CHICAGO – No. 15 ranked Saint Xavier University football (5-3, 3-0 MSFA Midwest) swept the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League awards when the awards were announced by the league office Monday afternoon. Junior defensive lineman
Marcus Griffin (Chicago, Ill./Grand Valley State/Nazareth Academy) claimed MSFA Midwest League Defensive Player of the Week honors, senior quarterback
Stuart Ross (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) was named MSFA Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week and graduate student wide receiver
Justin Pringle (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) earned MSFA Midwest League Special Teams Player of the Week recognition after a 38-13 victory for the Cougars over St. Ambrose University (Ill.) Saturday afternoon in Davenport, Iowa in conference play. It is the first player of the week win for Griffin, and it's the second time this season that both Ross and Pringle have won Offensive Player of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively.
- Griffin collected five tackles, all solos, and registered 3.0 sacks for 11 yards to help the SXU defense tie the single-game program record for sacks originally set on November 28, 2009 vs. Lambuth University (Tenn.) in the NAIA FCS Quarterfinals. His 3.0 sacks are the most by a Saint Xavier player since NAIA All-American Jaleel Holloway (2018-19,21-22) had 3.5 sacks vs. Missouri Baptist University on September 8, 2018.
- Ross completed 81.8 percent of his passes (27-for-33) for 288 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes. It was the most touchdown passes in a game by a Cougar quarterback since former standout Justin Hunniford (2017-18) had six on the road at Taylor University (Ind.) on September 29, 2018.
- Pringle had four punt returns for 131 yards, including a 50-yard return. It was the longest punt return since former standout Nick Czeszewski (2016-19) had a 56-yard return at Trinity International University (Ill.) on October 13, 2018. He also caught eight passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns to tie his career high.
No. 15 Saint Xavier (5-3/3-0 MSFA Midwest) hosts Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) in a MSFA Midwest League contest on Saturday, November 4 on 'Senior Day.' The game is scheduled for a 12:00 pm kickoff.
