GAME INFORMATION
Saturday, Oct. 7 • 7 pm CT
Morris Field
Arlington Heights, Ill.

Series History
Overall: St. Francis leads 6-4
First: at St. Francis 28, Robert Morris (10/12/13)
Last: at St. Francis 19, Roosevelt 3 (11/5/22)
Streak: St. Francis has a two-game winning streak.
 
The Two Coaches
USF: Joe Curry
Alma Mater: USF 2001
Career: 61-58 (12th year)
at USF: 61-58 (12th year)

RU: Jared Williamson
Alma Mater: Mayville State 2006
Career: 69-57 (13th year)
At RU: 69-57 (13th year)


TOP STORYLINES
• Saturday's game will feature two of the top scoring players in the nation in USF's Sam Tumilty and Roosevelt's Tyler Tenner.  Both players average a pair of touchdowns per game (12.0 ppg). 

• Tenner is also one of the best in a multitude of other categories, including first in total carries (121), third in yards per game (128.0), fourth in total rushing yards (640) and fifth in rushing touchdowns (eight).

• Tumilty is tied with Tenner in the latter category and needs one more touchdown to become the Saints' all-time leader in that department and force a tie for the top spot in career points at USF.

• USF's defense has held Roosevelt to just one field goal in their last two meetings combined.
 
• A member of the Tumilty family has scored a touchdown wearing the Brown & Gold in 24 games in a row.


GAME NOTES

THE HEAD COACH: Joe Curry is in his 12th season as the Saints' head coach, which makes him the longest serving coach in school history.  He has surpassed program founder Gordie Gillespie, who served as the head coach for eight seasons, and his own coach, Mike Slovick.  Slovick served the program from 1994 through 2004.  Curry is also the winningest coach in the program with 61 victories and second in winning percentage (.513).  Gillespie maintains the top spot in winning percentage at .593.

ABOUT ROOSEVELT: The Lakers enter Saturday's matchup with a 3-2 overall mark and a 1-0 record in Mid-States Association Midwest League competition.  Their only setbacks have come against a pair of powerhouses in NCAA III defending champion North Central College (41-7) and NAIA No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan University (35-14).  In the three contests it has won, Roosevelt has averaged nearly 37 points per game, while yielding just 11.3.  Offensively, the Lakers have a balanced attack between the running and passing games, but rely primarily upon one player on the ground.  Senior Tyler Tenner has accounted for 121 of the team's 169 carries, 640 of its 752 ground yards and eight of its ten rushing touchdowns as well as a pair as a receiver.  Those numbers rank him first in the NAIA in total carries, third in yards per game (128.0), fourth in total yards, fifth in rushing touchdowns and tied for sixth in scoring (12.0 ppg).  Running the offensive fortunes is junior quarterback Carson Budke, who has completed 56 percent of his passes (49-of-87) for 731 yards with seven touchdowns opposite five interceptions.  Unlike its running game with just one man to key in on, Roosevelt has a host of weapons in its passing attack with no fewer than five individuals having caught ten or more balls.  Keonta Nixon has accrued the most yardage (367 yards) among the contingent.  The Lakers also have one of the highest red-zone conversion rates for touchdowns in the nation with 16 scores in 21 chances (76 pct.).  Defensively, there are a number of key players beginning with linebackers Corties Draper and Jaylen Olokun.  Draper boasts a team-best 36 tackles and three sacks, while Olokun is two behind on tackles (34), but leads the squad in tackles for loss (seven).  Along the front line, the Saints will need to keep Jordan Payne out of the backfield as the senior has five sacks.  In the backfield, Joey Mahop and Stacey Terry have four and three interceptions, respectively.  As a whole, Roosevelt ranks eighth in the NAIA in total sacks (15) and tenth in interceptions (10).  Andrew Bucaro handles both kicking and punting chores, averaging 36.2 yards with the latter.  He has connected on 17 of his 18 PATs and 2-of-3 field goals.  In the return department, Jerrell Calhoun has averaged 19.7 yards per kick return.  Surprisingly, the Lakers have yet to return a punt through five games.                      

SITTING AT 17: Following their first setback of the season last week, the Saints slipped four spots to No. 17 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll.

