Saint Francis Cougars

The Saint Francis Cougars is the athletic name of the teams that compete for the University of Saint Francis, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The university fields teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The teams compete in the NAIA's Mid-Central College Conference and the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association.

Contents

National Championship Appearances

Year Sport Result Score Opponent
2004 Football Lost 15-13 Carroll (MT)
2005 Football Lost 27-10 Carroll (MT)
2006 Football Lost 23-19 Sioux Falls (SD)
2010 Men's Basketball Won 67-66 Walsh (OH)
2011 Men's Basketball Lost 80-71 Cornerstone (MI)

Basketball

The University of Saint Francis Cougars won their first NAIA Championship on March 16, 2010. The Cougars won the 2010 NAIA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament when the Cougars defeated Walsh University 67-66 at Pt. Lookout, Missouri. The Cougars entered the tourney as the 15th seed. The whole season the Cougars basketball team was supported by the new found group at the school, the Spring Street Houligans. The Houligans proved to be some of the best fans in the nation and contributed to the success of the basketball program. For his success, head coach Jeff Rekeweg was named the 2010 NAIA National Coach of the Year. On April 19, 2010, after 14 seasons of guiding the Cougars, Rekeweg resigned to take the head coaches position at Northwood University, a NCAA Division II school located in Midland, Michigan.[1]

The Cougars returned the following year to play in the championship game on March 15, 2011. That year, the Cougars were runners-up in the 2011 NAIA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament when the Cougars were defeated by Cornerstone (MI) 80-71. The Cougars entered the tourney as the 13th seed.[2]

Football

Seeking success right from the start, Saint Francis named Kevin Donley the Cougars' head coach in 1997. After a year of preparation, Saint Francis began play, as Fort Wayne's first collegiate football program, in the 1998 season.[3] Coach Donley led USF to a record of 2-8 (.200), their first and only losing football season. From the 1999 season through the 2009 season, his teams have lost 3 or fewer games each season. Six teams have completed undefeated regular seasons (2002-2006, 2008), and 3 consecutive teams finished as national runners-up (2004-2006).

Following is a season by season recap of the history of Saint Francis Cougars football.

1998

(2-8 overall, 1-5 conference)

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 12 at Saint Xavier* Chicago, IL W 56–28  
September 19 Taylor* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 18–40  
September 26 at Olivet Nazarene* Bourbonnais, IL L 24–28  
October 3 Malone Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 30–55  
October 10 at Trine Angola, IN L 27–71  
October 17 Walsh Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 41–44  
October 24 at Geneva Beaver Falls, PA L 34–45  
October 31 Tiffin Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 15–21  
November 7 at Urbana Urbana, OH W 61–26  
November 14 Iowa Wesleyan* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 35–41  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

1999

(8-3 overall, 6-0 conference)

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 4 at Valparaiso* Valparaiso, IN L 6–35  
September 11 Saint Xavier* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–38  
September 25 McKendree* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 21–27  
October 2 Geneva Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 56–26  
October 9 at Tiffin Tiffin, OH W 21–14  
October 16 Urbana Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 35–12  
October 23 Trinity International* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 54–36  
October 30 at Malone Canton, OH W 30–14  
November 6 Trine Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 61–14  
November 13 at Walsh North Canton, OH W 40–21  
November 20 at Georgetown* Georgetown, KY (NAIA First Round) L 0–38  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2000

(10-2 overall, 6-0 conference)

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 2 at Butler* Indianapolis, IN W 56–37  
September 9 Iowa Wesleyan* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 84–9  
September 16 Valparaiso* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 34–30  
September 23 at McKendree* Lebanon, IL L 14–28  
September 30 at Geneva Beaver Falls, PA W 21–20  
October 7 Tiffin Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–13  
October 14 at Urbana Urbana, OH W 44–14  
October 28 Malone Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 48–10  
November 4 at Trine Angola, IN W 21–14  
November 11 Walsh Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–14  
November 18 Lambuth* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 48–33  
November 25 at Georgetown* Georgetown, KY (NAIA Quarterfinal) L 19–37  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2001

(9-2 overall, 5-1 conference)

