JOLIET, Ill. – The University of St. Francis football team dominated all three facets of the game in a 55-0 thrashing of Lindenwood University-Belleville.
On offense, Dwayne Milton (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) broke USF's 31-year-old school record for rushing yards in a game, carrying the ball 25 times for 249 yards and three touchdowns. John Larsen set the mark at 236 against Taylor University in 1987. Don Butkus (Dyer, Ind./Mount Carmel, Ill.) finished with 288 yards and four scores through the air, two of which went to Brandon Ruffin (Peoria, Ill./Peoria). The Saints (2-5) racked up over 600 yards of total offense in the win.
Defensively, USF recorded its first shutout since a 40-0 win over Olivet Nazarene University in November of 2015. St. Francis held the Lynx (0-7) to just 178 total yards and forced a pair of turnovers. Jordon Smith (DeWitt, Mich./Lansing Catholic) added a blocked punt that helped the Saints pad their lead late in the second quarter.
After receiving the opening kickoff, it took USF just over four minutes to take a 14-0 lead. On the second play from scrimmage, Butkus connected with Ruffin for 43 yards. Five plays later, Milton scampered into the end zone from nine yards out. Just seconds into the Lynx's first drive, Deshawn Dickinson (Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh) knocked the ball away from LUB's quarterback Dennis Chester. Mason DeLong (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) scooped up the fumble, setting up the Saints in the red zone. USF's offense immediately capitalized as Butkus found Isaiah Williams (Brentwood, Calif./Freedom) on a 17-yard scoring strike.
The Saints defense forced a pair of punts but LUB was able to flip field position, pinning USF deep in its own end. Unfazed, the Saints marched 97 yards on 9 plays. A 44-yard Butkus-Ruffin connection and 30 rushing yards from Smith set up Milton's second touchdown of the game. On a 94-yard scoring drive later in the half, Milton totaled 72 yards on the ground, including a 14-yard run to the end zone.
With the clock ticking towards halftime, Smith's blocked punt set up the Saints deep in Lynx territory. USF took advantage when Butkus hit a wide open Mahlek Roberts (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) from six yards out to put St. Francis ahead 35-0.
USF continued to pile on the offense in the second half. Butkus-to-Ruffin connections capped two more 80-plus-yard drives in the third quarter. Milton broke St. Francis' record for rushing yards in a game on his final carry, a 26-yard, fourth-quarter burst that set up a 12-yard Perre' Barbarin (New Orleans, La./Saint Augustine) score.
Milton (249), Barbarin (50), Smith (37), Butkus (17), Michael Johnson (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic) (10), Noah Fritz (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) (nine) and Darian Love (Avon, Ind./Avon) (seven) all contributed to USF's 379 rushing yards. Butkus hit five different targets – Ruffin, Williams, Roberts, Milton and Jusiah Gable (Cottonwood, Calif./West Valley).
Dickinson paced the Saints with nine tackles, including his first-quarter strip sack. Chris Johnson (Hillside, Ill./Immaculate Conception) added eight stops and a sack, while Sandillo Wright (Chicago, Ill./Harper) intercepted a pass in the end zone. Josh Holberry (Huddersfield, England) made seven of his eight extra-point attempts.
Jaquay Owens led the Lynx offense with 73 rushing yards. Riley Ripper averaged 46.2 yards on five punts and had LUB's longest play of the day, a 45-yard pass on a fake punt, while Chester threw for the Lynx's remaining 69 passing yards. Mason Carr registered a game-high 10 tackles.
The Saints look to ride their momentum into next Saturday's matchup with Olivet Nazarene University. Kickoff on October 20th in Bourbonnais is scheduled for 6 p.m.
