The Cardinals entertained a large Family Day crowd with 648 yards of offense and a 53-28 win over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College's Golden Norsemen in a SWJCFC conference opener Saturday afternoon at Bruce Field. 

The win improved the nation's seventh-ranked Cardinals to 3-0 on the year. NEO slipped to 1-2. 

Coach Brad Smiley's Cardinals are scheduled to return to action Saturday at Cisco. Game time for the rematch of a non-conference game played two weeks ago at Bruce Field (a 41-14 Cardinal victory) is 7 p.m. 

The Cardinals used their tailback tandem of DeSoto sophomore Chad Winbush and Richardson freshman Josh Johnson to dismantle the NEO defense. Winbush rushed for 200 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown, on 14 carries. Johnson ran for 161 yards on 16 carries and scored three times. 

NEO found itself in a quick 9-0 whole and never recovered. The Cardinals led from start to finish, leading 15-7 after one quarter, 30-15 at the half and 40-28 going into the fourth quarter. 

In addition to the four touchdowns provided by Johnson and Winbush, Jeremiah Williams turned a pass from Garrett Beal into a 66-yard scoring play, Bo Walker scored on a 39-yard run, Beal scored on a one-yard run and Ernesto Guerra booted field goals from 37 and 27 yards out and tacked on three extra points. 

Beal went most of the way at quarterback for the Cardinals and competed 14-of-21 passes 14-of-21 for 179 yards. Williams caught six of the aerials for 126 yards. 

While the Cardinals were rushing for 445 yards and passing for 203, NEO managed 346 yards of offense on 158 passing and 188 passing. 

There was just one turnover in the game with the Golden Norsemen losing a fumble.

 In Saturday's other conference openers, it was: Navarro 42, Kilgore 17 and Tyler 49, Cisco 35. Blinn was open. 

The Cardinals return home on Saturday, Oct. 3, to play Navarro. Game time is 7 p.m.