GAME INFORMATION
Saturday, Oct. 19 • 12 pm CT
Deaton Field
Chicago, Ill.

Series History
Overall: Saint Xavier leads 25-1.
First: Saint Xavier 20, at St. Francis 13 (9/30/2000)
Last: Saint Xavier 28, at St. Francis 21 (OT) (9/30/23)
Streak: Saint Xavier has a 17-game winning streak.

The Two Coaches
USF: Joe Curry
Alma Mater: USF 2001
Career: 68-61 (13th year)
at USF: 68-61 (13th year)

SXU: Mike Feminis
Alma Mater: USF 1990
Career: 218-84 (26th year)
At Saint Xavier: 218-84 (26th year)


TOP STORYLINES
• Saturday's game represents the 27th meeting between the two teams with Saint Xavier having won all but one of the contests, including the last 17 in a row.  Nine of the last 11 matchups have been decided by a touchdown or less, including a pair of overtime affairs.
 
• USF head coach Joe Curry was mentored by Saint Xavier head coach Mike Feminis as a player at St. Francis in 1998 when Feminis was the Saints' defensive coordinator before taking over the reins at SXU in 1999.  Curry has never beaten Feminis head-to-head in 14 attempts.

• Each team boasts a nationally-ranked return man in Julian Smith for Saint Xavier (30.3 yards per kickoff return) and Scott Tumilty for the Saints (33.2 ykr, 23.4 ypr).      
 
• Each teams' highest point total has come in the first quarter with the Saints producing 59 points in the opening 15 minutes and the Cougars posting 52 points.
 
• The Saints are 19-1 when scoring at least four times (TD or field goal) over their last 20 games.

GAME NOTES

THE HEAD COACH: Joe Curry is in his 13th 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 directed the program from 1994 through 2004.  Curry is also the winningest coach in the program with 68 victories and second in winning percentage (.527).  Gillespie maintains the top spot in winning percentage at .593.

ABOUT SAINT XAVIER: The three-time defending MSFA Midwest League champion Cougars enter Saturday's tilt at 4-2.  Ranked No. 18 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, SXU's only losses have come to a pair of powerhouses in No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University (39-7) and No. 5 St. Thomas University (Fla.) (33-14).  In comparing the Cougars with USF, the two have squared off against three of the same teams with nearly identical results, wins over Lawrence Technological University and Concordia University (Mich.) and a loss to the aforementioned Indiana Wesleyan.  Technically speaking, the Saints held a combined 93-52 scoring advantage over said foes, while Saint Xavier had a 65-63 edge.  Former USF linebacker and NAIA Defensive Player of the Year Mike Feminis is in his 26th year leading SXU and his 218 all-time wins rank ninth in NAIA history. One of the Cougars' all-time top performers runs the show offensively.  Fifth-year quarterback Stuart Ross holds the Cougar record for career completions, while ranking tied for second with 12 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.  This year, he has completed nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts (114-of-166, 68.7 pct.) for 1,077 yards with ten touchdowns opposite six interceptions.  Defending against one target receiver would be a no-no as four different Cougars have at least 20 catches with three of those registering a pair of touchdowns each.  Ronnie Foster (21 catches-307 yards) tops the list with Julian Smith (24-294), Kyle Quinn (25-185) and Joe Polselli (20-179) right behind.  Running the ball is a similar story with three different SXU players toting the rock at least 24 times and averaging no less than 4.3 yards per carry.  Doubling up on the other two is Jessi Plunkett with 55 carries for 235 yards.  Be mindful of two-way player Ryan Fitzgerald, who leads the team with three rushing touchdowns on only 11 attempts, while sitting fourth with 39 tackles, including four for loss.  The Cougars like to go for it on fourth down, ranking second in the nation in that department (14-for-19) and fifth in conversion rate (74 pct.).  They are also 16th scoring in the red zone, doing so 23 times in 27 chances with 17 touchdowns.  As a team, SXU's offense is producing 29.8 points per game and 341.7 yards of total offense with 219.5 coming through the air and 122.2 on the ground.  Defensively, the Cougars are yielding similar numbers at 20.5 points per game and 321.5 yards of offense (218.8 passing, 102.7 rushing).  Linebackers Chris Swayne (59 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 int., 4 pass breakups) and Terry Elias Jr. (48 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 int.) lead the unit.  Defensive end David Burton, a redshirt freshman, also has an impressive line of 5.5 tackles for loss (two sacks) among his 14 total stops.  SXU's special teams units are always something to keep an eye on and this year is no different with the Cougars ranking fourth in the NAIA in yards per kickoff return (28.3).  The previously-mentioned Julian Smith has a lot to do with that figure with his 30.6 yards per return ranking seventh in the NAIA.  He also returns punts at a 7.8 ypr clip.  The other kick return threat is Mario Price, who had three for 129 yards last week, including one for 77 yards.  Placekicker Peyton Benes leads the team in scoring with his 41 points coming on a perfect 23-for-23 reading on PATs and 6-of-8 accuracy on field goals.  Polselli handles the punting responsibilities and averages 37.3 yards per attempt.  SXU's highest scoring quarters are the first and fourth, where they have outscored their opponents by around 20 points each.  Offensively, SXU has converted at a 42 percent clip on third down, but have allowed the same success for the opposition (41 pct.).  Saint Xavier is 18-12 all-time for its Homecoming game, including 4-0 against the Saints.          

