FORT WAYNE, Ind. --- University of Saint Francis (Ind.) took advantage of every opportunity its counterpart, University of St. Francis, gave it on Saturday afternoon, resulting in a 47-14 Mid-States Football Association crossover game victory.
The host Cougars (2-3) scored on all six of their possessions in the first half to build what would turn out to be an insurmountable 37-0 lead. They also were a perfect 5-for-5 scoring when starting possessions inside Fighting Saints territory.
Saint Francis (Ind.) needed just two plays to dent the scoreboard the first time with Drew Wheat running off right end for a 53-yard touchdown. Wheat would finish with 85 yards on ten carries to lead a rushing attack that would churn out 278 yards on the ground.
After the Cougars went up 14-0 following their second drive, the Saints set up the next ten points for the home team with a botched punt snap (field goal) and a fumble (touchdown). Saint Francis' (Ind.) final touchdown of the half required just a 15-yard drive after a 33-yard punt return.
USF's (Ind.) two scores in the second half – a field goal and a touchdown – also started in St. Francis (Ill.) territory following another long punt return (42 yards) and a turnover on downs.
Making his second start in as many weeks and leading the Cougars to their first two wins of the season, quarterback Chris Mullen threw for 146 yards with 14 completions in 22 attempts. Besides throwing for one touchdown, he also rushed for another one as part of a 10-carry, 71-yard afternoon.
Colin McPeek was Mullen's main target through the air. He caught five passes for 78 yards.
The Saints (0-5) finally broke the unanswered string of 37 points just before halftime when quarterback
Jalen Webb-Starkey sparked a 10-play, 74-yard drive. He completed 4-of-5 passes during the drive for 79 yards and ended it with his one-yard plunge. The key plays in the series were a 33-yard pass to
Jaden Boe on fourth-and-23 and a
David Maddox 39-yard catch towards the beginning of the series.
USF's biggest positive on the day was when the defense stopped Saint Francis (Ind.) on a goal-line stand that included three straight plays from the one-yard line. The offense responded to the defensive effort with its longest drive of the season, going the length of the field (99 yards) on 13 plays. Boe was again a key contributor with his 24-yard catch on third-and-16. Webb-Starkey again completed the scoring drive with runs of 10 and 13 yards.
Webb-Starkey had his best day passing, completing 20 of his 34 attempts for 188 yards. Boe caught three passes for 60 yards, while
Connor Engstrom totaled 40 yards on eight catches.
The Saints' running game was a completely different story. Five sacks and the botched punt resulting in a 23-yard loss led to a final total of minus-15 yards on 21 carries.
For the game, Saint Francis (Ind.) outgained the Saints 434-173 and converted on 9-of-18 third- and fourth-down plays. That led to another sizeable advantage for St. Francis' opposition in time of possession, 34:19-25:41.
USF's defense was led by
Mathew Perry with 13 stops and
Daniel Rouse with nine. The latter also had a pair of tackles for loss.
Other Notes: Saturday marked the first time this season that a Saint quarterback completed better than 50 percent of his passes in a game … Boe came into the game with just two catches for 52 yards before turning his three catches into 60 yards on Saturday … Engstrom more than doubled his reception count. His career-high eight grabs were one more than he had in his first three games of the season … Guerrero had another strong punting day, eclipsing the 40-yard average (40.6) for the second game in a row … USF's five sacks allowed were the most in one game this season.   Â
Up Next
The Saints return to Joliet Memorial Stadium to host first-time foe Defiance College (Ohio). Kickoff is set for 1 pm.
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