JOLIET, Ill. – Despite some big offensive plays in the first half, the St. Francis football team dropped a 52-30 decision on a rainy day at ATI Field.
 

The Saints' offense clicked in the first 30 minutes, leading to a 30-28 halftime advantage. During the break, a storm rolled through the Joliet area and a heavy rain continued throughout the second half. The weather, coupled with the Miners defense, put a damper on the Saints' aerial attack. Missouri S&T (4-2) ran the football effectively in the second half on its way to the victory.
 

In the high-scoring first half, the Saints (1-4) capitalized on four big plays. Trailing 7-0, Lexus Jackson (University Park, Ill./Crete-Monee) received a punt and ran it 56 yards for a score. It was the first special teams touchdown of the season for USF.
 

After another Missouri S&T score, Jackson put his second touchdown on the board. On a sweep play to the left, Jackson was hit behind the line of scrimmage and looked stopped, but circled back to his right and found an opening, scampering 75 yards to the end zone.
 

The Miners put together a five-play, 57-yard drive to extend their lead to 21-13, but the Saints hit on two more one-play scoring drives to take its first advantage. In a span of 22 seconds, Aaron Ellis (Valparaiso, Ind./Boone Grove) hit Brandon Ruffin (Peoria, Ill./Peoria) on 69-yard and 29-yard touchdowns, the latter set up by a Miners fumble.
 

Missouri S&T scored another touchdown on a Deshawn Jones 27-yard run, but the Saints took a 30-28 lead into halftime with a 25-yard Luke Nelson (La Grange, Ill./Lyons) field goal.
 

Although the Saints' offense may have grabbed most of the headlines in the first half, the USF defense forced two turnovers that led to 10 points.
 

The heavy rain took away USF's edge on offense in the second half, while Missouri S&T showcased a strong ground game on its way to a 52-30 victory.
 

Ruffin and Jackson both totaled two touchdowns. After being held without a catch a week ago, Ruffin paced the team with five catches for 158 yards. Jackson led the Saints with 81 rushing yards, including the 75-yard score. Ellis threw for 222 yards and a pair of scores.
 

Malik Thurman (Bellwood, Ill./Proviso West) had a career day on defense, totaling 13 stops and 3.5 tackles for loss. The USF defense forced three turnovers, all fumbles. Alex Zlomie (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington), Jamal Stovall (Champaign, Ill./Champaign Central), and Kody Randa (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich) all recovered fumbles, while Jarrell Williams (Robbins, Ill./Richards) and Tariq Thurman (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) both forced one.
 

Jones led the Missouri S&T offense, rushing for 275 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Tyler Swart also had a good day, passing for 255 yards and three scores.
 

The Saints look to get back on track next Saturday, October 14 when they travel to take on Lindenwood-Belleville. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.