STREAK STOPPERS: Head coach Joe Curry's club had a handful of streaks stopped in its loss to Saint Xavier.  Besides snapping winning streaks of four games in a row to start the season and six straight victories at home, the Saints did not record an interception for the first time in 14 games.  USF's string of scoring in seven straight quarters also came to an end in the fourth quarter. 

NEARLY POINTLESS: In the last two meetings between the two programs, including last year's wind bowl, St. Francis has held Roosevelt to just three points, defeating the Lakers 19-3 last fall and posting a 14-0 shutout in 2021.

THE PLAYERS TO STOP: To beat an opponent, you have to keep them out of the end zone.  For the Saints, that means keeping the aforementioned Tenner at bay, and for Roosevelt, it means keeping tabs on Sam Tumilty.  Both players rank tied for sixth in the nation in scoring at 12.0 points per game.

SWEET 16: Speaking of Sam Tumilty, the junior quarterback also ranks 16th in the nation in both completion percentage (63.7) and passing efficiency (153.5).

TOP 15: Despite being held to a minus-four yards on his three punt returns last week, Scott Tumilty still ranks 15th-best in the nation in punt return average at 12.3 yards per return.

THE CENTURY MARK: After recording a season-high seven receptions one week earlier, Joey Tumilty registered his first 100-yard game receiving last week, accumulating 135 yards on five receptions.  Included was the Saints' longest pass play of the season, a 73-yard touchdown in the third quarter.  For the season, Tumilty leads the club in receptions (22) and receiving yards (364) and has four of the team's six touchdowns through the air.

STILL AMONG THE FINEST: Despite having its armor slightly dented one week ago, the Saints' defense still rates among the best in the nation, allowing only 10.8 points per game to rank No. 3.  USF is also No. 4 in passing defense (123.2 ypg) and eighth in total defense (248.8).

DEFENSIVE DUO: Kemon Reese leads USF's defense with 30 total stops, a season-high 13 of which came last week against Saint Xavier.  Pat Strocchia, along with Michael R. Johnson, headlines the sack attack with three for the season, including his first two-sack game last Saturday.

STILL PERFECT: With three more PATs last week, Brian Maday has made all 19 of his attempts this season and 22 in a row dating back to last year.

THE TUMILTY FAMILY TRADITION CONTINUES: Three more scores by a member of the Tumilty family last week extended the streak for one of its family members to produce points in a St. Francis game to 24.  With his two touchdowns last week, Sam Tumilty also tied the school record for career touchdowns (38) with Brandon Ruffin (2016-19) and moved within one point of the No. 2 spot for total points with his 228.  Ruffin is one spot higher at 229 with John Larsen's career mark of 234 points one touchdown away.  For the season, Scott, Sam and Joey have combined for 15 of USF's 19 touchdowns.

A FIRST: Saint Xavier's 14-point second quarter last week marked the first time this season that a St. Francis opponent had scored a touchdown in the first half.  USF has jumped out to a 42-3 head start in the first quarter this year and holds a 111-27 advantage through three quarters.

OTHER NUMBERS: Besides its defensive fortunes, the Saints rank among the top 16 teams in the nation in no fewer than four categories topped by its No. 7 billing in kick return average (24.8 ypr).  USF is also 14th in rushing touchdowns (14), 15th in passing yards per attempt (8.6) and 16th in red zone touchdown conversion rate (75 pct., 15-of-20).    

TUMILTY CAREER CHART TOPPERS: With his two touchdowns last week, Sam Tumilty moved into a tie for the top spot on the career touchdown list.  Other numbers to follow include:

Total Touchdowns – Career
T-1. 38 – Brandon Ruffin (2016-19)
T-1. 38 – Sam Tumilty (2021-23)

Total Points – Career
1. 234 – John Larsen (1987-89)
2. 229 – Brandon Ruffin (2016-19)
3. 228 – Sam Tumilty (2021-23)

Kick Return Yards – Career
1. 1,754 – Elliot Allen (2010-13)
2. 1,603 – Scott Tumilty (2020-23)

FOR THE RECORD: The Saints are 169-226 all time, 29-58 in night games and 81-125 on the road.