CHICAGO – The Saint Xavier University football team (0-3/0-0 MSFA Midwest) lost its home opener to No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan University 59-17 in a Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) crossover contest on a rainy Saturday evening at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field in Chicago, Ill. Senior quarterback
Blainey Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Eastern Illinois/Mount Carmel) was 14-for-33 with 175 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive back
Owen Schickel (Chicago, Ill./Ave Maria/Mount Carmel) was credited with a game-high 12 tackles (eight solos) with a forced fumble.
- Freshman wide receiver Coen Demack (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bishop McNamara) caught five passes for 81 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown.
- Redshirt junior wide receiver Charles Campbell (Chicago, Ill./Quincy/Reavis) had three receptions for 27 yards.
- Freshman running back Antonio Benson (South Holland, Ill./Thornwood) came away with two catches for 18 yards and a score.
- Redshirt senior wide receiver Joey Thompson (Homer Glen, Ill./Midlana/Western Illinois/Mt. Carmel) recorded one reception for 17 yards and he rushed for 13 yards on four carries.
- Senior running back Caden Brann (Valparaiso, Ind./Monmouth/Wheeler) led the Cougars with 46 rushing yards on just six carries.
- Freshman wide receiver Jayden Armstrong (Romeoville, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) posted the second-highest single-game return yardage for SXU, totaling 173 yards on seven kick returns. He returned the opening kickoff 51 yards. His seven returns were also the second-most in single-game team history.
- Junior punter Ayden Sheppard (Sugar Grove, Ill./Grant Community) punted eight times for 288 yards, an average of 36.0, with a long of 47 yards.
- Senior defensive back Taj McClellan (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) made seven stops (five solos) with a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
- Junior linebacker Denym Sykes (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) collected six tackles (four solos)
- Freshman defensive lineman Gavin Farley (Mokena, Ill./Providence Catholic) also finished with six tackles (three solos), along with 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack for eight yards and a fumble recovery
- Redshirt sophomore defensive back Tai Sesta (Joliet, Ill./Roosevelt/Joliet Catholic Academy) logged his first interception of the season, adding three tackles (one solo) and a pass breakup.
- Sophomore kicker Christian Casillas (Alsip, Ill./Eisenhower) drilled a 33-yard field goal on Saint Xavier's opening drive to cap a 10-play, 24-yard drive.
- The Wildcats scored on their first play on offense with a 78-yard catch and run.
- Dowling found Demack over the middle, Demack then broke a tackle and raced into the end zone for a 56-yard score on the Cougars next time down the field. It gave SXU a 10-7 lead after an eight play, 81-yard drive midway through the first quarter.
- Sesta's interception on the next drive gave Saint Xavier the ball at their own 45-yard line with just under two minutes left in the opening frame. Dowling connected with Benson in the back of the end zone, ending a four-play, 55-yard possession with only 18 seconds remaining to go up 17-7.
- IWU scored three times in the second period, on a four-yard touchdown run, a 52-yard pass, and a 40-yard pass on fourth down just before halftime to hold a 28-17 advantage at the break.
- Indiana Wesleyan added three more touchdowns in the third quarter on rushing touchdowns on 30 yards, 39 yards and one yard, respectively.
- The Wildcats added a 39-yard field goal and a 26-yard rushing touchdown in the final period to pull away for the road win.
Saint Xavier (0-3/0-0 MSFA Midwest) travels to Farmington Hills, Mich. to play Madonna University (Mich.) in an MSFA crossover game on Saturday, September 26. The game is set for a 5:00 pm central start.
