ERIC MORRIS

After one of the greatest years in San Antonio sports history, KSAT 12 counts down the 12 best moments and memories from 2021.

Season got you down? (Not you, UTSA.) Why not spend Saturday watching the first-round FCS game between Stephen F. Austin and Incarnate Word?

While the success of UTSA’s undefeated football season has captured the city’s attention, the UIW Cardinals have flown a bit under the radar, but have reached some incredible heights of their own this year.

Cameron Ward threw four touchdown passes, including three in the first half, and Marcus Cooper ran for two more scores as Incarnate Word cruised past winless Houston Baptist, 49-21 on Saturday.

Cameron Ward threw for 388 yards and connected with Taylor Grimes for four touchdowns, and Incarnate Word beat Nicholls 38-21.

Quarterback Cameron Ward threw a pair of touchdown passes and the defense pitched their first shutout of the season, as UIW defeated McNeese State 31-0 and improved to 3-1.

Cameron Ward threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns and Incarnate Word beat Texas State 42-34.

The UIW Cardinals take the field for their road game against Lamar on March 6, 2021. SAN ANTONIO – Cameron Ward set a program record with six touchdown passes and he ran for another score as Incarnate Word beat Southeastern Louisiana 56-45 on Saturday. Ward was 26-of-47 passing for 407 yards, and his six scoring throws surpassed Jon Copeland's five against Texas Southern on September 14, 2019. Ward also carried the ball seven times for 38 yards and scored on a 1-yard run. AdCole Kelley threw three touchdown passes and was 38 of 60 for 431 yards passing for Southeastern Louisiana (2-2, 2-2).

SAN ANTONIO – Fresh off their second week of practice, the UIW Cardinals are ready to start their COVID-19 shortened spring schedule on Saturday, Feb. 20 against Sam Houston State at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.

The Southland Conference joined that growing list of conferences choosing to postpone only an hour before UIWs official announcement. "This has continued to be paramount in our athletics department decision-making and conversations with fellow Southland Conference members. In March, it was the first Southland Conference school to close its residence halls. Additionally, UIW Athletics provided an opportunity for student-athletes to opt-out of returning this fall, without penalty, before the NCAA mandated it. The Southland Conference presidents approved postponing all fall conference sports competition in football, volleyball, women's soccer and cross country, with the intent to explore a conference-game schedule in the spring semester.

SAN ANTONIO Months removed from their last practice together, the head coach Eric Morris and the UIW football team are raring to return to the practice field this fall and begin preparing for the 2020 season. The Cardinals are still currently scheduled to open the season against Northwestern State in Louisiana on September 3. MORE COLLEGE SPORTS COVERAGE

SAN ANTONIO - For the second straight game, UIW held a lead at home in the fourth quarter against a Southland Conference opponent. And for the second straight game, the Cardinals walked away without a win. "The narrative of this game is that on offense we were not good in the red zone," Morris said. Red zone has to be a huge emphasis." On their opening drive, UIW drove 73 yards on 13 plays, but settled for a field goal.

SAN ANTONIO - The University of the Incarnate Word football team fell in overtime, 44-41, to Northwestern State Saturday night. 20 Cardinals and is the first time the team had dropped a home contest since November 16, 2016. It was Copeland's second touchdown of the evening and with the score, Copeland set a program record for career touchdown passes (39). Northwestern State scored with 19 seconds remaining and successfully executed the two-point conversion to tie the score at 38 at the end of regulation. In overtime, UIW received the ball first and took a three-point lead when Carson Mohr drilled a 26-yard field goal.

25 UIW improved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in Southland Conference action with a 35-17 victory over Lamar University Saturday at Benson Stadium. The UIW offense had no problem against the conference's most stringent passing defense, putting up 150 more yards than Lamar had allowed on average per contest. Copeland threw touchdowns to four different receivers and attributed his success to both his receivers and the offensive line. Lamar halved the lead in the third quarter after a 10-yard run from Myles Wanza but UIW was able to respond on the ensuing drive. The UIW defense also added two interceptions, bringing their season total to 15 -- tops in the FCS.

25 UIW improved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in Southland Conference action with a 35-17 victory over Lamar University Saturday at Benson Stadium. The UIW offense had no problem against the conference's most stringent passing defense, putting up 150 more yards than Lamar had allowed on average per contest. Copeland threw touchdowns to four different receivers and attributed his success to both his receivers and the offensive line. Lamar halved the lead in the third quarter after a 10-yard run from Myles Wanza but UIW was able to respond on the ensuing drive. The UIW defense also added two interceptions, bringing their season total to 15 -- tops in the FCS.

A week removed from a blowout loss to Sam Houston State, UIW built an early lead and survived a late rally to top Southland Conference rival Abilene Christian 31-24 at Gayle & Tom Benson Stadium. With the win, the Cardinals improve to 2-2. He would add another score in the second quarter as the Cardinals built a 20-3 halftime lead. The Wildcats got back in it with a 14-point outburst in the third quarter, eventually cutting the lead back down to 20-17. Tre Richardson's third-quarter, 56-yard interception return led to a field goal, and Philio scored his third touchdown of the day in the fourth quarter to essentially seal the victory.

SAN ANTONIO - In their first season with Eric Morris as head coach, UIW football adopted the phrase "Stealth Mode" and took the Southland Conference by storm. Theres a process that happens each and every day to get us to the end goal of winning football games. Weve a got a month to do it, so weve got a lot of work ahead of us." With that mentality, the Cardinals took the field Friday morning for the first practice of fall camp. "Not only do I know the offense better, everyone else does too, so its just clicking a lot faster."

SAN ANTONIO – The Incarnate Word Cardinals were one of college football's biggest turnarounds last season, going from a moribund 1-10 record in 2017 to a 6-5 ledger, Southland Conference championship and FCS playoff bid in 2018. The program's transformation starts with head coach Eric Morris, who in just one year has completely transformed the narrative surrounding the team. The new attitude has carried over to recruiting, with the Cardinals inking 29 recruits this cycle. KSAT 12's Jake Kobersky caught up with Morris to talk about the new class and momentum surrounding the program.