ADRIAN, Mich. – Siena Heights scored 21 points in the second quarter and St. Francis could not recover as the Saints from Adrian, Michigan defeated the Saints from Joliet 34-16.
USF outgained SHU 425-388, but Siena Heights capitalized on three St. Francis fumbles and scored on special teams.
Siena Heights' (2-2) first 14 points came on big swings in momentum. USF (0-3) converted a big play on its second drive. Don Butkus (Dyer, Ind./Mount Carmel) hit Lexus Jackson (University Park, Ill./Crete-Monee) on a long strike, but SHU's (2-2) Zachary Fleck forced a fumble inside the Siena Heights' 10-yard line and his teammate Darius Price recovered. On the ensuing possession, Siena Heights opened the scoring with a 64-yard passing play from Lucas Barner Jr. to Deontae' Rush.
The second momentum swing came as St. Francis looked to take its first lead. Trailing 7-6, USF pushed the ball deep into Siena Heights territory, but the team's field goal attempt was blocked and returned 90 yards for a score by SHU's Price.
In between the two SHU touchdowns, USF's running game sparked an 11-play, 76-yard drive. St. Francis rushed the ball nine times for 55 yards on the march and finished it off with a one-yard plunge from Michael Johnson (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic). USF's PAT was unsuccessful, keeping the team's point total at six.
Grayson Barnette (Lenoir, N.C./West Caldwell) hit on a field goal to pull St. Francis within five at 14-9. Butkus led the USF drive by completing four of his seven passes for 23 yards, while Jordon Smith (Dewitt, Mich./Lansing Catholic) added 35 yards on three carries.
SHU took a 28-9 lead into half by scoring a pair of quick touchdowns. Barner Jr. hit on both scoring strikes, first a 10-yard pass and then, after a USF fumble, a 29-yard toss.
St. Francis pulled within two scores in the third quarter. Butkus connected with Jackson on a 10-yard touchdown. The drive included 17 total yards from Perre' Brian Barbarin (New Orleans, La./Saint Augustine) and a 28-yard strike from Butkus to Ray Vallot (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee).
Barner Jr. put the finishing touches on SHU's win with a 21-yard touchdown run for the final points of the day.
Smith became USF's first 100-yard rusher of the season with 104 yards on 14 carries (7.4 yards per carry). Jackson also hit the century mark with exactly 100 receiving yards. Butkus completed 20-of-33 passes for 235 yards and one touchdown. Aaron Ellis (Valparaiso, Ind./Boone River) also saw action at quarterback for the Fighting Saints.
On defense, Steve Smock (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington) led the team with nine stops, while Alex Zlomie (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington) forced two fumbles and had two tackles for loss.
Barner Jr. finished his day with 228 passing yards and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) to lead the home team. Price played a big role on defense and special teams, recovering a key fumble and returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown.
St. Francis finishes its road swing next week when the Saints open up MSFA-Midwest League play on the road at St. Ambrose. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m in Davenport, Iowa.
