‘Jacks Overwhelm #20/RV Incarnate Word for Fourth-Straight Win

Saturday, October 4

San Antonio, TX

6:00 P.M.

Stephen F. Austin

4-2 , 2-0

Incarnate Word

2-4 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Stephen F. Austin

UIW

Photo by: Erika Cruz

‘Jacks Overwhelm #20/RV Incarnate Word for Fourth-Straight Win

10/4/2025 11:25:00 PM | Football

Box Score

SFA starts fast, takes advantage of early opportunities in dominant effort in the Alamo City

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It was a full-on attack by Stephen F. Austin on Saturday night inside Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium as the Lumberjacks dominated from the start of the Southland Conference showdown with #20/RV Incarnate Word to earn a fourth-straight victory and improve to 2-0 in league play following the 31-17 final in the Alamo City.

By the sixth play of the game, the 'Jacks had forced a turnover and hit paydirt for a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the first quarter. Jalen Mayo stripped UIW's Jaylon Spears, which was recovered by Eli Fields and four plays later, Sam Vidlak hit Kylon Harris along the left side of the end zone for an early six as the 'Jacks were off and running.

Moments later, Fields was the first Lumberjack on the scene as UIW went for it on fourth down midway through the first 15 minutes of play, but EJ Colson's rush was denied which set up the second Vidlak scoring strike of the evening on the very next play from scrimmage. The senior hit a racing Derrick Bohler, who had beaten his man by several steps, in stride for a 37-yard touchdown and a two-score lead for the 'Jacks.

The 'Jacks defense delivered a blow late in the first quarter as the Cardinals were unable to turn a 14-play drive into six as SFA forced a UIW FG on a drive that lasted nearly six and a half minutes. SFA's Carlos Alvarado earned that three back as he connected from 30-yards out along the left hash for his third make of the season and a 17-3 SFA advantage.

The two sidelines traded fourth down stops, but it was the 'Jacks that capitalized as Jaydon Southard delivered a massive chase-down sack of Colson for a loss of 17 back into Incarnate Word territory. Three plays later, Vidlak withstood a pressure in his face to deliver a soft touch ball to Isaiah Davis who spun off and then shook off a defender on his way to the endzone and a celebratory backflip.

SFA's defense put a bow on a stellar half of play as they held UIW to another FG attempt, this one from 34 yards out, with ninety seconds left in the half as a second Cardinal drive that covered 12+ plays ended in only three points.

Second half action began with an SFA punt, but the 'Jacks' defense dealt another familiar blow this time forcing a UIW punt after an 11-play drive managed just 25 yards but took over six and a half minutes off the clock. The Cardinals' biggest play through three quarters came with just over 60 seconds remaining in the third quarter as a big pass play put UIW inside the SFA10 but the 'Jacks buckled down and forced a third UIW FG.

Just prior to UIW's third successful field goal attempt, Vidlak hit Clayton Wayland for a big gain of 58 yards as the wide out did much of the work with his legs to set SFA up inside the UIW5. Wimbley pressed in moments later from a yard out to all but put the game on ice late in the third quarter.

A fourth quarter interception by the 'Jacks' Jalen Mayo and a hustle sack of Colson by Victor Idusuyi II on the next UIW possession highlighted a full four-quarter effort by the Lumberjacks.

SCORING DRIVES
1Q (13:06) | 4 plays, 38 yards, 1:26 | Vidlak to Harris from 20 yards out, Alvarado kick
1Q (7:59) | 1 play, 37 yards, 0:07 | Vidlak to Bohler from 37 yards out, Alvarado kick
1Q (1:30) | 14 plays, 57 yards, 6:29 | Faris 36-yard FG

2Q (11:33) | 15 plays, 63 yards, 4:57 | Alvarado 30-yard FG
2Q (6:06) | 3 plays, 49 yards, 0:59 | Vidlak to Davis from 45 yards out, Alvarado kick
2Q (1:27) | 12 plays, 41 yards, 4:34 | Faris 34-yard FG

