BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The University of St. Francis football team came back from a 27-14 halftime deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead but could not hold off Olivet Nazarene University in a 42-28 loss to the Tigers.
The Saints (2-6, 0-2 MSFA Midwest League) scored the first 14 points of the second half to jump ahead 28-27. USF methodically marched 49 yards on a 10-play drive that included a pair of third-down conversions and a 5-yard touchdown run by Michael Johnson (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic).
After St. Francis' defense forced a three-and-out, Johnson starred again on the next drive, running for 46 yards to set up a Don Butkus (Dyer, Ind./Mount Carmel, Ill.) 1-yard rushing score on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Tigers (4-3, 3-0 MSFA Midwest League) took the lead on a 13-yard pass from Jordan Lawton to Stephen Erutti and then chewed up the majority of the fourth quarter on its next drive. ONU held the ball for nearly five full minutes on a 13-play march, converting a trio of third downs along the way. Jayvion Daniels' fourth rushing touchdown of the game put the hosts ahead 42-28. An interception on the Saints' ensuing drive sealed the victory for the Tigers.
Daniels sparked ONU's strong offensive attack. He broke Olivet Nazarene's program record for rushing yards in a game with 274 on 24 carries. His four rushing touchdowns also tied a program record. He added a reception on a two-point conversion for an ONU offense that finished with 528 total yards.
After Daniels' first TD helped ONU take an early 7-0 lead, Butkus answered with a trio of big pass plays. On a third down early in the drive, he hit Brandon Ruffin (Peoria, Ill./Peoria) for 32 yards. Two plays later, back-to-back connections to Matt Brachmann (Elmhurst, Ill./Montini Catholic) helped the Saints knot the score 7-7.
The Tigers drove down the field again on their next drive, but the USF defense held them to a field goal attempt. On the try, Heithon Hurdle (Monee, Ill./Lockport) blocked the kick to keep the game in a deadlock.
After ONU retook the lead later in the quarter, Ruffin ran the ensuing kickoff 91 yards to the end zone. However, ONU scored 13 points in the second quarter to take a 27-14 advantage into the locker room.
The Saints rallied to take the lead but could not hold off Daniels and the Tigers in the fourth quarter.
Dwayne Milton (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) had a strong game on the ground, carrying the ball 22 times for 128 yards, while Johnson added 56 and a score. Butkus finished with a pair of touchdowns (one rushing and one passing) to go along with 121 passing yards. Brachmann hauled in three receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown.
The USF defense finished with five sacks, including 1.5 from Mason DeLong (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais). DeLong also tied for the team lead in tackles with 10, joining Malik Thurman (Bellwood, Ill./Proviso West).
The Tigers, who boasted the second-ranked rushing attack in the MSFA coming into Saturday's game, finished with 372 yards on the ground. Lawton ran for 59 yards and threw for 156. Jalon Simpson paced the Tigers with 16 tackles, while Caleb Coe added 11 and a fourth-quarter interception.
The Saints continue their road swing next Saturday, October 27 when they travel to Saint Xavier University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
