No. 7 UIW outlasts No. 2 Sac State to Advance to FCS Semifinals
Story courtesy of UIW, visit UIWCardinals.com.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In a fast-paced game with two of the nation's top-scoring offenses, 1,317 total yards of offense on the night, the University of the Incarnate Word came out on top with a 66-63 victory over Sacramento State to advance to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs behind a game-sealing touchdown pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. to Taylor Grimes with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Scott finished with a season-high 176 rushing yards and added six touchdowns (4 passing) as the two teams set the record for the most combined points in an FCS playoff game. Scott is now the FCS record holder for the most touchdown passes in a single season with 59. Marcus Cooper ended the night with 176 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Brandon Richard picked off the Hornets just two minutes into the game, but the Cardinals were unable to capitalize, and Sacramento State struck first (7-0).
Scott found Cooper for 20 yards and UIW answered tying the game, 7-7. Then, with just under three minutes left in the first, Sacramento State ran for 35 yards to the house, claiming a 14-7 lead.
UIW did not back down; Scott punched it in for one yard to tie the game at 14.
The Cardinal defense held the Hornets to a 40-yard field goal midway through the second. Sacramento State got the ball back, but UIW's defense was ignited by a sack from Tylan George followed by an interception from Elliott Davison to put the Cardinals on the 29-yard line. Roger McCuller capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Scott as UIW asserted its first lead of the game (21-17).
Eleven seconds before halftime, the Cardinals extended the lead with Cooper's second TD of the night to head into the locker room up 28-17 over the Hornets.
Not long into the second half, Sacramento State began to chip away at UIW's lead with a 2-yard TD (28-24).
Scott rushed 41 yards to put the Cardinals in scoring position at the 11-yard line, however a Hornet pass breakup in the end zone led to a 25-yard field goal from Carson Mohr to lift UIW to a 31-24 edge.
Sacramento State threw a dart up the middle to tie the game at 31 with four minutes to go in the third.
The Cardinals took back the lead after Scott launched a 47-yard touchdown pass to Darion Chafin. Behind three hornet incomplete passes, Sacramento State finished the third with a field goal to bring the score to 38-34.
Scott opened the final quarter by breaking out for a 64-yard dash to the house (45-34), but Sacramento State completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to bring the Hornets within four and then scored once more with 10 minutes left on the clock as the Hornets took the 48-45 advantage.
Within three minutes, UIW scored 14 points behind a 67-yard touchdown from Cooper and a 55-yard fumble return from Kelechi Anyalebechi (59-49).
Sacramento State converted their second on-side kick of the night to quickly cut the lead with a touchdown followed by a PAT pass (59-56). Then with just under two minutes left in the game, Sacramento State took a 63-59 lead.
With time running out and the Cardinals down by four, Scott found Grimes with 27 seconds left on the clock as he completed a diving catch to win the game.
The Cardinals will now face No. 3 North Dakota State in the Semifinals of the FCS Playoffs.