SAN ANTONIO – Cameron Ward threw a 6-yard scoring pass to Robert Ferrel in overtime and Incarnate Word beat Stephen F. Austin 35-28 in the first round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday.
The Cardinals with their program best 10-2 record advance to face defending champion and No. 1-seed Sam Houston State on Dec. 4.
Recommended Videos
Incarnate Word's defense ended it, on fourth-and-three from the 8-yard line, by applying pressure and flushing Lumberjacks quarterback Trae Self to his right. Dante Heaggans broke up Self's pass attempt to Jeremiah Miller in the corner of the end zone.
Incarnate Word led 21-14 entering the fourth quarter when Self led a 12-play, 55-yard drive that last 5 1/2 minutes and ended with a 5-yard scoring pass to Kesho Williams with eight minutes left in regulation.
Later, Rayshad Nichols forced a fumble on Kevin Brown and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown and Stephen F. Austin had a touchdown lead with 5:16 left.
Ward helped spearhead a 15-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 7-yard scoring pass to Taylor Grimes with 38 seconds to go.
Ward finished 39-for-54 passing with 328 yards and four touchdowns, Grimes caught 10 passes for 118 yards and three scores and Ferrel caught 14 passes for 100 yards and a score.
Self finished with 243 yards passing — 101 to Xavier Gipson who had six catches — and three touchdowns but was picked off twice.
__
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25