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 1 Butler* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 41–20  
September 8 at Iowa Wesleyan* Mount Pleasant, IA W 49–0  
September 15 Wisconsin - LaCrosse* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 20–12  
September 22 McKendree* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 23–15  
September 29 Geneva Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 30–6  
October 6 at Tiffin Tiffin, OH W 20–14  
October 13 Urbana Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–38  
October 27 at Malone Canton, OH W 58–17  
November 3 Trine Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 20–27  
November 10 at Walsh North Canton, OH W 30–12  
November 17 at Campbellsville* Campbellsville, KY (NAIA First Round) L 21–42  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2002

(11-1 overall, 6-0 conference)

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 14 at Tiffin* Tiffin, OH W 41–31  
September 21 Iowa Wesleyan* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 45–20  
September 28 at William Penn* Oskaloosa, IA W 49–14  
October 5 at Geneva Beaver Falls, PA W 35–28  
October 12 Quincy* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 77–21  
October 19 Urbana Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 70–0  
October 26 at Taylor Upland, IN W 35–20  
November 2 Malone Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 33–27  
November 9 at Trine Angola, IN W 48–28  
November 16 Walsh Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 40–29  
November 23 Saint Xavier* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 34–30  
November 30 at Georgetown* Georgetown, KY (NAIA Quarterfinal) L 0–24  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2003

(12-1 overall, 6-0 conference)

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 13 Tiffin* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 48–31  
September 20 at William Penn* Oskaloosa, IA W 49–14  
September 27 St. Ambrose* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 45–40  
October 4 Geneva Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 49–16  
October 11 at Butler* Indianapolis, IN W 47–16  
October 18 at Urbana Urbana, OH W 38–23  
October 25 Taylor Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 48–14  
November 1 at Malone Canton, OH W 36–14  
November 8 Quincy Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 34–13  
November 15 at Walsh North Canton, OH W 41–24  
November 22 Georgetown* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 34–23  
November 29 St. Ambrose* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 41–14  
December 6 at #1 Carroll* #2 Helena, MT (NAIA Semifinal) L 14–38  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2004

(13-1 overall, 7-0 conference)
The 2004 season was the first of three consecutive trips to the NAIA championship game in Savannah, TN. The Cougars finished as runner-up in the nation with its 2-point loss to Carroll (MT). As tribute to this team's success, Donley was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year for the second time.[4]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 11 Ohio Dominican Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 55–3  
September 18 at McKendree* Lebanon, IL W 33–10  
September 25 Iowa Wesleyan* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 62–8  
October 2 at Geneva Beaver Falls, PA W 30–24  
October 9 Butler* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 35–7  
October 16 Urbana Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 37–20  
October 23 at Taylor Upland, IN W 46–0  
October 30 Malone Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 40–6  
November 6 at Quincy Quincy, IL W 49–13  
November 13 Walsh Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–14  
November 20 Morningside* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 53–3  
November 27 Hastings* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 48–17  
December 4 Georgetown* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Semifinal) W 12–7  
December 18 vs. #1 Carroll* #2 Savannah, TN (NAIA Championship) L 13–15  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2005

(13-1 overall, 7-0 conference)
The 2005 saw a rematch of the 2004 NAIA championship game. Once again, the Cougars finished as runner-up to Carroll (MT). For the three seasons 2003-2005, the USF record was 38-3, with all 3 losses coming as season-ending losses to Carroll (MT).[5]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 10 at Indiana State* #2 Terre Haute, IN W 42–10  
September 17 #6 McKendree* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 28–21  
September 24 Wisconsin – Eau Claire* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 35–10  
October 1 #19 Geneva #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 50–22  
October 8 at Ohio Dominican #2 Columbus, OH W 49–7  
October 15 at #16 Urbana #2 Urbana, OH W 35–3  
October 22 Taylor #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 55–0  
October 29 at Malone #2 Canton, OH W 28–7  
November 5 Quincy #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 53–19  
November 12 at #11 Walsh #2 North Canton, OH W 21–7  
November 19 #13 Pikeville* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 41–7  
November 26 #5 Georgetown* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 44–14  
December 3 #3 Morningside* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Semifinal) W 42–14  
December 17 1:05pm (FW time) vs. #1 Carroll* #2 Savannah, TN (NAIA Championship) L 10–27  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2006

[6] (13-1 overall, 7-0 conference)
On September 23,2006, Saint Francis named its football field after Coach Donley in pregame ceremonies.[7] A third consecutive return to the NAIA championship game saw the third consecutive runner-up finish for the Cougars, this time to Sioux Falls (SD).

