‘Jacks Hit the Road to Begin Southland Conference Slate, Face Incarnate Word

THE KICKOFF
For the second time this season the Stephen F. Austin football team will hit the road, traveling to San Antonio, Texas, for its 2018 Southland Conference opener at the University of the Incarnate Word Saturday. Kickoff from Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium is slated for 6 p.m. It will be just the second time since 1947 the Lumberjacks have played a football game in the Alamo City. SFA broke a nearly 70-year old hiatus on Oct. 29, 2016, when the 'Jacks traveled to San Antonio to face UIW.

FOLLOWING THE LUMBERJACKS
Saturday evening's game in San Antonio will be streamed live online only via UIWCardinals.com at portal.stretchinternet.com/uiw. Rob Meyers, the voice of the Lumberjacks, will have the play-by-play call of the game on Q107.7 FM alongside color commentary from Brandon Bernard, who will be making his radio debut. The audio broadcast will also be available online at Q1077.com as well as through the Lumberjack Sports Network on the TuneIn app. Live stats will be available at UIWCardinals.com, complemented by Twitter updates from @SFA_Football.

UNCOOPERATIVE WEATHER
SFA's 2018 home opener against Tarleton State this past Saturday was called off after numerous lightning delays and continual thunderstorms at Homer Bryce Stadium and around the Nacogdoches area. With an originally scheduled kickoff time of 6 p.m., a nearby lightning strike caused the first delay nearly 78 minutes prior to the home opening kickoff. The two teams headed back onto the field for a 45-minute warmup at 7:05 p.m. but another nearby lightning strike prompted another 30-minute delay as a thunderstorm cell approached. After a total of just over 1.5 hours of delay time, the game was called off. The contest against the Texans of Tarleton State will not be made up. It marked the first time in 17 years that the 'Jacks had a football game canceled. The last time SFA had a game canceled was on Sept. 15, 2001, when the events of Sept. 11 prompted the Lumberjacks' home bout with Northern Iowa to be called off. Because of this past Saturday's cancellation, SFA will be playing two road games to begin its season for the first time since 2013. That year, the 'Jacks opened up at Weber State before heading to Lubbock, Texas, to take on Texas Tech.

SFA IN SOUTHLAND OPENERS
The 'Jacks own an impressive 19-12 (.613) record all-time in Southland openers since joining the league in 1987 and are attempting to make it three-straight years of beginning their conference slate with a victory. SFA is 9-9 in Southland openers on the road, while owning a convincing 10-3 (.769) record in Southland opening affairs at home. In 2016, the 'Jacks notched a 31-28 road win at 13th-ranked McNeese to open up their Southland schedule and earned a thrilling 37-31 triumph over UIW in the final seconds of last year's league opener.

'JACKS ON SEPT. 15
For the seventh time in program history, SFA will be playing football on Sept. 15. The 'Jacks own a 2-4 (.333) record on the date and are 1-3 in road contests played on Sept. 15. The last time SFA took to the gridiron on the date was in 2012 when the 'Jacks fell 43-35 at Montana State. SFA is looking for its first Sept. 15 win since 1973 when the 'Jacks earned a 9-7 road victory at Illinois State. Saturday will mark just the second time in the last 30 years SFA has played on the date after participating in three games on Sept. 15 from 1973-84.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
2018: 0-2 overall, 0-0 Southland Conference (T-10th)
Last Three Games: Loss at North Texas (58-16), Loss at New Mexico (62-30), Loss vs. Prairie View A&M (42-28) (2017)
Head Coach: Eric Morris (Texas Tech, 2008). First season at UIW (0-2, .000); first season overall (0-2, .000)
Key Offensive Players:
• #1 Jon Copeland (Fr., QB): 33-of-66 (50%) for 480 yds., 1 TD, 44-yd. long, 240 yds. per game, 3 INTs
• #4 Ra'Quanne Dickens (Sr., RB): 25 carries for 249 yds., 10 yds. per rush, 3 TDs, 90-yd. long, 124.5 yds. per game
• #22 Ameer King (Fr., RB): 7 carries for 81 yds., 11.6 yds. per rush, 58-yd. long, 40.5 yds. per game
• #21 Phillip Baptiste (Sr., WR): 12 catches for 191 yds., 15.9 yds. per catch, 1 TD, 44-yd. long, 95.5 yds. per game
• #6 Lamont Johnson (Sr., WR): 7 catches for 125 yds., 17.9 yds. per catch, 43-yd. long, 62.5 yds. per game
• #81 Kody Edwards (Sr., WR): 6 catches for 83 yds., 13.8 yds. per catch, 24-yd. long, 41.5 yds. per game
Key Defensive Players:
• #43 West Lambert (Jr., ILB): 19 tackles (11 solo), 3 TFL for -10 yds., 0.5 sack for -3 yds., 1 QBH
• #12 Silas Stewart (Sr., OLB): 17 tackles (14 solo), 2.0 TFL for -4 yds., 1 INT for 13 yds., 1 fumble recovery
• #9 Mar'kel Cooks (Jr., ILB): 13 tackles (7 solo)
• #42 Brian Lee (Jr., LB/DE): 8 tackles (4 solo), 1.5 TFL for -4 yds., 0.5 sacks for -3 yds.
• #35 Tyler Jackson (Fr., LB): 7 tackles (6 solo), 1 TFL for -2 yds.
• #32 Gerald Bowie (Fr., LB): 7 tackles (3 solo)