3Q (3:06) | 7 plays, 87 yards, 3:26 | Wimbley 1-yard rush, Alvarado kick

4Q (14:09) | 10 plays, 56 yards, 3:57 | Faris 37-yard FG
4Q (1:18) | 9 plays, 55 yards, 2:23 | Colson to Lorick from 16 yards out, Colson to Spears 2pt

POSTGAME NOTES

UIW's first half scoring drives covered 98 yards in a combined 26 plays and took over 11 minutes of first half clock, but resulted in just six total points; the Cardinals managed just 25 yards in their other five first half drives
UIW's three field goal scoring drives totaled 154 yards in 36 plays, covered one full quarter of time and produced only nine points
Jaydon Southard delivered a fourth game this season with 10+ tackles as he smothered by matching his career-best with 16 stops including a dozen solo to go along with three tackles for loss (19), 1.5 sacks (17) and a forced fumble
Mayo recorded six stops, two breakups, one forced fumble and an interception
SFA delivered six sacks for the second-straight game with Victor Idusuyi II leading the way with a career-high 2.5 including a fourth down chase down of Colson beyond the halfway mark of the fourth quarter
Ky Thomas also recorded 1.5 sacks for the second straight week as SFA registered its second game this season with a dozen TFL
Vidlak was a highly efficient 19-of-26 passing with three touchdowns
Eight Lumberjacks hauled in a pass in the win with five recording multiple catches
The 'Jacks defense bottled up the usually electric Colson to the tune of 13 rushes for -17 yards
SFA's last four opponents have failed to reach 90 yards rushing after the 'Jacks held UIW to 39 ground yards in the win
SFA has forced a fumble in five straight games and has picked off a pass in four straight contests

ABOUT THE WIN

The 'Jacks knock off a ranked opponent for the first time since last season's regular season finale against #11/12 Abilene Christian
The victory snaps UIW's nine-game home winning streak and is just the second UIW loss at home in its last 27 games
It's SFA's first win over UIW since 2019, first road win since 2016 and moves the record against the Cardinals to 6-3
The fourth straight victory marks the longest win streak for the 'Jacks since winning five-straight games to conclude the 2021 regular season which then sent SFA to San Antonio for a playoff tilt with UIW
It is the 37^th victory for the 'Jacks under Carthel which places the Texan a single victory away from sixth all-time on SFA's win list
The win is the 51^st for Carthel all-time against teams from the state of Texas and his 18^th against such foes during his time at SFA

RECORD BOOK REWRITING & MILESTONE MINING

Vidlak's second touchdown pass, the 37-yard strike to Derrick Bohler and the 36^th of his career, pushed the signal caller past the 4,000-yard passing mark as a collegian
Vidlak's completion to Wayland helped the former move into the top 10 all-time in SFA passing yards, while the latter recorded single-game bests in receptions (6) and yards (100) with the 58-yard pitch, catch and run standing as the longest of his career
Wayland's big play set up the 20^th total touchdown of Wimbley's career, and he moved into eighth all-time on the rushing scores list
Wimbley's 69 rushing yards brought him to within five yards of ninth place on the all-time rushing list
Harris' first quarter touchdown catch moved him into a tie for sixth place on the all-time receiving touchdowns list with 22
His 35 receiving yards on Saturday night moved him into tenth place on SFA's all-time receiving yards list and he is now six grabs away from fifth all-time in receptions
Bohler matched his single-game highs in catches (2) and touchdowns (1) and set a new personal best with 40 receiving yards
Kameron Reddic (6) and Chance Sautter (4) recorded personal highs in tackles in the win

UP NEXT
The 'Jacks prepare for a Homecoming bout with Nicholls on October 18, but not before heading into the bye week. The 'Jacks are off on October 11 before putting an unbeaten home record on the line in their third SLC test of the season as the Colonels come to town with SFA celebrating Homecoming No. 84 in Nacogdoches. SFA is 26-11 all-time against their foe from Thibodaux with a 14-5 mark at home and 4-2 effort in Homecoming matchups. Overall, the 'Jacks are 42-40-1 in Homecoming games. The October 18 kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Live coverage links will be made available at www.SFAjacks.com.

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