Incarnate Word takes care of business against hapless Northwestern State
· Yahoo Sports
Riding a two-game win streak, it would have been easy for Incarnate Word to take Northwestern State lightly.
Not only were the Demons winless entering Saturday's game against the Cardinals, but they had only won once in their last 38 games dating to 2022.
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Cardinals coach Clint Killough knew the momentum was theirs to protect, and behind 566 yards of total offense and four turnovers on defense, Incarnate Word cruised to a 66-14 win over Northwestern State Saturday at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.
"This was the expectation," Killough said. "I told (the team), ‘If you want to be a championship football team, you have to dominate football games like this.' So this shouldn't come as a surprise to those guys."
Quarterback Emmett Brown established his favorite target on the Cardinals' opening play from scrimmage. With plenty of time to pass, Brown hit Roy Alexander on a crosser for a 44-yard gain. Facing a fourth-and-1 from the Demons' 17-yard line, sophomore Jayden Hibbler took the handoff to the right on a dive play, stuck his foot in the ground and cut back left for his first touchdown of the game.
Over the past two games, Incarnate Word's defense forced six turnovers. Against the Demons, the Cardinals notched four, the first of which came from senior D'Arius Carmouche on a 29-yard pick-six.
"We play football, not footman," Carmouche said. "I decided to go for it."
Killough credits a large part of the Cardinals' season turnaround to their knack for creating turnovers.
UIW's D'Arius Carmouche intercepts a pass intended for Northwestern State running back Zay Davis during a football game at Tom Benson Stadium, Saturday, October 31, 2026. Carmouche returned it for a touchdown. (Cody Duty/Contributor)"Yeah, it's been huge," Killough said. "Ben Olson has done a tremendous job over there. Those guys are really starting to find a groove."
Facing fourth down once again on the Cardinals' second offensive drive, Brown hung in the pocket and connected with junior Jacob Emmers for a 28-yard touchdown. Senior Lontrell Turner punched in a 5-yard touchdown on the Cardinals' final drive of the opening quarter, putting Incarnate Word ahead 28-0.
Northwestern State (0-9, 0-6 Southland) scored its first touchdown early in the second quarter as junior Camryn Davis rose up and snagged a 17-yard touchdown over Cardinals junior Buddha Garrett.
Incarnate Word (5-4, 4-2) got those points back on its next drive after Jamir Roberts took a short pass near the left-side boundary 15 yards into the end zone for the score.
Hibbler picked up a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter as the Cardinals led 49-7 at halftime.
In the second half, Killough was paying close attention to his sideline, checking to see if his team was still focused. They were. And in a game where the Cardinals scored their second-highest point total of the season, their attentiveness with backups in is what impressed Killough the most.
"I thought they kept a really good focus, especially coming out of the half," Killough said. "They finished the game off the right way, the way championship football teams finish."
Northwestern State running back Kameron Thomas is wrapped up by the UIW defense during a football game at Tom Benson Stadium, Saturday, October 31, 2026. (Cody Duty/Contributor)Second-string quarterback, junior David Rasor pulled the Cardinals past the 50-point mark with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Roberts.
Northwestern State scored its final touchdown with 8:28 remaining, a 1-yard rushing score from quarterback Abram Johnston.
Incarnate Word capped off its scoring for the day with a 44-yard field goal from junior Nick Rigas, and a 14-yard rushing touchdown from freshman Jackson Fields.
After a 2-4 start, the Cardinals are trending in the right direction. Incarnate Word is third in the Southland Conference behind Stephen F. Austin and Lamar and still has a chance to reach the playoffs.
"(The team's) focus should be on next week," Killough said. "Every game that we play on our schedule is a playoff-type mentality. This is a really good football team that deserves to be in the playoffs."
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