Saint Francis Cougars

Saint Francis Cougars
University University of Saint Francis
Conference Crossroads League
Mid-States Football Association (football)
NAIA Division II
Athletic director Mike McCaffrey
Location Fort Wayne, IN
Varsity teams 18
Football stadium Bishop John D’Arcy Stadium
Basketball arena Hutzell Athletic Center
Baseball stadium Cougar Field
Nickname Cougars
Colors
     Royal Blue       White
Website www.saintfranciscougars.com

The Saint Francis Cougars is the athletic name of the teams that compete for the University of Saint Francis, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. 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 Crossroads League and the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association.

National Championship appearances

Year Sport Result Score Opponent
1999Women's BasketballLost80-65Shawnee State (OH)
2004FootballLost15-13Carroll (MT)
2005FootballLost27-10Carroll (MT)
2006FootballLost23-19Sioux Falls (SD)
2010Men's BasketballWon67-66Walsh (OH)
2011Men's BasketballLost80-71Cornerstone (MI)
2014Women's BasketballWon75-68College of the Ozarks (MO)

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. 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

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 2013 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).

Under Donley's leadership, through the end of the 2012 season, the Cougars have sustained a string of 167 consecutive weeks in the NAIA Coaches Top 25 Poll, the longest current streak among all NAIA schools.[4]

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. daggerHomecoming. #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. daggerHomecoming. #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. daggerHomecoming. #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. daggerHomecoming. #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. daggerHomecoming. #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. daggerHomecoming. #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.[5]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 11 Ohio Dominican #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 55–3  
September 18 at #10 McKendree* #4 Lebanon, IL W 33–10  
September 25 Iowa Wesleyan* #3 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 62–8  
October 2 at Geneva #3 Beaver Falls, PA W 30–24  
October 9 Butler* #3 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 35–7  
October 16 Urbana #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 37–20  
October 23 at Taylor #2 Upland, IN W 46–0  
October 30 Malone #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 40–6  
November 6 at Quincy #2 Quincy, IL W 49–13  
November 13 #15 Walsh #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–14  
November 20 #12 Morningside* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 53–3  
November 27 #16 Hastings* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 48–17  
December 4 #3 Georgetown* #2 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. daggerHomecoming. #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).[6]

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. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2006

[7] (13-1 overall, 7-0 conference)
On September 23,2006, Saint Francis named its football field after Coach Donley in pregame ceremonies.[8] 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. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2007

[7] (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.[9]

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 Taylordagger #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. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2008

[7] (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. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2009

[7] (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.[10] It also marked the first time the Cougars were not in the NAIA postseason playoff since their inaugural 1998 season.

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 Internationaldagger #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. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2010

[7] (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.[11]

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 Malonedagger #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. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2011

[7] (9-3 overall, 3-2 conference)
The 2011 season opened with the Cougars ranked #4 in the coaches preseason poll.[12]
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.[13]


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 Mariandagger #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. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2012

[14] (9-3 overall, 4-1 conference)
The 2012 season opened with the Cougars ranked #6 in the coaches preseason poll.[15]
8/25/2012 - The Cougars traveled to Texas to play the season opener against a new opponent. The game was the farthest west the Cougars had ever ventured to play a football game. The Cougars returned to Fort Wayne with a 46-10 victory.


9/1/2012 - The Cougars opened the home season with a 39-31 victory over the Pointers from Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The game started with USF taking the opening kickoff and driving for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. The Pointers responded with a field goal, and Saint Francis added another first quarter score to reach the first break with a 13-3 lead. What began to look like a rout quickly changed as Stevens Point scored 3 straight second half touchdowns to take their biggest lead, 24-13. A late Cougar touchdown moved the halftime score to 24-19 in favor of the Pointers. The Cougars made some adjustments in the locker room, and they dominated the second half of play. They scored 4 unanswered touchdowns to regain and extend the lead to 39-24 before a late Pointers TD put the final points on the scoreboard. The second half comeback was led by 3rd string quarterback Wes Hunsucker (David Yoder was recovering from injury) after starter Josh Miller sat out due to dizziness reported after the first half of play.


