Southern Arkansas Slips by Incarnate Word, 24-22

By: Houston Taylor

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Stepping out of Gulf South Conference play, Southern Arkansas (3-6) overcame a 15-7 first half deficit and five turnovers to slip by Incarnate Word (4-4), 24-22, Saturday at Benson Stadium in the teams’ first-ever meeting. The game served as the Cardinals’ homecoming in its inaugural season of football.

Junior quarterback Austin Civita (Newbury Park, Calif.) was 16 of 26 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns as the Muleriders posted 375 yards of offense, while limiting UIW to only 167.

SAU escaped potential disaster with the season-high five turnovers, by recording a season-best 5.4 yards per offensive play. Junior Noé Cuevas (Pasadena, Texas) also kicked a controversial 27-yard field goal as time expired in the first half that eventually proved to be the difference in the game.

Incarnate Word took the opening kickoff and went 60 yards in 13 plays on a drive that consumed 6:40 to get on the board first. Quarterback Eric Massoni scored from a yard out, with a two-point rush attempt failing, for a 6-0 lead at 8:20.

The Muleriders came back three series later, with Civita hitting sophomore receiver Travarus Brown (Longview, Texas) on a 38-yard scoring pass, for a 7-6 advantage at 2:01.

Jacob Love put the Cardinals back in play though, returning the ensuing kickoff 66 yards to the SAU 25. Five plays later Massoni connected with Kenneth Pryor on a 13-yard touchdown. The rush attempt for the PAT again failed, 12-7 UIW with four ticks left in the first.

The turnover bug then hit Southern Arkansas in the second quarter, as they suffered three, but Incarnate Word could only capitalize off one, a fumbled punt return from freshman LaMarcus Howard (Longview, Texas) that the Cardinals’ Caleb Kocian recovered at the Mulerider 17. UIW got a 29-yard field goal from Thomas Rebold for a 15-7 lead with 1:37 left in the half. SAU had blown a golden opportunity on the series prior, on a third and goal at the Incarnate Word five when Civita’s pass was picked off in the end zone by Aaron Hernandez.

Following the Rebold field goal, Southern Arkansas’ drive towards Cuevas’ field goal started at 1:31. Civita moved the team down the field, and escaped disaster when, following a 13-yard rush, he coughed up the Muleriders’ third fumble of the quarter at the Cardinal 35, but senior running back Chris Metcalf (Blytheville) fell on the ball at the 30 to keep SAU in business. They eventually reached the 28, but an 11-yard sack pushed them back to the 39 with time running out. Civita then hit sophomore Ryan McCombie (Youngsville, La.) for 10 yards and a first down at the 29. The clock ran out as the officials were still spotting the ball, and after discussion, time was put back on and Cuevas made good on the chance for a 15-10 game at the half.

Southern Arkansas came out on fire in the second half, continuing a string of 17 unanswered points, including Cuevas’ boot, for a 24-15 advantage at 5:56 in the third quarter on a three-yard pass from Civita to Brown. Metcalf scored prior at 13:25 on the Muleriders’ longest rush of the season from 35 yards out.

The 24-15 score held until UIW made it interesting with the fourth quarter’s only score, an 83-yard interception return off Civita for a touchdown by defensive end Diego McClain that came at 2:18.

SAU couldn’t run the clock out, so Incarnate Word had a chance starting at its own 12, but three incomplete passes and an eight-yard sack from Southern Arkansas tackle Cedric Thornton (Star City) sealed the win for the Muleriders.

SAU put the ball on the ground six times, losing three, and tossed two interceptions. They also were just one of six in the red zone, but made up for it with big plays.

Southern Arkansas held the Cardinals to 43 yards rushing, with Massoni completing 12 of 27 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown for the majority of their positive yardage. Metcalf had 88 yards on 17 carries for the Muleriders, while Brown finished with six catches for 79 yards and the two scores.

SAU concludes its season next Saturday, hosting Arkansas-Monticello in the inaugural Boomtown Classic to be held at Memorial Stadium in El Dorado. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.