CHICAGO – For the second time this season, the Saint Xavier University football team (4-4/2-0 MSFA Midwest) swept the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League Player of the Week awards when they were announced by the league office Monday afternoon. Senior quarterback
Blainey Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Eastern Illinois/Mount Carmel) won MSFA Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, sophomore kicker
Christian Casillas (Alsip, Ill./Eisenhower) earned MSFA Midwest League Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time as well, and senior defensive back
Owen Schickel (Chicago, Ill./Ave Maria/Mount Carmel) claimed MSFA Defensive Player of the Week for the first time. The trio was instrumental in SXU's 27-24 victory over University of St. Francis (Ill.) in conference action Saturday afternoon at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field.
- Dowling recorded his second 400-yard passing game of the season, going 31-for-50 for 403 yards with two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown.
- Casillas was 2-for-3 on field goal attempts and was 3-for-3 on extra points. He also had six kickoffs for 369 yards, an average of 61.5 yards per kick, and three touchbacks.
- Schickel forced the fumble of the deciding play, his second of the game, along with a team-high tying nine tackles (six solos), two quarterback hurries, 1.5 tackles for loss (TFL) for six yards.
- Through eight games this season, Dowling is 185-for-328 with 2,290 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has rushed for 97 yards with two scores. Dowling leads the NAIA in passing attempts and he has the longest completion at 99 yards, is No. 2 in completions, No. 4 in passing yards and is tied for No. 7 in touchdown passes.
- Casillas is 6-for-9 on field goal attempts with a long of 40 yards and is 19-for-21 on extra-point attempts, placing second on the team in scoring with 37 points. He has 36 kickoffs for 2,088 yards with an average of 58.0 yards per kick and 10 touchbacks.
- Schickel leads the Cougars with 68 tackles (47 solos) and five forced fumbles. He also has four pass breakups, 3.5 TFL for 17 yards, three quarterback hurries, a sack for eight yards, a fumble recovery and an interception. Schickel leads the NAIA in forced fumbles.
Saint Xavier (4-4/2-0 MSFA Midwest) hosts Judson University (Ill.) in MSFA Midwest League action on Saturday, October 31. The game is slated for a 12:00 pm kickoff at Deaton Field.