9/8/2012 - The home season continued with a non-conference game against MSFA rival Saint Ambrose. It was an uncharacteristic defensive contest as all 8 quarters resulted in less than 10 points being scored by the respective teams. As was the case in week 1, the Cougars won the coin toss and took possession of the football. Their first drive culminated in a touchdown. After an unsuccessful kick attempt, they led 6-0. Saint Ambrose then took the ensuing kick-off and marched downfield with similar precision. When the drive stalled, they kicked a field goal on 4th down. But the kick was never counted because a USF player ran into the kicker for a penalty that kept the SAU drive alive. They got the ultimate finish, a touchdown. After a successful kick, the Cougars trailed 7-6 at the end of the first quarter. There was no scoring in either the second or third quarters. In the 4th quarter, the Cougars made a quarterback change, bringing Wes Hunsucker into the game. He got immediate results. His second play from scrimmage was a 10-yard pass to Austin Coleman, who raced down the right sidelines evading a handful of SAU players on his way to a 70 yard TD. The following 2-point conversion was equally exciting as RB Antoin Campbell did a high jump-like leap over two defenders to reach the endzone. The 2 points extended the USF lead to 14-7. But SAU responded with a late touchdown of their own, and a successful 2-point conversion sealed their first victory in the history of games between the two.


9/22/2012 - After a week off, after a loss two weeks ago, the Cougars returned to the field for a game filled with notable happenings. The 7:00pm marked the start of the first home night game in USF history. The Homecoming game's outcome was never in doubt once the Cougars started putting points on the board. Soon after the offense scored to give USF a 7-0 lead, the defense contributed immediately. On the next series of plays by Concordia, a pass was intercepted and run back to extend the score to 24-0. The Cougars never looked back as they continued putting points on the board. The final score of 76-14 represented the third-highest score in USF history, and the most points scored since 2002. The victory was win #257 for Coach Kevin Donley. Coupled with a loss by Dickinson State (and coach Hank Biesiot), the win broke a 3-way tie and placed Coach Donley solely atop the leader ladder of most wins all-time by a NAIA coach. The win record was formerly held by Frosty Westering.[16]


9/29/2012 - This week's opponent was defending NAIA national champion Saint Xavier. The StX team was undefeated and ranked #1 in the current year's polls, and USF had not beaten them in the past four contests between the two. In addition, it was Homecoming weekend for Saint Xavier. But USF was prepared for the occasion and returned to Fort Wayne with an upset victory, defeating the Saint Xavier team 25-13. It was the first time that USF had defeated a #1-ranked team, in a game that will forever remain one of the program's great accomplishments. The Cougars are idle next week before hitting the road again to visit a pair of Top 10-ranked teams the following two Saturdays. As a result of the upset, Saint Xavier dropped to 6th in the NAIA Coaches' Weekly Poll, and USF climbed to 7th.


10/13/2012 - The Cougars had the improbable task of facing the #1 ranked team in the nation for the second consecutive game with their visit to Marian. Once again, the Cougars fought hard; but the outcome was a 45-38 loss in the high-scoring game. Time ran out as the Cougars were driving for a game-tying score. With the loss, the Cougars dropped 2 places to #9. Next week, USF continues their tough road schedule with a visit to #5 William Penn.


10/20/2012 - For the third time in 3 games, the Cougars found themselves on the road against a team ranked in the NAIA top-5. This week's opponent was William Penn, an undefeated team that had not lost a home game in over two years. Saint Francis scored touchdowns in each of the first two quarters, and their opponents kicked two field goals - the second one as time expired in the half - to bring the score to 14-6 in favor of Saint Francis at the half. The gap was quickly closed as William Penn took the second-half's opening kickoff and returned it for a touchdown to shorten the deficit to 14-13. But just as suddenly, the Cougars took the next kickoff and ran it back for a touchdown of their own. The touchdown restored the 8-point margin to 21-13. With less than a minute off the second half clock, two touchdowns had been scored before either team's offense had touched the football. William Penn added two field goals, and USF added another touchdown to bring the score to the final margin of victory, a 28-19 upset win for Saint Francis. During the game, the Cougar's Austin Coleman set a USF record for most return yards in a single game. Including the kickoff return, Coleman returned the ball for 207 yards in the game. For the win, Saint Francis improved to #7 in the NAIA national rankings.