OPPONENT SYNOPSIS
Guided by first-year head coach Eric Morris, a Texas native and former Texas Tech Red Raider, the Cardinals will be playing their first FCS game of the season after opening up their 2018 campaign with a pair of non-conference affairs at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents. UIW began its season with a 62-30 loss at the Mountain West Conference's New Mexico before falling 58-16 at Conference USA's North Texas this past Saturday, it marked the first time in program history the Cardinals have played two FBS opponents in the same season. Morris is in his first career head coaching job after spending five years as Texas Tech's offensive coordinator and serving as a graduate assistant under University of Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin, who later went on to coach at Texas A&M. At 32, Morris is one of youngest head coaches in all of NCAA Division I football. Despite have tough outs on the road to begin its season, UIW put up 46 total points and 862 total yards of offense. Gunslinger Jon Copeland became the Cardinals' first true freshman to start at quarterback in a season opener as he threw for 328 yards and a touchdown. Through two games he has accumulated 480 yards on 33-of-66 passing. UIW is led by a trio of senior receivers in Phillip Baptiste (191 yards), Lamont Johnson (125 yards) and Kody Edwards (83 yards) in its air attack and senior running back Ra'Quanne Dickens (249 yards) in its ground game. Edwards was tabbed preseason All-Southland Second Team offense after sitting out the 2017 season but leading the Cardinals in catches (39), receiving yards (712) and touchdowns (8) as a junior in 2016. Defensively, UIW relies heavily on its linebacker corps of juniors West Lambert and Mar'kel Cooks and senior Silas Stewart, who have made 49 of UIW's 163 total tackles. The Cardinals were picked to finish ninth in the conference's annual preseason poll after going 1-10 overall in 2017 and posting a 1-7 league mark. UIW finished ninth in the final Southland standings a season ago and have not won a game since defeating Lamar (33-24) at home on Oct. 14 of last year.

SERIES INFORMATION
Saturday's matchup will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the 'Jacks and the Cardinals on the gridiron. SFA owns an unblemished 4-0 record in the series and has outscored UIW 172-74 in the two teams' previous four meetings. The Cardinals and the 'Jacks met for the first time on Sept. 6, 2014, when SFA claimed a 38-3 rout of UIW inside Homer Bryce Stadium. In 2015, the 'Jacks were 55-21 winners against the Cardinals in Nacogdoches, before traveling to UIW in 2016 for a 42-19 victory. Last season, SFA earned a thrilling 37-31 triumph in the final seconds on an improbable 70-yard pick-six.

ALIZE'S BIG PLAY
When the Cardinals and 'Jacks met for each's 2017 Southland opener in Texas' oldest town, the game came down to the final seconds. With the score tied at 31 and only 16 seconds remaining, UIW was facing third-and-six from its own 25-yard line when SFA elected to burn a timeout to see what play the Cardinals would draw up. UIW came out and elected to attempt a flea flicker pass, which was intercepted by safety Alize Ward down at the Lumberjacks' 30. Using his speed, Ward etched his name in SFA football lore by sprinting down the sideline and leaping into the end zone as time expired to propel SFA to an unlikely 37-31 victory. Ward's 70-yard pick-six capped a 16-0 scoring run in the final eight and a half minutes of the game. Alize's big play gained national attention and appeared as the No. 3 play on ESPN SportCenter's Top 10 plays of the night. For his late-game heroics, Ward was named both Southland Defensive Player of the Week and STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week.

PACE ON PACE
SFA features a very talented wide receiver group in 2018 and returning All-Southland Second Team selection Tamrick Pace is on pace to etch his name in the program's record book. Needing just 43 catches and five touchdown receptions to break into the Lumberjack top-10 career list in both of those categories, the junior ranks 23rd in career receiving yards (1,554) among all 'Jacks who have played the game. On opening weekend at Southeastern Conference stalwart Mississippi State, Pace was the second-leading receiver in the game, hauling in five catches for 73 yards against the 18th-ranked Bulldogs.

LAST TIME OUT
The 'Jacks opened up their 2018 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 1 with a loss at one of the FBS' elite. Walking into Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, SFA faced the No. 18 ranked team in the nation and SEC member Mississippi State. Despite the unfavorable score, the 'Jacks were competitive throughout and showed toughness and fight for the duration of the night. In addition to Pace's performance in the receiving game, SFA's rushers combined to rack up 134 gross yards on the ground led by strong runs from juniors Jamall Shaw, Thomas Hutchings and Jae'Lon Oglesby. Senior quarterback Foster Sawyer proved himself as a commander of the offense, showing plenty of composure en route to throwing 10-of-27 for 147 yards. The 'Jacks finished with 254 total yards of offense and kept penalties to a minimum in a loud, hostile environment. The Bulldogs' Keytaon Thompson was nearly unstoppable, accounting for seven of Mississippi State's nine touchdowns to tie a SEC record. The quarterback threw for 364 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries.

-SFA-

Schedule

‘Jacks Hit the Road to Begin Southland Conference Slate, Face Incarnate Word

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Thomas Hutchings

Jae’Lon Oglesby

Tamrick Pace

Foster Sawyer

Jamall Shaw

Alize Ward

Footer

Stephen F Austin

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Football at Incarnate Word on Oct. 4, 2025 at 6:00 P.M.

Upcoming Event: Football versus Nicholls on Oct. 18, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at East Texas A&M on Oct. 25, 2025 at 6:00 P.M.

Upcoming Event: Football versus UTRGV on Nov. 1, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at Houston Christian on Nov. 8, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.

‘Jacks Hit the Road to Begin Southland Conference Slate, Face Incarnate Word

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Thomas Hutchings

Jae’Lon Oglesby

Tamrick Pace

Foster Sawyer

Jamall Shaw

Alize Ward

Related Videos

Footer