Farmington Hills, Mich. – Freshman wide receiver
Coen Demack (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bishop McNamara) finished with nine receptions for 151 yards, including three touchdown catches, and senior quarterback
Blainey Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Eastern Illinois/Mount Carmel) threw for 311 yards on 23-for-38 passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions to help lead the Saint Xavier University football team (1-3/0-0 MSFA Midwest) to a 38-17 victory over Madonna University (Mich.) in a Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) crossover game Saturday evening in Farmington Hills, Mich. It is the second time this season that Dowling has had four touchdown passes in a game, and the second time that Demack has caught three touchdowns with both coming in the season opener at Taylor University (Ind.).
In four games this season, Dowling has 1,096 passing yards, and he becomes just the 17
th player in program history to throw for 1,000 or more yards in a career. The Cougar defense aided the offensive attack with six turnovers (three interceptions and three fumble recoveries) and 6.0 sacks for 51 yards. Special teams also played a key part in the win as freshman defensive back
Nicholas Segura (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) blocked a punt and recovered the ball in the endzone, and sophomore kicker
Christian Casillas (Alsip, Ill./Eisenhower) was 5-for-5 on extra-point attempts and he drilled a 40-yard field goal.
- Dowling was also the top rusher for Saint Xavier, gaining 18 yards on six carries.
- Redshirt senior wide receiver Mario Price (Chicago Heights, Ill./Calumet New Tech) hauled in three passes for 47 yards and a score.
- Senior running back Jacob Fisher (Medora, Ill./Southwestern) also had three catches for 31 yards
- Freshman wide receiver Antonio Benson (South Holland, Ill./Thornwood) had two receptions for 34 yards.
- Redshirt freshman running back Kendall Netters (Dunlap, Ill./Peoria) did a little bit of everything with three kick returns for 53 yards, nine carries for five yards, and catching two passes for two yards.
- Graduate student linebacker Carter Wynn (Greenfield, Wis./Whitnall) tallied five tackles (four solos) with a sack for 14 yards, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. He also had one rushing attempt for four yards.
- Senior defensive back Owen Schickel (Chicago, Ill./Ave Maria/Mount Carmel) collected five tackles (four solos), an interception returned for 12 yards, a pass breakup and a QB hurry.
- Senior defensive back Taj McClellan (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) also was credited with five solo tackles, along with two pass breakups, a sack for 11 yards and a forced fumble.
- Redshirt junior defensive lineman David Burton (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway West) came away with four solo stops, two tackles for loss (TFL) for nine yards, two quarterback hurries, a sack for five yards and a forced fumble.
- Freshman defensive lineman Gavin Farley (Mokena, Ill./Providence Catholic) tallied four tackles (two solos), two fumble recoveries and a quarterback hurry
- Redshirt sophomore defensive back Tai Sesta (Joliet, Ill./Roosevelt/Joliet Catholic Academy) had three stops (two solos), an interception and a pass breakup.
- In addition to his blocked punt, Segura had a solo tackle, a TFL for three yards, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
- Junior defensive back Zach Norred (Manteno, Ill./St. Rita) made his season debut, coming away with two pass breakups and an interception returned for 34 yards.
- The teams traded turnovers in the first quarter when Segura caused a fumble that Farley pounced on to end the Crusaders first drive. However, Dowling was intercepted on the next play from scrimmage. Two plays later, MU scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass to go up 7-0 midway through the frame.
- The Cougars tied the game as time expired to end the first quarter when Dowling connected with Demack on a 51-yard catch and run.
- Casillas gave SXU the lead at the 11:29 mark of the second period on his 40-yard field goal that capped a nine-play, 22-yard drive that was setup by Sesta's second interception of the season.
- The blocked punt returned for a score by Segura put Saint Xavier up 17-7 just over two minutes later. It was the first blocked punt return for score for the Cougars since Steven Meyer (2018-21) did so vs. University of Saint Francis (Ind.) at Deaton Field on September 22, 2018.
- In the final minute of the first half, Schickel poached his first interception of the year, setting the offense up at the Madonna 16-yard line. One play later, Dowling found Price for a 16-yard strike to give SXU a 24-7 lead at halftime.
- A 14-play, 63-yard drive resulted in a 27-yard field goal for the Crusaders to start the second half.
- Saint Xavier responded with a four-play, 66-yard scoring drive that ended with a 46-yard catch and run by Demack.
- Dowling and Demack connected for the third time early in the fourth quarter with a 23-yard touchdown pass.
- Midway through the final frame, Dowling had a pass intercepted that was returned 100 yards for a touchdown.
Saint Xavier (1-3/0-0 MSFA Midwest) makes its way to Defiance, Ohio to take on Defiance College (Ohio) in another MSFA crossover. The game is set for a 12:00 pm central start.
