| 2025 Incarnate Word Cardinals football | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Conference | Southland Conference |
| Record | 2–6 (0–4 SLC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Co-offensive coordinators |
|
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Jim Gush (3rd season) |
| Co-defensive coordinators |
|
| Base defense | 4–2–5 |
| Home stadium | Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 Lamar | 4 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 21 Southeastern Louisiana | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20 Stephen F. Austin | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UT Rio Grande Valley | 2 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Texas A&M | 2 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nicholls | 2 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| McNeese | 1 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Christian | 1 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Incarnate Word | 0 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern State | 0 | – | 4 | 1 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As of October 27, 2025 Rankings from STATS Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2025 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team represents the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Cardinals play their home games at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas. They are led by third-year head coach Clint Killough.
| Player | Position | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Roy Alexander | WR | Texas Tech |
| Zach Calzada | QB | Kentucky |
| Chase Carter | DL | Memphis |
| Tylan Foster | LB | Eastern Illinois |
| River Gordon | OL | Abilene Christian |
| Devin Grant | DL | West Virginia |
| Tyler "TJ" Harold | DL | Tyler |
| Nolan Hay | OL | South Carolina |
| Solomon James | QB | UT Permian Basin |
| Rasheed Jackson | OL | TCU |
| Talon Lewin | QB | Ventura |
| Derrick Lewis | LB | Stephen F. Austin |
| Josh Pastrana | LB | Keiser |
| Isaiah Pedack | DL | Mississippi Valley State |
| Dekalon Taylor | RB | Colorado |
| Jaelon Travis | WR | Pittsburg State |
| Mister Williams | LB | San Diego State |
| Anquan Willis | RB | |
| Hunter Willis | LB | Trinity Valley |
| Player | Position | Previous school |
|---|---|---|
| Deyon Batiste | QB | Wyoming |
| Joe Cadette | DE | Houston Christian |
| Pig Cage | DB | Louisiana Tech |
| EJ Colson Jr. | QB | UCF |
| Kobe Dillon | RB | Southern |
| Harlan Dixon | RB | Southeastern Louisiana |
| Jaylen Dotson | DB | Kent State |
| Tyrece Fairly-Diyem | WR | Cal Poly |
| Will Faris | K | Vanderbilt |
| Kai Fernandes | DB | Appalachian State |
| Cam Foster | OL | Southern |
| Dewey Greene | DE | Southern Illinois |
| Brayden Hay | LB | Houston Christian |
| Chedon James | WR | Fresno State |
| Dylan Kirby | OL | Southern Utah |
| Ben McCreary | RB | West Texas A&M |
| Zach Mitchell | WR | Southern Utah |
| Tyler Morton | DB | Nicholls |
| Michael Pleas Jr. | LB | UT Martin |
| David Powers | LB | Wofford |
| Jachai Pulley | LB | Pasadena City |
| Austin Samaha | TE | Texas State |
| Jawuan Singletary | OL | New Mexico |
| Jaylon Spears | RB | Nicholls |
| Mike Stoker | OL | TCU |
| Reece Sylvester | DB | Washington State |
| Danny Valenzuela | OL | Northern Arizona |
| Tomsen Vickery | DE | Air Force |
| Jeremiah Young | DE | Independence |
The Southland Conference released their preseason poll on July 21, 2025. The Cardinals were picked to finish first in the conference and received fifteen first-place votes. [4]
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Incarnate Word | 158 (15) |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin | 137 (3) |
| 3 | Southeastern Louisiana | 136 (1) |
| 4 | Lamar | 112 (1) |
| 5 | Nicholls | 91 |
| 6 | McNeese | 85 |
| T-7 | East Texas A&M | 59 |
| T-7 | Houston Christian | 59 |
| 9 | Northwestern State | 39 |
| 10 | UT Rio Grande Valley | 24 |
The University of the Incarnate Word football team had six student-athletes named Stats Perform Preseason All-Americans ahead of the 2025 season. [5]
Offense 1st Team
2nd Team
3rd Team
| Defense 2nd Team
3rd Team
|
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Nicholls | No. 5 | ESPN2 | L 6–20 | 8,779 | |
| August 30 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern Washington * | No. 5 | ESPN+ | W 31–21 | 2,263 | |
| September 13 | 2:30 p.m. | at UTSA * | No. 14 |
| ESPN+ | L 20–48 | 20,421 |
| September 20 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 17 Northern Arizona * | No. 19 | ESPN+ | L 23–31 | 10,007 | |
| September 27 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 12 Abilene Christian * |
| ESPN+ | W 38–7 | 3,006 | |
| October 4 | 6:00 p.m. | Stephen F. Austin |
| ESPN+ | L 17–31 | 2,098 | |
| October 18 | 4:30 p.m. | East Texas A&M |
| ESPN+ | L 45–52 | 2,016 | |
| October 25 | 7:00 p.m. | at UT Rio Grande Valley | ESPN+ | L 28–56 | 12,649 | ||
| November 1 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 14 Lamar |
| ESPN+ | |||
| November 8 | 1:00 p.m. | at Northwestern State | ESPN+ | ||||
| November 15 | 2:00 p.m. | Southeastern Louisiana |
| ESPN+ | |||
| November 22 | 2:00 p.m. | at Houston Christian | ESPN+ | ||||
| |||||||
Source: [9]
| Name | Position | Alma mater | Joined staff |
| Clint Killough | Head coach | Incarnate Word (2015) | 2018 |
| Jim Gush | Associate head coach / defensive coordinator | Bucknell (1981) | 2023 |
| Ben Olson | Co-defensive coordinator / run game coordinator / defensive line | Eastern Illinois (2013) | 2023 |
| Kenny Hill | Co-offensive coordinator / running backs | TCU (2017) | 2023 |
| Nick Young | Co-offensive coordinator / offensive line | Toledo (2012) | 2023 |
| Willis White | Assistant head coach / wide receivers | Alabama State (2018) | 2023 |
| Sam Bennett | Co-defensive coordinator / Linebackers / academic coordinator | Texas Tech (2010) | 2023 |
| George Sanders | Pass game coordinator / defensive backs | Southwest Baptist (2016) | 2023 |
| Luke Pardee | Quarterbacks | TCU (2023) | 2024 |
| Ryan Allgood | Tight ends / recruiting coordinator | Oklahoma (2011) | 2025 |
| Tre Spragg | Defensive quality control / assistant defensive backs | Incarnate Word (2015) | 2023 |
| John Scifers | Special teams quality control / video coordinator | Incarnate Word (2021) | 2023 |
| Taylor Grimes | Offensive quality control | Incarnate Word (2022) | 2024 |
| Cody Dunn | Director of performance statistics | McGill (2021) | 2022 |
| Braden Strauss | Defensive graduate assistant - linebackers | Baylor | 2024 |
| Dalton Meyer | Offensive graduate assistant | Incarnate Word (2023) | 2025 |
| Shane Creamer | Offensive graduate assistant | Houston (2021) | 2025 |
| Davis Conley | Head strength and conditioning | LaGrange (2017) | 2022 |
| Dr. Kimberly Montez | Head football athletic trainer | 2025 | |
| Reagan Longoria | Football operations and recruiting assistant | 2025 | |
Source: [10]