10/27/2012 - After being tested on the road for over a month against top-5 powerhouses, USF returned home to face a relatively new program from Siena Heights. The outcome was as expected. Saint Francis kicked a field goal on their first possession and added a touchdown on their second on their way to a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. They added two more touchdowns against the Saints as the offense experimented by using two backup quarterbacks for most of the second half. Siena Heights avoided a shutout when they scored on their final possession of the game, with less than a minute left on the clock. The final score of this conference game was a victory for USF, 31-7. Next week, USF faces their final conference foe of the season when it hosts Taylor.


11/3/2012 - The offense sputtered, but the defense played well enough to create a victory and a share of the MSFA Midwest League title. In their final conference game of the season, USF prevailed 21-0 over Taylor University. The defensive effort included 4 interceptions: one was returned for a touchdown, and two were made at the goal line to halt Taylor scoring drives. In addition, the defense posted a goal line stance that prevented a Taylor score with a first and goal from inside the 5-yard line. The offense scored two touchdowns, each resulting from Taylor punt miscues that gave the Cougars the ball deep inside Taylor territory. The first score came shortly after a Taylor snap that sailed over the punter's head, and the second came when USF blocked a punt attempt. All scoring occurred in the first half; in a rare occurrence, USF was forced to punt the ball on all five possessions in the second half. Combined with a Marian home loss to Saint Xavier, the victory gave all 3 teams one conference loss on the season and a share of the conference championship. The conference automatic bid to the postseason playoffs will go to the team finishing with highest rating in the final regular season polls; the other two teams will presumably receive at-large berths into the tournament.


11/10/2012 - The Cougars completed their regular season with a 44-7 road win with a visit to another first year football program, Lindenwood (IL). With starting QB Josh Miller on the sidelines nursing an ankle injury, backup David Yoder led the offense for most of the game. Third-stringer Wes Hunsaker came in to take several snaps near the end of the game. The final regular season rankings and the postseason draw will be released tomorrow to show the Cougars' path through the postseason.


11/17/2012 - Before the game, a fan seated behind me was overheard to employ an unusual method of predicting the final outcome. USF was ranked #6; Baker was ranked #11. Therefore, USF would win by 5. Scientific or not, the fan’s prediction proved to be prophetic as USF prevailed in the contest by a final score of 22-17. The game’s outcome was largely determined by a USF defense that would bend but not break. After winning the opening coin flip, Baker elected to receive. Saint Francis kicked the ball into the endzone, and Baker started at their own 25 after the touchback. A few plays later, the defense responded with the first interception of the game, and USF took over deep in Baker territory. The turnover led to the first score of the game, an 11-yard pass to give the Cougars a 6-0 lead. No other scores were logged in the first quarter. In the second quarter, USF tacked on a field goal after the defense forced and recovered a Baker fumble. It was the first of 3 on the day for the Cougar placekicker, tying the school’s record for most field goals in one game. Baker took the ensuing kickoff and marched in for their first score of the game, narrowing the USF lead to 9-7. USF then took over on offense and produced their best sustained drive of the game. With 33 seconds left in the first half, the Cougars’ quarterback scored on a 13 yard scamper into the end zone to bring the score to 16-7. Not to be outdone, Baker took the following kickoff and marched close enough to kick a field goal with 10 seconds left to bring the halftime score to 16-10 in favor of Saint Francis The third quarter was a back-and-forth defensive struggle, and neither team scored. The fourth quarter saw Saint Francis convert their second field goal. But Baker took the kickoff and marched the length of the field, scoring another touchdown that narrowed the gap to 19-17 in favor of the home team. USF responded by kicking their third field goal, extending the margin to 5, with 3:44 left in the game. The outcome of the game was uncertain until USF intercepted a Baker pass with 2:33 left in the game. After that, Saint Francis ran out the clock with Baker having only two timeouts to halt the runoff. On the day, the USF defense captured 4 Baker turnovers, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. Although the Baker offense outgained the Cougars, the Cougar defense came through with big plays to stop Baker’s momentum most of the time. The win was the 17th consecutive home playoff win for USF, who has not lost a home game in their entire playoff history.[17]


