Whitewater, Wis. – Graduate student quarterback
Dominic D'Ambrosio (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) completed seven of nine passes for 64 yards, a touchdown and an interception, along with 23 rushing yards on four carries and a score for the Saint Xavier University football team (0-2/0-0 MSFA Midwest) in a 49-14 loss to NCAA Division III, and No. 12 ranked, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Saturday afternoon at Forrest Perkins Stadium in Whitewater, Wis.
Freshman wide receiver
Coen Demack (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bishop McNamara) caught a game-high 12 passes for 86 yards, the second week in a row that he has had 10 or more receptions. He is the first Cougar wide receiver to have 10 or more catches in consecutive games since former NAIA All-American Nick DeBenedetti (2011-14) had 10 receptions on September 6, 2014, at Marian University (Ind.), followed by 10 more catches vs. NCAA Division II University of Indianapolis (Ind.) on September 13, 2014.
- Senior quarterback Blainey Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Eastern Illinois/Mount Carmel) made the start, throwing for 161 yards on 19-for-39 passing with three interceptions.
- Redshirt senior wide receiver Joey Thompson (Homer Glen, Ill./Midlana/Western Illinois/Mt. Carmel) had a team-leading 26 rushing yards on six carries.
- Senior running back Caden Brann (Valparaiso, Ind./Monmouth/Wheeler) added 23 yards on the ground on five attempts.
- Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kameron Hopkins (Bolingbrook, Ill./Minooka Community) snared three passes for 29 yards.
- Redshirt junior wide receiver Charles Campbell (Chicago, Ill./Quincy/Reavis) also had 29 receiving yards on two receptions.
- Freshman running back Antonio Benson (South Holland, Ill./Thornwood) caught his first two career passes for 15 yards, including his first collegiate touchdown.
- Freshman wide receiver Jayden Armstrong (Romeoville, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) accounted for 57 all-purpose yards with two kick returns for 33 yards and two receptions for 24 yards.
- Junior linebacker Kyle Boelkens (McHenry, Ill./McHenry Community) was credited with a game-best nine tackles (six solos).
- Senior defensive back Owen Schickel (Chicago, Ill./Ave Maria/Mount Carmel) collected six stops (five solos) with a sack for eight yards.
- Redshirt junior defensive lineman David Burton (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway West) had five tackles (three solos) with 1.5 tackles for loss for four yards, a sack for three yards and a pass breakup.
- Senior defensive back Taj McClellan (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) also came away with five stops (two solos) and a pass breakup.
- Junior punter Ayden Sheppard (Spring Grove, Ill./Grant Community) averaged 50.4 yards per punt on five punts for 252 yards. He had two punts go beyond 50 yards, including a 72-yard bomb early in the second quarter.
- The Warhawks forced a fumble on the Cougars' opening drive, taking over on the SXU 27-yardline. One play later, they scored on a 27-yard quarterback rush with 11:20 left in the first quarter.
- In the second quarter, a 43-yard punt by Sheppard that was fair caught put UWW at their own 39-yardline. A 61-yard rushing score on the next play from scrimmage extended the lead to 14-0 with 11:53 to go before halftime.
- D'Ambrosio capped an eight-play, 48-yard drive with a nine-yard rushing touchdown to get Saint Xavier on the board at the 4:06 mark.
- A missed field goal by the Cougars gave Wisconsin-Whitewater the ball with 1:37 left in the frame, resulting in six-play, 76-yard drive ending on a three-yard rushing touchdown on a quarterback keeper.
- The Warhawks scored on a two-yard rushing touchdown midway through the third quarter, and they went up 35-7 after an SXU turnover as time expired on a 36-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
- The fourth interception of the afternoon put UWW at their own 35. The next play from scrimmage resulted in a 65-yard touchdown pass, making the score 42-7 with 12:16 left in regulation.
- D'Ambrosio found Benson for a nine-yard touchdown pass after an 11-play, 75-yard drive on the next possession.
- Wisconsin-Whitewater capped the scoring with an eight-yard touchdown pass with 1:23 to go.
Saint Xavier (0-2/0-0 MSFA Midwest) hosts No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan University for their home opener at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field on Saturday, September 19. The game is slated for a 6:00 pm kickoff.
