Incarnate Word’s coming out party as a football power occurred inside Cowboy Stadium.

Six months to the day after Hurricane Laura blew through Lake Charles, the Cardinals ripped McNeese State 48-20 to start their 2021 spring season.

Since that game, the formerly struggling program has gone 35-14, won two Southland Conference titles, and made it once to the FCS playoff semifinals under three different head coaches.

Before that, the Cardinals were just 29-49 after moving from Division II to the FCS level in 2013.

On that late February day, the college football world was also introduced to an unknown quarterback who threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns. That QB is Cam Ward, who is now considered as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner at the University of Miami by many.

Ward started the stretch of three straight SLC Players of the Year for the Cardinals, who have become an offensive machine that then-head coach Eric Morris began. Currently, UIW is 4-2,1-0 in the league and ranked 13th and 15th in the two top FCS polls. 

They are coming off a 55-10 beatdown of Nicholls, considered a co-favorite for the league title heading into that game. 

“They are a really good football team with a lot of talent,” said McNeese head coach Gary Goff. “They have one of the best offenses in the country.”

UIW is also the league’s top dog, taking that spot from departed Sam Houston and McNeese.

“They have become the darling of our conference,” said Goff. “They are the premiere team in our league right now.”

Incarnate Word was well ahead of the rest of the league when it came to hitting the portal. The Cardinals accept more transfers than the metro bus terminal.

They are expected to start five grad student transfers on offense alone this week against McNeese. That will include former Cowboy speedy receiver Mason Pierce.

“They are a great offense,” said McNeese linebacker Micah Davey. “All hands have to be on deck. They barely leave room for error.”

The Cardinals are led by quarterback Zach Calzada, a former transfer from Texas A&M who last season was the Southland’s Newcomer of the Year. Calzada, who also played at Auburn, leads the league in passing.

He is connecting on 70.2 percent of his throws (153-218) for 1,663 yards and 18 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He has two of the league’s top three receivers to connect with.

Calzada is seventh in passing yards on the FCS level and sixth in total offense (293.2 a game). He is also second in TD passes, two behind the leader who has played an extra game.

Calzada, who was 25 of 33 for 270 yards and five touchdowns last weekend. That earned him SLC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Junior linebacker Dune Smith was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week for UIW as well.

“They are a very talented team on both sides of the football,” said Goff. “They are as good as advertised.”

Jalen Walthall leads the conference with 39 catches for 649 yards and nine touchdowns. Roy Alexander is third with 42 grabs for 462 and three scores.

“They have a quarterback who can really throw it and some outstanding receivers,” said Goff. “They are a real challenge to try and stop.”

McNeese has not been able to do that recently. After losing the first four meetings, the Cardinals have won five of the last six. They have outscored the Cowboys 227-109 over that span.

If McNeese is going to get back on top of the SLC mountain, the climb begins with beating UIW.