ABOUT THE SERIES: Of the 26 previous games in the series between the Saints and Saint Xavier, half have been decided by one touchdown or less, including last year's 28-21 overtime victory for SXU and nine of the last 11 contests.  USF's only win in the all-time series, which dates back to 2000, came at Deaton Field on Sept. 11, 2008.  Since then, Saint Xavier has run off 17 wins in a row.  Last year's contest in Joliet was the second one that required extra time with Saint Xavier scoring on its first play from scrimmage and the Saints throwing an interception on their counterattack.  The rankings for that game had USF at No. 13 and Saint Xavier at No. 16. 

LET THE LEAGUE SEASON COMMENCE: After going 4-1 during the non-conference portion of the schedule, USF begins play in the new-look MSFA Midwest League on Saturday starting with old rival and No. 18-ranked Saint Xavier.  Joining the league this year from the Mideast side are both University of Saint Francis (Ind.) and NAIA No. 17 Marian University (Ind.), with Olivet Nazarene University and Judson University rounding out the five-game slate of opponents over the next five weeks.

BACK AT IT: After being held without a touchdown for the first time since the 2020 campaign against Indiana Wesleyan University, the Fighting Saints returned to their fruitful yield against Siena Heights University (Mich.) by putting 31 points on the board.  USG has now won every game this year when it has reached that point total. 

OFF AND RUNNING: The two highest scoring quarters for the Saints have both come in the first half, where they have outscored the opposition 113-35.

LUCKY NUMBER 13: With Jason Hartsfield and Blake Allen scoring their first touchdowns wearing the Brown & Gold two weeks ago, St. Francis has now had 13 different players pencil their name into the scoring column this year led by Sam Tumilty's eight touchdowns and 48 points.  One year ago, USF had 14 individuals score.

DÉJÀ VU: For the second straight time, a Tumilty kickoff return for a touchdown was the difference against Siena Heights.  Two years ago, Scott Tumilty had a 78-yard return for a touchdown that was the margin of victory in a 19-14 contest at Joliet Memorial Stadium.  Two weeks ago, it was Joey Tumilty who achieved the feat with his 43-yard return off an onside kick in the fourth quarter of USF's 31-24 victory.  The kickoff return for a touchdown was the second of the season for the Saints, who also had one in Week 1 by Scott Tumilty.

YOU CAN'T JUST STOP ONE: The latest St. Francis stat sheet has the three Tumilty brothers ranking 1, 2 and 3 on the all-purpose charts.  Joey headlines the group at 120.3 yards per game, with Sam and Scott at the same 73.4-yard clip.  All-purpose yards take into account all yardage gained on rushes, receptions, punt returns, kickoff returns and interception returns.