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 9 2:00pm at William Penn* #2 Oskaloosa, IA W 39–6  
September 16 Noon #38 Pikeville* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 63–0  
September 23 Noon Wisconsin – River Falls* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 63–8  
September 30 Noon #27 Ohio Dominican #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 21–17  
October 7 Noon #18 Urbana #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 35–12  
October 14 1:00pm at Taylor #2 Upland, IN W 49–0  
October 21 Noon #23 Malone #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 34–13  
October 28 1:00pm at Seton Hill #2 Greensburg, PA W 55–0  
November 4 Noon #3 Walsh #1 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 21–7  
November 11 1:30pm at #29 Geneva #1 Beaver Falls, PA W 21–20  
November 18 Noon #16 Walsh* #1 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 42–3  
November 25 Noon #8 Bethel* #1 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 42–35  
December 2 Noon #9 Saint Xavier* #1 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Semifinal) W 49–20  
December 16 1:00pm (FW time) vs. #2 Sioux Falls* #1 Savannah, TN (NAIA Championship) L 19–23  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2007

[6] (11-2 overall, 6-1 conference)
On September 29, 2007, the Saint Francis loss to Ohio Dominican snapped a 54-game regular season winning streak dating back to 2001. [8]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 8 Noon William Penn* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 71–7  
September 15 1:30pm at Pikeville* #2 Pikeville, KY W 55–3  
September 22 2:00pm at #15 St. Ambrose* #2 Davenport, IA W 20–7  
September 29 12:30pm at #6 Ohio Dominican #2 Columbus, OH L 20–30  
October 6 Noon Marian #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 57–7  
October 13 Noon Taylor #5 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 69–29  
October 20 Noon at Walsh #5 North Canton, OH W 42–14  
October 27 Noon #31 Urbana #5 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–16  
November 3 4:00pm at #18 Malone #5 Canton, OH W 31–17  
November 10 Noon #6 Saint Xavier #5 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–13  
November 17 Noon #12 Lindenwood* #5 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 35–14  
November 24 3:30pm (FW time) at #4 Bethel* #5 McKenzie, TN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 30–27  
December 1 2:07pm (FW time) at #2 Carroll* #5 Helena, MT (NAIA Semifinal) L 7–23  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2008

[6] (12-1 overall, 6-0 conference)
After an undefeated regular season, USF finished with a loss at Sioux Falls. This was the second time in three seasons that Sioux Falls put the only blemish on the USF record.

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 6 Noon Trinity International* #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 67–0  
September 13 2:00pm at Quincy* #4 Quincy, IL W 21–0  
September 20 1:00pm at Taylor #4 Upland, IN W 55–7  
September 27 Noon #10 St. Ambrose* #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 43–14  
October 4 Noon #8 Ohio Dominican* #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 35–0  
October 11 2:00pm at Marian #4 Indianapolis, IN - Pike HS W 63–14  
October 25 Noon Walsh #3 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 52–12  
November 1 Noon at Urbana #3 Urbana, OH W 62–20  
November 8 Noon #10 Malone #3 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 45–24  
November 15 2:00pm at #18 Saint Xavier #3 Chicago, IL W 47–30  
November 22 Noon #11 Union* #3 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 58–3  
November 29 Noon #8 Cumberlands* #3 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 31–20  
December 6 1:00pm at #2 Sioux Falls* #3 Sioux Falls, SD (NAIA Semifinal) L 6–24  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2009