| Uniform combination | ||
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Cardinals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Colonels | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, LA
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UIW | NICH |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 14 |
| Total yards | 204 | 287 |
| Rushing yards | 16 | 66 |
| Passing yards | 188 | 221 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–36–3 | 21–36–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:05 | 29:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | Passing | Richard Torres | 23/35, 175 yards, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Jaylon Spears | 15 carries, 49 yards | |
| Receiving | Chedon James | 5 receptions, 59 yards | |
| Nicholls | Passing | Deuce Hogan | 21/35, 221 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Jordan Poole | 7 carries, 23 yards | |
| Receiving | Karaaz Johnson | 2 receptions, 58 yards, TD |
| Uniform combination | ||
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| No. 5 Cardinals | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | EWU | UIW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 27 |
| Total yards | 290 | 463 |
| Rushing yards | 107 | 131 |
| Passing yards | 183 | 332 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–39–1 | 27–38–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:41 | 34:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington | Passing | Jared Taylor | 21/38, 183 yards |
| Rushing | Marceese Yetts | 6 carries, 59 yards, 2 TDs | |
| Receiving | Marceese Yetts | 7 receptions, 63 yards | |
| Incarnate Word | Passing | Richard Torres | 27/38, 332 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Harlan Dixon | 14 carries, 75 yards, 2 TDs | |
| Receiving | Jameson Garcia | 6 receptions, 146 yards, 1 TD |
| Uniform combination | ||
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| Roadrunners (FBS) | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 48 |
at Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UIW | UTSA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 22 |
| Total yards | 357 | 442 |
| Rushing yards | 33 | 204 |
| Passing yards | 324 | 238 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 31–45–2 | 29–35–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:48 | 34:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | Passing | EJ Colson | 17/24, 213 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Jaylon Spears | 5 carries, 26 yards | |
| Receiving | Chedon James | 8 receptions, 134 yards, 3 TD | |
| UTSA | Passing | Owen McCown | 29/35, 238 yards, 4 TD |
| Rushing | Robert Henry | 14 carries, 144 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | AJ Wilson | 4 receptions, 99 yards, TD |
| Uniform combination | ||
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 19 Cardinals | 0 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
| No. 17 Lumberjacks | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at Walkup Skydome, Flagstaff, AZ
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UIW | NAU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 19 |
| Total yards | 436 | 402 |
| Rushing yards | 144 | 116 |
| Passing yards | 292 | 286 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–38–0 | 17–34–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:43 | 28:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | Passing | EJ Colson | 28/36, 292 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | EJ Colson | 13 carries, 59 yards | |
| Receiving | Jameson Garcia | 9 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD | |
| Northern Arizona | Passing | Ty Pennington | 17/34, 286 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Seth Cromwell | 16 carries, 63 yards | |
| Receiving | Kolbe Katsis | 4 receptions, 95 yards |
| Uniform combination | ||
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 12 Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, TX
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | ACU | UIW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 28 |
| Total yards | 248 | 423 |
| Rushing yards | 107 | 301 |
| Passing yards | 141 | 122 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–30–2 | 17–30–0 |
| Time of possession | 19:44 | 40:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | Passing | Stone Earle | 17/30, 141 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Rovaughn Banks Jr. | 14 carries, 110 yards | |
| Receiving | Javon Gipson | 5 receptions, 53 yards | |
| Incarnate Word | Passing | EJ Colson | 17/30, 122 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Lontrell Turner | 20 carries, 118 yards | |
| Receiving | Chedon James | 5 receptions, 43 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumberjacks | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 17 |
at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, TX
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | SFA | UIW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen F. Austin | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Incarnate Word | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Cardinals | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, TX
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | ETAM | UIW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Texas A&M | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Incarnate Word | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Vaqueros | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, Edinburg, TX
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UIW | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Cardinals (LU) | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Cardinals (UIW) | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, TX
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | LAM | UIW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Incarnate Word | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Demons | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, LA
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UIW | NWST |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Northwestern State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Cardinals | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, TX
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | SELA | UIW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Louisiana | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Incarnate Word | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Huskies | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UIW | HCU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Houston Christian | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Week | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 5 | 12 | 14 | 19 | RV | RV | — | |||||||
| Coaches | 4 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 24 | 20 | RV | |||||||