INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 11 ranked Saint Xavier University football team (9-3, 7-0 MSFA Midwest) lost to No. 7 Marian University (Ind.) 41-7 in the NAIA Football Championship Series First Round Saturday afternoon at St. Vincent Field in Indianapolis, Ind. Junior running back Amari Venerable (University Park, Ill./Crete-Monee) accounted for 68 all-purpose yards, rushing for 31 yards on 11 carries and made seven catches for 38 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown reception. It is the second consecutive season that the Cougars lost in the NAIA FCS First Round after losing to Concordia University Ann Arbor (Mich.) a season ago.

• Junior quarterback Stuart Ross (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) finished 19-for-27 for 110 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. He was sacked a season-high six times.
• Junior quarterback John O'Sullivan (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) completed 6-of-10 passes for 34 yards and had an interception.
• Senior wide receiver Mason Gray (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tiffin/Bremen) caught six passes for 50 yards.
• Senior wide receiver Justin Pringle (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) tallied four receptions for 34 yards, returned three kickoffs for 51 yards and he punted a season-high six times for 179 yards.
• Junior defensive back Ron Carroll (University Park, Ill./Crete-Monee) led the SXU defense with 10 tackles (seven solos) and had a tackle for loss for one yard.
• Junior linebacker Finn Brandon (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) made six stops (five solos) along with two tackles for loss for three yards.
• Senior linebacker Joey Markasovic (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic) registered five tackles (four solos) and a forced fumble.
• Senior defensive lineman Payton Campbell (Round Lake Beach, Ill./Grayslake North) posted four solos tackles, a sack for six yards, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
• MU got on the board first late in the opening period, scoring on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 1:32 left.
• Saint Xavier tied the game midway through the second quarter when Ross connected with Venerable for a 20-yard catch and run for a score at the 8:27 mark.
• The Knights retook the lead just before halftime when they took advantage of a Ross interception and used a three play, four-yard drive that resulted in a two-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 remaining in the first half.
• Marian returned an interception for seven yards into the endzone to go up 21-7 midway through the third quarter with 8:30 to go.
• MU added two more scored in the frame, a 35-yard touchdown pass, and another interception return for a score, a 33-yarder, to extend its lead to 34-7.
• The Knights capped the scoring at the 7:12 mark of the fourth quarter with a 22-yard touchdown pass to advance to the NAIA FCS Quarterfinals.

No. 11 Saint Xavier (9-3/7-0 MSFA) ends the 2022 season with its 15^th postseason appearance and 12^th MSFA Championship. They will return to the gridiron in August of 2023.