[6] (7-3 overall, 5-2 conference)
The 2009 season saw the first home loss since 2001 in a November 7 defeat by St. Xavier. Over that time period, the Cougars won 56 consecutive home games.[9]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 12 Noon Iowa Wesleyan* #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 55–0  
September 19 2:00pm at #9 St. Ambrose* #4 Davenport, IA W 30–10  
September 26 Noon Marian #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 28–7  
October 3 7:00pm at #23 Malone #4 Canton, OH W 42–14  
October 10 6:00pm at #20 Walsh #4 Canton, OH W 20–14  
October 17 Noon Trinity International #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 63–7  
October 24 2:00pm at Missouri U of S&T* #4 Rolla, MO L 37–39  
October 31 Noon Olivet Nazarene #8 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 56–7  
November 7 Noon #6 Saint Xavier #8 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 24–36  
November 14 1:00pm at #25 Taylor #11 Upland, IN L 16–23  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2010

[6] (10-2 overall, 6-1 conference)
The 2010 season began explosively as the 17th-ranked Cougars won impressively on the road, 70-7.
9/18/2010 - Week #2 saw the Cougars elevated to 11th in the national rankings. The opponent for the home-opener was another ranked team, 17th-ranked St. Ambrose. Trailing 17-0 at the half, the Cougars showed some maturity by rebounding in the second half for a 31-20 win. For their victory, the Cougars were rewarded with a rise in the rankings to the 9th best team in the country.
9/25/2010 - Leading 28-3 at the half, USF held on for a hard-fought road victory against a highly regarded Marian. The road win was the first game for Marian in their new St. Vincent Health Field.
10/9/2010 - The win over Walsh was an upset in the national rankings that listed Walsh as #8 and USF as the #9 team in the nation.
10/23/2010 - With a 41-14 home win over Missouri U S&T, the 7th-ranked Cougars remained undefeated and avenged a 2-point loss on the road against last year's Miners.
10/30/2010 - With their 63-0 win over Olivet Nazarene, USF record moved to 8-0 for the season. Next week's game at #3 St. Xavier will match two undefeated, NAIA top-10 Cougar teams to decide the conference and division championships.
11/6/2010 - St. Xavier dominated this game in a 30-6 victory for the home team. The six point offensive output was the lowest points scored by a USF team in a regular season game since the 11th game of their program, the opening game of the 1999 season. For the second time in two years, this victory gave the MSFA conference and league title to St. Xavier.
11/13/2010 - With their 33-21 win over Taylor University, USF avenged the season-ending loss from a year ago. The win guarantees the 10th-ranked USF an appearance next week in the opening round of the 16-team NAIA Championship tournament.
11/20/2010 - Ranked #10 in the final NAIA regular-season poll, USF drew a road trip to Lindenwood for the first round of the playoffs. The 5th-ranked Lions, 9-1 on the regular season, entered the game with the nation's highest scoring offense. The Cougars pulled off the upset win, 44-38, with an offense that efficiently controlled the football for over 40 minutes of the 60-minute game. For the win, the Cougars earned a rematch in the second round against MSFA foe St. Xavier.
11/27/2010 - The Cougars return visit to St. Xavier ended with the same results as the first meeting of the year, a 40-21 loss. Thus, the USF season ended with a 10-2 record, with both losses coming on the St. Xavier home field.
1/10/2011 - The Cougars were recognized for their successful season by voters in the postseason NAIA football polls. The Cougars improved 5 spots in the polls, behind only the four semifinalists in the national tournament. The 5th place ranking gave the Cougars their best poll position of the season.[10]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 11 2:00pm at Iowa Wesleyan* #17 Mt. Pleasant, IA W 70–7  
September 18 Noon #17 St. Ambrose* #11 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 31–20  
September 25 1:00pm at #13 Marian #9 Indianapolis, IN W 28–25  
October 2 Noon Malone #9 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–14  
October 9 Noon #8 Walsh #9 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 20–14  
October 16 2:00pm at Trinity International #8 Deerfield, IL W 33–6  
October 23 Noon Missouri U of S&T* #7 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 41–14  
October 30 1:00pm at Olivet Nazarene #7 Bourbonnais, IL W 63–7  
November 6 2:00pm at #3 Saint Xavier #7 Chicago, IL L 6–30  
November 13 Noon Taylor #10 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 33–21  
November 20 1:30pm at #5 Lindenwood* #10 St. Charles, Mo. (NAIA First Round) W 44–38  
November 27 2:00pm at #3 Saint Xavier* #10 Chicago, IL (NAIA Quarterfinal) L 21–40  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2011

