DAVENPORT, Iowa --- Six turnovers and eight points left on the board – the difference in the final score –spelled defeat for the second time in as many contests for the University of St. Francis football team as the Saints dropped their road opener to St. Ambrose University 14-6 on Sunday afternoon at the St. Vincent Athletic Complex.
The story was similar to the season opener two weeks earlier when the Saints missed out on five scoring chances and turned the ball over three times with Saint Xavier cashing in twice for ten points in an eventual 19-12 victory.
It was also similar in that redshirt freshman Scott Tumility (Villa Park, Ill.) returned his second punt for a touchdown in as many games in near-identical fashion. Tumilty did not wait long to accomplish the back-to-back feat for the first time in school history, doing so following the game's first possession with a 71-yard return this time.
The Saints, however, could not convert the two-point conversion and had to settle for the 6-0 lead that lasted until 3:11 into a nightmarish second quarter for USF. That is when Ryan Zitkus picked up a fumble and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. Tom Gillen added the PAT on a kick sending the host Fighting Bees into the break with the one-point edge.
The fumble was one of just five costly series for the Saints in the 15-minute frame. Another fumble, two interceptions and a missed 31-yard field goal made up the rest of the misfortune for USF. Two of the miscues came inside the St. Ambrose 30-yard line.
A chess match ensued in the third quarter before St. Ambrose (1-1) put the only offensive points of the day on the board when starting quarterback John Benckendorf found Blake Wittman in the right corner of the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown with 9:03 remaining in the contest.
USF had four chances to rally after that but missed on a 41-yard field goal, fumbled a punt return, lost the ball on downs and was intercepted for the third time on the day in their final offensive possession.
In a game played in sleet-like conditions from the second quarter on, the two teams combined for nine total turnovers and both went 0-for-2 in the red zone. St. Ambrose was also able to muster up just 257 total yards of offense with the Saints at 225, including only 27 on the ground in 28 rushes.
Ravon Johnson (SR/Bolingbrook, Ill.) was a bright spot for the Saints' offense. The transfer accounted for 55 percent of the production with his nine catches for 123 yards.
Quarterback William Ache (FR/Belleville, Ill.) made his collegiate debut at quarterback, finishing with 17 completions in 33 attempts for 141 yards with two interceptions.
Benckendorf led the St. Ambrose ground game with 76 yards on 16 carries. He completed 9-of-23 passes for 98 yards with two interceptions.
Both interceptions came in the red zone with Angel Mata (JR/Highland, Ind.) and Jalen Cooper (SO/Edwardsville, Ill.) getting the picks.
Jett Haas had two of St. Ambrose's three interceptions.
Robert Hall (JR/Bolingbrook, Ill.), playing in his first contest as a Saint, led USF's defense with 12 tackles. Chris Johnson (JR/Hillside, Ill.) and Rayvaughn Choute (SO/Hollywood, Fla.) collected another ten stops each.
The Saints (0-2) open Mid-States Football Association Midwest League play next Saturday (Feb. 27) when they face Roosevelt University in a contest that kicks off at 3 pm in Arlington Heights, Ill.
