Bourbonnais, Ill. – Junior quarterback Stuart Ross (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) and senior wide receiver Justin Pringle (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) connected six times for 96 yards, including a pair of touchdown passes to help give No. 18 Saint Xavier University football (4-2, 2-0 MSFA Midwest) a 17-10 victory over Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) in Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League action Saturday afternoon at Ward Field in Bourbonnais, Ill. Ross was efficient out of the back field throwing for 241 yards on 69.6 percent passing (23-for-33) with a long of 44 yards to Pringle, while Pringle accounted for 135 all-purpose yards as the Cougars won their fourth consecutive game.

• Freshman running back Mario Price (Chicago Heights, Ill./Calumet New Tech) was the leading rusher for SXU, gaining 52 yards on 16 attempts. He also made five receptions for 42 yards with a long of 20 late in the first quarter.
• Junior wide receiver Brandt Hixson (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) caught six passes for 82 yards and had a kick return on 17 yards.
• Junior wide receiver/punter Joe Polselli (Evergreen Park, Ill./St. Rita) was solid punting, launching three kicks for an average of 43.3 yards and landed a 45-yard punt inside the 20-yard line midway through the final period.
• Senior linebacker Peyton Nigro (Mokena, Ill./Concordia-St. Paul/Lincoln-Way Central) was credited with seven tackles (five solo) and had a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss for four yards.
• Junior defensive lineman Ayobami Arokoyo (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) also made seven stops (four solos) for the Saint Xavier defense.
• Senior defensive back Jacob Denney (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) and junior defensive back Kevin Countryman (Morris, Ill./Providence Catholic) accounted for seven of SXU's 10 pass breakups (PBU's). Denney was credited with four PBU's, which would tie the single-game record for the Cougars, while Countryman had three pass breakups.
• Saint Xavier marched 78 yards on 14 plays, taking 8:25 off the clock, on its opening drive that ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ross to Pringle for a 7-0 lead.
• On their second possession, SXU went 56 yards on nine plays before Ross and Pringle hooked up again, this time on an eight-yard touchdown pass just six seconds into the second quarter to go up 14-0.
• Junior kicker Peyton Benes (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) extended the lead to 17-0 by kicking a 25-yard field goal just before the end of the half.
• The game went scoreless in the third quarter as both squads traded possessions.
• Olivet Nazarene took advantage of a Saint Xavier turnover deep in their own territory and needed just three plays to go 15 yards to get on the scoreboard on a seven-yard touchdown run.
• The Tigers had an extended drive, going 80 yards on 15 plays midway through the final frame that resulted in a 25-yard field goal with 2:16 left in regulation.
• The Cougar punted on the next possession, leaving ONU with 1:38 to go 65 yards for the potential tying or go-ahead score. A strip sack by freshman linebacker Terry Elias (Monee, Ill./Crete-Monee) on third down was recovered by the offense and forced Olivet Nazarene to use its final timeout. Denney broke up the pass attempt on 4^th and 16 to give SXU possession and a pair of kneel downs secured the road win.

No. 18 Saint Xavier (4-2/2-0 MSFA) returns to Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field for a MSFA Midwest League matchup with Missouri Baptist University on Saturday, October 15. The game is scheduled for a 12:00 pm kickoff.