[6] (9-3 overall, 3-2 conference)
The 2011 season opened with the Cougars ranked #4 in the coaches preseason poll.[11]
9/10/2011 - After a hard-fought 1-point victory over St. Ambrose, the Cougars gained two spots in the NAIA national rankings. After their first game, the Cougars trailed only conference rival Saint Xavier in the polls.[12]
9/24/2011 - The game was over early as Saint Francis ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. With 30 seconds gone off the clock, the score reached 14-0 after Saint Francis capitalized on a Concordia turnover. The score was 41-0 after one period of play. This was the first season for football at Concordia, so the lop-sided outcome was not a surprise. The win sets up an anticipated game next week as undefeated and NAIA #1 Saint Xavier visits undefeated and NAIA #2 USF.
10/1/2011 - The NAIA's #1 ranked Saint Xavier visited the #2 ranked Saint Francis in a battle for the conference and national lead. The anticipated matchup between the two teams, both nicknamed the Cougars, never materialized. Saint Francis took the opening kickoff and turned it into a field goal for a quick three point lead. But from that point to the end, Saint Xavier controlled both sides of the ball and won more convincingly than the final score indicated.

Saint Xavier’s offense ended with 452 yards while Saint Francis totaled 360 yards. The Saint Francis effort included 27 rushes for 72 yards, or 2.7 yards per attempt. Passing tallied another 268 yards on 19-46 and 4 interceptions. Additionally, the offense fumbled the ball 6 times and lost 2 to Saint Xavier. The surprisingly uncharacteristic total of 10 turnovers and 6 fumbles for the USF Cougars was the same disappointing play that has resulted in 4 straight losses to SXU.

One bright spot was the play of the special teams. Early in the first quarter, a Saint Francis punt bounced off the Saint Xavier punt returner and was recovered in the end zone for a Saint Francis touchdown, pushing the lead to a hopeful 10-0 margin.

