JOLIET, Ill. --- Dwayne Milton (SR/Machesney Park, Ill.) and Major Dedmond (FR/Freeport, Ill.) both rushed for over 100 yards for University of St. Francis, but Robert Morris University Illinois outscored the Saints 17-3 in the closing quarter to claim the see-saw Mid-States Football Association – Midwest League affair, 38-27, at ATI Field at Joliet Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 14-3 at the break after being limited to just 52 first-half yards, the Saints (2-4, 1-1 MSFA) erased that deficit quickly with back-to-back touchdown drives to open the third quarter. That gave USF its first lead since midway through the first quarter (3-0) at 17-14 with 8:15 left in the frame. Over the next 12 minutes, the lead would change hands three times on an afternoon that would feature five lead changes by day's end.
Blaize Griffin's 16-yard touchdown pass from Jack Sheehan to start the fourth quarter accounted for the last lead change of the game putting Robert Morris on top, 28-24. The Saints would get as close as 28-27 on Josh Holberry (SO/Huddersfield, England)'s second field goal of the afternoon, but the Eagles (2-3, 1-0) would answer with ten points in a 2:44 time span to pull away.
The last score – a 40-yard field goal by Omar Beltran – came off a St. Francis fumble, one of three on the day for the Saints, two of which netted scores (touchdown, field goal) and the last one ending the contest.
St. Francis was able to get back in the game aided by the legs of Milton and Dedmond. Milton authored his third 100-plus yard rushing game in the last four contests with 149 yards on 23 attempts. Dedmond posted his first collegiate 100-yard rushing game off his 13 carries for 117 yards and two scores (44 and 3 yards).
USF's other points came on a 1-yard touchdown run by Michael Johnson (SR/Plainfield, Ill.) while Holberry added to his two field goals (24, 22 yards) with three PATs kicking. Sheehan accounted for three of Robert Morris' five touchdowns with his arm as he completed 12-of-17 passes for 222 yards.
All five Eagle touchdowns were dispersed evenly among five different players, including one run by Ke'von Johnson, who finished the day with 219 total yards (127 rushing/41 receiving/50 kickoff returns). Noah Comerford just missed the century mark with his five catches covering 96 yards, including one on a 30-yard scoring strike from Sheehan.
After combining for just the 17 first-half points, both teams tallied 24 points in the second half with all 24 coming for each club in the same sequence, three touchdowns and a field goal in as many possessions.
Defensively, the Saints were led by Jonathan Pullen (FR/Joliet, Ill.)'s (FR/Joliet, Ill.) nine stops and another eight from Mike Gruben (SR/Joliet, Ill.).
USF takes the next week off before hosting Olivet Nazarene University in another MSFA Midwest League contest on Oct. 19 at 1 pm.