A TOP 10 TARGET: Joey Tumilty finds his name among the top ten receivers in the NAIA with his 7.3 receptions per game ranking sixth in the nation and his 107.0 yards per game ranking ninth.

A REMARKABLE RETURNER: Scott Tumilty ranks as one of the top return men in the NAIA this year.  His 23.4-yard average on punt returns places him third in the nation, while his five kickoff returns falls one short of the minimum of placing him in the No. 4 spot with his 33.2 average.  Tumilty holds both USF career records for return yardage with 1,768 on kickoffs and 832 on punt returns.  He set the former mark in the Siena Heights game two weeks ago. 

HELPING THE CAUSE: Scott Tumilty's numbers have aided in the Saints' NAIA team rankings in the return area, as well.  USF is third in yards per punt return (23.7) and fourth in total yardage (237), while ranking eighth in yards per kickoff return (26.6). 

BOOSTING HIS NUMBERS: With his near-perfect numbers of 17-for-20 accuracy passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns versus Siena Heights, Sam Tumilty moved up three spots in the NAIA national rankings to No. 14 in passing efficiency with his 166.9 rating.  In terms of total offense, Sam is averaging 304.2 yards per game.

OH, SO CLOSE: Dezzion Jordan again falls one reception short of the minimum to qualify for the Top 10 chart in reception yards per catch.  His 23.0 average would place him sixth in the latest report.

ZEROING IN ON THE ZONE: The Saints were a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone against Siena Heights with three touchdowns and a field goal.  That brings them to a 21-for-23 conversion rate for the year (91 pct.), which is 13th-best in the NAIA.  Of the 21 scoring conversions, 18 have been touchdowns.

FINALLY GETTING HIS DUE: Redshirt freshman punter/placekicker Adrian Guerrero has been one of the unsung heroes for the Saints this season and last Monday he was recognized when he was named the MSFA Midwest League Special Teams Player of the Week after connecting on all four of his PATs, adding a 20-yard field goal, averaging 43.0 yards on his three punt attempts and dropping two of them inside the 20-yard line.  It marked the second time this year that a St. Francis player has earned said recognition and the seventh time this season that a Saint player has been named a league player of the week. For the season, Guerrero has made 24-of-26 PATs and 4-of-6 field goals, while averaging just over 40 yards per punt.

PLENTY OF PERRY: For the second week in a row, junior cornerback Matthew Perry led the Saints in tackles against Siena Heights with his ten stops.  That brings his team-leading tackle total to 41 on the season.

HANSEN'S HOUNDING: Sophomore linebacker Karsen Hansen continues to get into the opposing team's backfield with a vengeance.  Of his eight tackles versus Siena Heights, three went for loss (one sack), including a key one early in the game on an SHU punt attempt that led to USF's first touchdown.  Hansen leads the team in both sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (12.5) by large margins as part of his 29 total tackle count.

IT MUST BE A WILDCAT THING: Hansen is not the only former Wilmington High School product to have a nose for the ball.  Allan Richards, another Wildcat who also plays a linebacker spot, is second on the team in tackles for loss with 5.5, while cornerback Ryan Banas adds a pair.  Add it all up and the former Wildcat players have authored 20 of the team's 43 tackles for loss.      

GOOD BOYS: The Saints have the ninth-fewest penalties assessed against them (25) in the NAIA this season and rank 15th-best on penalty yards charged (45.6 per game).

EVEN BETTER: USF has turned the ball over just four times this season (2 fumbles, 2 interceptions), while creating 11 turnovers for a plus-seven takeaway rating.  Saint Xavier, on the other hand, sits at minus-three with eight interceptions and five fumbles against six picks and four recoveries.

RUNNING IN PLACE: After averaging 234.3 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry over the first three games of the season, the Saints have been held to just 41 yards on 42 plays in the past two games combined.  Despite the drop in production, USF still ranks tenth in the nation in rushing touchdowns with 15.

FOUR SCORE AND … A WIN: The Saints are 19-1 over their last 20 games when they score four times in a contest.

FOR THE RECORD: St. Francis is 176-229 all time, 147-170 in day games and 85-127 on the road.