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Saint Xavier University

Official Athletics Website of the Saint Xavier University Cougars

Football
33
Winner St. Thomas STU 2-0
14
Saint Xavier (IL) SXU 1-1
Winner
St. Thomas STU
2-0
33
Final
14
Saint Xavier (IL) SXU
1-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
STU St. Thomas 6 21 0 6 33
SXU Saint Xavier (IL) 0 7 0 7 14

Game Recap: Football |

No. 8 SXU Football Falls to No. 10 St. Thomas, 33-14

CHICAGO – In a clash of Top 10 NAIA programs, the No. 8 ranked Saint Xavier University football team (1-1, 0-0 MSFA Midwest) came up short in a 33-14 setback to No. 10 St. Thomas University Saturday afternoon in the home opener for SXU at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field in Chicago, Ill. Fifth-year senior quarterback Stuart Ross (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) finished the game with 238 passing yards on 26-for-46 throwing with a pair of touchdown passes and an interception. Ross hit a career milestone in the first half of the contest when he completed 16 passes to become the all-time leader in completed passes for the Cougars. He added 10 more is the second half to add to his career total of 744 to surpass the mark of 733 held by former standout John Rhode (2013-16). Defensively, junior linebacker Terry Elias Jr. (Monee, Ill./Crete-Monee) recorded a game-high 14 tackles (five solos) with 1.0 tackle for loss for two yards, while senior defensive back Nick Schultz (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka Community) added 11 tackles (eight solos) and a fumble recovery.
  • Fifth-year senior Kyle Quinn (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) caught five passes for 68 yards, with a long of 27 yards.
  • Graduate student wide receiver Julian Smith (Glenwood, Ill./Jackson State/Calumet New Tech) also hauled in five receptions for 51 yards. He added three kick returns for 95 yards, two carries for 13 yards and two punt returns for eight yards.
  • Junior wide receiver Ronnie Foster (Peoria Heights, Ill./Peoria Heights) made a team-best eight receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown.
  • Senior running back Jessi Plunkett (Evergreen Park, Ill./College of DuPage/Brother Rice) rushed nine times for 54 yards with a long gain of 17.
  • Fifth-year senior wide receiver/punter Joe Polselli (Evergreen Park, Ill./St. Rita) punted four times for 114 yards, landing two punts inside the 20, with a long of 56 yards. He also caught four passes for 24 yards.
  • Graduate student linebacker Ryan Fitzgerald (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) posted eight tackles (three solos).
  • Junior linebacker Chris Swayne (LaSalle, Ill./LaSalle-Peru Township) made seven stops.
  • In his first collegiate start, freshman defensive back Zach Norred (Manteno, Ill./St. Rita) collected six tackles (three solos) and had a forced fumble.
  • Junior defensive lineman Justin Yeazell (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) added five stops (one solo) with a fumble recovery, pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.
  • SXU took the ball to start the game and drove 60 yards on 11 plays, however the drive stalled after a missed 32-yard field goal attempt by graduate student kicker Peyton Benes (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew).
  • The Bobcats responded with an eight-play, 80-yard drive that first saw a 65-yard touchdown pass, but the play was called back after an un-sportsmanlike conduct penalty by STU the put the ball on the Saint Xavier 34-yard line. St. Thomas scored on the next play with a 34-yard touchdown pass. Swayne blocked the extra-point attempt to keep the score 6-0 with 8:03 to go in the first quarter.
  • After a six-play drive that went 56 yards, the Bobcats scored another touchdown early in the second period on an 11-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 12-0, but the extra-point attempt went wide.
  • STU partially blocked a punt and set-up at the SXU 25-yard line with 6:02 remaining in the first half and scored on a 25-yard pass to go up 19-0.
  • St. Thomas pushed its advantage to 27-0 with 1:11 left in the second quarter after a 17-yard touchdown pass ended an 11-play, 77-yard drive.
  • Saint Xavier responded with a 36-yard kick return by Smith that was aided by a 15-yard penalty that put the Cougars on the Bobcat 43-yard line. Ross needed just three plays to find graduate student wide receiver Brandt Hixson (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) in the back of the endzone for an 18-yard touchdown with :32 left in the half.
  • SXU scored at the 12:59 mark of the fourth quarter when Ross connected with Foster in the front corner of the endzone for a 19-yard score to cut the deficit to 27-14.
  • STU scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass midway through the final frame with 8:17 to cap the scoring.
No. 8 Saint Xavier (1-1, 0-0 MSFA Midwest) travels to Livonia, Mich. to play Madonna University (Mich.) in a Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) crossover on Saturday, September 21. The game is scheduled for a 12:00 pm central kickoff.
 
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