Saint Francis still lead 17-16 at halftime when Saint Xavier lined up for the third quarter kickoff. Instead of kicking the ball deep, SXU successfully executed an onside kick, and their offense soon capitalized on the play. A touchdown gave Saint Xavier their first lead of the game, 23-17. However, the Saint Francis return team took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards to quickly regain the lead, 24-23. That was the last highlight for Saint Francis except for an inconsequential touchdown late in the game after the outcome was already determined. The loss dropped USF to 7th in the national polls. Saint Xavier retained the #1 position and was closely followed by MSFA conference foe Marian, who took over the #2 spot held the prior week by Saint Francis. The latter two teams will meet in two weeks in Fort Wayne, and Saint Francis hopes to get another shot at Saint Xavier in the postseason tournament.
10/8/2011 - After last week's loss, USF had another difficult opponent in Walsh. Formerly a MSFA conference meeting, the game was a non-league contest this year due to the transition of Walsh from the NAIA to NCAA-II football. The game was won in the 2nd overtime period when USF scored and converted the extra point kick after a missed extra point effort by Walsh. The game was highlighted by USF redshirt freshman Antoin Campbell, who set a new Cougar record by scoring 5 touchdowns in the game. For the week's effort, the Cougars moved up one spot in the national rankings to 6th. The tough opponents continue next week with another conference game, Homecoming Week against Marian, the nation's #2 ranked team.
10/15/2011 - Facing their second top-2 ranked team in 3 weeks, the outcome this week was known from the start. Marian drove the opening kickoff to a touchdown and a 7-0 lead, and they were up 14-0 before Saint Francis put any points on the board. Marian dominated the game, led by the nation's top-ranked scoring and passing defense, and USF never raised a serious threat. The final outcome was another home defeat for USF, by a final score of 40-13. The 27 point deficit was the largest differential for a home game in the history of Saint Francis football. The 2-game home losing streak matched a feat not seen since the inaugural 1998 football season. With the loss, the Cougars dropped to 12th in the national rankings. Marian stayed undefeated and set up a likely showdown in the final game of the regular season, a home contest against Saint Xavier. The game could feature two undefeated teams, ranked #1 and #2 in the NAIA national polls, vying for the top seed in the playoffs, an undefeated regular season, and the MSFA Mideast division championship.
10/22/2011 - The Cougars returned to their winning ways with a 47-10 victory over visiting Malone. This might be the last game ever against the Cougars' former conference rival. Malone has begun a transition to leave the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II football level. Therefore, today's game was not a conference win for USF.
10/29/2011 - The Cougars posted a 34-7 road win over conference opponent Quincy University. After the win, USF rose one spot in the national polls to 11th among all NAIA football programs.
11/5/2011 - Turnovers plagued the Cougars offense this week just as they have all season. A pick-6 interception resulted in one Taylor touchdown, and a muffed field goal attempt was returned for a second touchdown, and the Cougars found themselves tied with Taylor at the half, 14-14. But the Cougars settled down in the second half, scoring 32 unanswered points for a 46-14 victory. The defensive play was solid for the Cougars, completing a TSO (technical shut-out) for the day. With two losses and one game left in the regular season, the Cougars likely need to win their final game to enter the 16-team, post-season NAIA football playoffs.
11/12/2011 - The Cougars finished the regular season with an impressive 59-20 home win over NCAA Division II opponent Central State. The victory completed a season whose two losses ironically came to conference foes who were ranked #1 and #2 in the nation at the time the games were played. The USF season was extended with an invitation to the NAIA playoffs, playing the following week as the 9th seed in the 16-team tournament.
11/19/2011 - The Cougars opened the 2011 NAIA playoffs with a 28-14 road win at Missouri Valley. The win was the 9th straight first round postseason win for the Cougars.
11/26/2011 - The USF season ended with their 3rd loss of the year to an undefeated, top-3 ranked team. Each of the 3 teams advanced to the NAIA Championship semifinal round. This time, the Cougars traveled to undefeated and #3 Georgetown College (KY), and they were handed a 26-14 loss. Turnovers and untimely penalties once again contributed significantly to the loss.
With their performance against the tough 2011 schedule, including a first round postseason win, the Cougars were elevated to 7th place in the final Coaches poll of the season.

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 10 2:00pm at St. Ambrose* #4 Davenport, IA W 34–33  
September 17 Noon McKendree* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 33–7  
September 24 1:00pm at Concordia (MI) #2 Ann Arbor, MI W 69–0  
October 1 Noon #1 Saint Xavier #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 31–42  
October 8 Noon at Walsh* #7 Canton, OH W 42–41 2OT  
October 15 Noon #2 Marian #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 13–40  
October 22 Noon Malone* #12 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 47–10  
October 29 2:00pm at Quincy #12 Quincy, IL W 34–7  
November 5 1:00pm at Taylor #11 Upland, IN W 46–14  
November 12 Noon Central State* #10 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 59–20  
November 19 Noon at #7 Missouri Valley* #9 Marshall, MO (NAIA First Round) W 28–14  
November 26 1:30pm at #3 Georgetown (KY)* #9 Toyota Stadium • Georgetown, KY (NAIA Quarterfinal) L 14–26  
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

References

  1. ^ http://timberwolves.gonorthwood.com/mbasketball/?newsID=5169
  2. ^ http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl-div2/spec-rel/031611aac.html
  3. ^ http://www.indiana-football.org/?q=node/117
  4. ^ http://www.collegefanz.com/thread/4618
  5. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=2263761>
  6. ^ a b c d e f http://ww.saintfranciscougars.com/football/schedule-results
  7. ^ http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-151865567.html
  8. ^ http://ww.saintfranciscougars.com/football/football-news/2007-news/2-cougars-54-game-win-streak-caged-at-odu-30-20
  9. ^ http://saintfranciscougars.com/football/football-news/2009-news/usf-falls-to-sxu-in-msfa-showdown
  10. ^ http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/063010aaa.html
  11. ^ http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/041811aaa.html
  12. ^ http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/071911aaa.html
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