running back room, which is led by
Lontrell Turner (208 yards, four touchdowns).
The defense is led by Christian Barner, who is second in the Southland Conference with 9.7 tackles per-game.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Texas State comes in 1-2, but one of those loses was a week-one defeat to Texas, which currently holds the No. 1 ranking in the FBS.
The Bobcats are fresh off a 49-35 win over Texas State in which quarterback Brad Jackson threw four touchdown passes and running back Torrance Burgess Jr. ran for 216 yards and two scores.
Burgess enters Saturday second in the Pac-12 in rushing at 397 yards, while Jackson (610 yards) and wideout Chris Dawn Jr. (201) are third in the league in passing and receiving yards respectively.
Things have been a struggle on the other side of the ball, as Texas State ranks dead last in the FBS in total defense (506.3 yards per-game).
Since taking over at TSU in 2023, Kinne has put together a 24-18 record with three bowl wins, the first three in program history.
He won't be the only familiar face on the opposing sideline Saturday, as nine members of his staff previously either worked or played at UIW.
MATCHUP HISTORY AND OTHER NOTES
The teams have played twice before, their most recent matchup being a historic achievement from the Cardinals.
Cam Ward threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns, with Robert Ferrel (10 catches, 132 yards) and Taylor Grimes (11 for 113) accounting for three of them. The Cardinals took the lead with consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter, then held off a late Bobcat rally
for a 42-34 upset on Sept. 19, 2021.
That was the Cardinals' first win over an FBS team. They enter Saturday 2-7 against FBS opponents,
also beating Nevada 55-41 in 2022.
The teams also faced each other in 2016, a game Texas State won 48-16.
FOLLOW ALONG
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