ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. --- Pitching its second shutout of the season, the NAIA No.21 ranked University of St. Francis football team notched no less than a share of the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League title with its 14-0 victory over Roosevelt University on Saturday afternoon at Morris Field.

The title was the first since 2015 and just the third since the Saints joined the MSFA in 2000. Both in 2015 and 2011, USF shared the crown with Saint Xavier University. Head coach Joe Curry's team would need a victory next Saturday (Nov. 13) over the Cougars to win the title outright for the first time.

The only team in either division of the MSFA still unbeaten in league play, USF (6-2, 6-0 MSFA) also extended its winning streak to six games with the victory, marking the longest winning streak since 2010 and the first time in school history the program has won six league games in a row.

The Saints accomplished all of those feats by limiting Roosevelt (4-5, 3-3) to just 169 yards of total offense, including only 53 on the ground in 31 attempts. Five sacks on the day for 39 yards helped keep that number low, while through the air, the Lakers registered 116 yards on 18-of-30 passing.

The blanking marked the first time since 1988 that the Saints recorded two shutouts in the same season. Their single-season record is three set one year earlier in 1987, one of only two times the program has advanced into the postseason.

Four different St. Francis players were a part of the sack attack, while another four contributed to USF's three tackles for loss. Chris Johnson again came out on top of the tackle charts with his nine stops. Angel Mata was one back with eight tackles and one of the five sacks.

Oshikhai Ebikhumi accounted for another two sacks, while Cameron Holman was credited with 1.5. 

For the second straight game, Jalen Cooper sealed the victory with an interception.

Offensively, the Saints did all of their scoring in the second quarter with the two touchdowns coming on back-to-back series. The first one was set up by one of two Saint takeaways on the afternoon. Ryan King pounced on a loose ball to give St. Francis possession at the Roosevelt 48-yard line. Eight plays later, Sam Tumilty found a diving
Ravon Johnson in the left back corner of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.

USF's second score came after Roosevelt attempted a fake punt from its own 30-yard line that the Saints thwarted. Tumilty then capped a brief six-play, 24-yard drive with his six-yard run off the right side of the line.

From there, neither team would mount a serious scoring threat. USF did attempt a 49-yard field goal just before the break that fell short. Roosevelt's only scoring opportunity came on a 42-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide left on the Lakers' first possession of the contest. Roosevelt never once got inside the red zone on any of its nine possessions.

After a 400-plus yard afternoon one week earlier, Tumilty was somewhat held in check by the Laker defense, finishing with 102 yards on 25 carries, while completing eight of his 19 pass attempts for 71 yards with the one touchdown and one interception.

Johnson tallied all but five of the receiving yards, collecting five balls for 66 yards.

As a team, USF managed 246 yards of offense.

Tyler Tenner led the Roosevelt ground attack with his 97 yards. 

SIDELINES
Curry hit a milestone with his 50th coaching victory at St. Francis. He is the Saints' all time winning coach.

St. Francis was a healthy 10-of-17 on third-down plays, while Roosevelt was 5-of-13 and 0-for-5 on fourth down.

Following his 102-yard rushing performance on Saturday, Tumilty now sits second in the nation in that department with his 142.0-yard average. Marques Burgess of Keiser University (Fla.) tops the list with his 152.0-yard average.

With his 14th rushing touchdown of the season on Saturday, Tumilty tied the school single-season record in that category. John Larsen initially set it in 1989 and Garen Demery matched him in 2011.

Tumilty's 1,136 yards rushing on the season are now the second-most in school history, eclipsed only by Dwayne Milton's 1,457 yards.

The last time the program had as many as six wins in a season was 2015 when it went 8-3.

The six conference wins ties the USF record for the most league wins in a season. That has only been accomplished one other time in 2011 when that team went 6-1 in the MSFA.

Up Next
The Saints shoot for their first-ever outright MSFA Midwest League title when they host Saint Xavier University next Saturday (Nov. 13) at Joliet Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm.

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