Defense Leads No. 6 UIW Past No. 11 Villanova 13-6 In Wet FCS Playoff Game
The win for UIW sets up a rematch with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits next weekend.
SAN ANTONIO — With the wet and chilly weather stifling their high-powered offense, the No. 6 UIW Cardinals used their defense to defeat the No. 11 Villanova Wildcats in the second round of the FCS Playoffs at Benson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
UIW’s offense was held to one touchdown for the first time since 2019 as the elements played a major role in the game, with the Cardinals having six dropped passes throughout the afternoon.
“I’m proud of this football team, and I’m proud of the culture that we’ve built,” UIW Head Coach Clint Killough said. “We talk a ton about intention on a day-to-day basis, and I thought that we were very intentional play to play. Bad, good, indifferent, everything, these guys fought all the way to the end. Our culture won tonight.”
The Cardinals entered Saturday’s contest averaging 37 points per game, scoring at least 24 points in each of their games this season. Saturday saw UIW’s defense become the main storyline as they went 11-of-12 on stopping the Wildcats on third downs.
