Incarnate Word coach Larry Kennan can’t be accused of taking the easy way out.

The Cardinals (1-6, 1-3 Southland) have been built to win someday, though that day isn’t the present. Of the 48 players listed on UIW’s two-deep on offense, defense and special teams, 30 are underclassmen.

Kennan leaves no stone unturned when it goes to finding players for his nascent program.

The Cardinals roster includes players born in Austria and England, not to mention a 28-year-old former Marine artillery sergeant manning the offensive line.

“We’ll take ‘em wherever they come from,” Kennan said.

UIW doesn’t go light on the scheduling, either.

While several other conference members filled their nonconference schedule with cupcakes, Kennan wanted his team to get a full-fledged Division I experience in its first year of Southland play.

So he added a conference rival, Stephen F. Austin, for a nonconference game, in addition to Big Sky opponent Sacramento State. And then there was the biggest, baddest daddy of them all — three-time Football Championship Subdivision defending national champion North Dakota State.

“We scheduled North Dakota State because it showed us what we need to be to be a contender,” Kennan said. “Like all three of the teams that joined the conference, we’re a year or two behind in scholarships and recruits. We’re getting beat by teams that are bigger, faster, stronger and more mature. They’ve been playing I-AA longer.”

It’s more than a young program can chew, but the gristle builds strong bones.

“I love our team. We have great character,” Kennan said. “In a couple years they’re gonna raise heck in the Southland Conference. We’re going to try to raise it the next four weeks. But we’re a work in progress. We’re not going to duck people, because you’ve got to know what it looks like before you can be that.”

Success does not look like what the Cardinals have done behind center with four quarterbacks getting meaningful snaps. It was supposed to be one, Trent Brittain, but he was hurt early in the opening game against Sacramento State.

Two replacements, Breylann McCollum and Taylor Woods, have each thrown for one touchdown and four interceptions. A fourth candidate, Jordan Scelfo, entered the scene late against Northwestern State and managed to go 3-for-3 for 62 yards and a touchdown.

“We lost our best football player. Our replacements have been inconsistent,” Kennan said. “One is a year away from being ready. One played two years ago when we got pretty badly beat up, and it’s like he has PTSD from then. He’s shell-shocked. We may play all of them this week and see how it goes.”

The Cardinals have been shut out twice, losing 58-0 at North Dakota State and 21-0 at Abilene Christian.

However, there is some evidence Kennan’s optimism for the future is grounded in possibility.

Sophomore defensive tackle Corey Lee is a primary example. Lee ranks third in the conference with 9.5 tackles for loss and fourth with four sacks.(MGNonline)