11/24/2012 - These two teams met earlier in a regular season game at the same field, and the outcome of this one was very similar to the earlier match. Saint Francis played an inspired game; but in the end, the Cougars were no match for the offensive efficiency that was displayed by the Marian Knights. Saint Francis received the opening kickoff and sustained a drive that resulted in a score and a 7-0 lead. They kicked the ball to Marian, who lost possession when a downfield bomb was intercepted by the USF defender. At that point the Cougars were in control, but the momentum eventually shifted and stayed with Marian for the remainder of the game. Marian scored with about 3 minutes left on the clock, and the first quarter ended tied, 7-7. An efficient passing game and the ability to maintain control of the ball were two of Marian’s biggest assets. Marian’s offense kept the ball for about 11 minutes in the second quarter, producing a field goal and a late touchdown to bring the halftime score to 17-7 in favor of the Knights. The third quarter opened with Marian returning to offense. But the Cougars’ defense held, and the Knights kicked the ball. The Cougars misplayed the punt, and Marian recovered the ball. That drive ended with a USF interception. But the Cougars’ offense failed to move the chains in 3 plays, and a USF punt sent the ball to Marian’s 11-yard line. Marian went 3-and-out, and USF was set to receive the ball once again. A poor punt never made it to the midfield line, giving USF great field position. Unfortunately, a Cougars defensive player ran into the kicker, and that penalty allowed Marian to retain possession of the football. The error proved costly as Marian drove the ball for a touchdown that extended the lead to 24-7. USF took the kick and marched for a touchdown of their own to move the score to 24-14. The Knights immediately countered by returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. After a missed extra point, the quarter ended with Marian leading 30-14. Early in the 4th quarter, USF drove for a touchdown to bring the lead back to 30-21. The Cougars played good defense, and Marian punted the ball back to the Cougars. But the next possession saw two dropped passes before the third attempt was intercepted by the Knights. Most of the rest of the quarter was burned up by Marian’s offense, who held the ball for nearly 12 minutes of the period. Marian marched for a score, and a 2-point conversion extended their lead to 38-21. The next kick was immediately returned for a 100-yard touchdown return by the Cougars’ Austin Coleman. For Coleman, the touchdown return was the 8th in his career, setting a new NAIA record for most touchdowns on returns in a career. Marian again took over on offense, and they drove the ball for their final points of the game, making the score 45-28. A late Cougars’ touchdown with 12 seconds left on the clock brought about the final score of 45-34 after the Cougars failed to convert a 2-point pass attempt.

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
August 25 1:00pm at Texas College* #6 Tyler, TX W 46–10  
September 1 Noon Wisconsin-Stevens Point* #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 39–31  
September 8 Noon #20 Saint Ambrose* #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 14–15  
September 22 7:00pm Concordia (MI)dagger #12 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA All-time Wins) W 76–14  
September 29 7:00pm at #1 Saint Xavier #10 Chicago, IL W 25–13  
October 13 1:00pm at #1 Marian #7 Indianapolis, IN L 38–45  
October 20 2:00pm at #5 William Penn* #9 Oskaloosa, IA W 28–19  
October 27 Noon Siena Heights #7 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 31–7  
November 3 Noon Taylor #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 21–0  
November 10 2:00pm at Lindenwood (IL)* #6 Belleville, IL W 44–7  
November 17 Noon #11 Baker (KS)* #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 22–17  
November 24 1:00pm at #5 Marian* #6 Indianapolis, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) L 34–45  
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2013

[18] (9-3 overall, 5-1 conference)

9/14/2013 - The Cougars opened the season against a formidable opponent in William Penn. The week prior, the Statesmen had opened their season with a convincing victory over then 9th-ranked Bethel (TN). The lack of a poll after that week kept the Statesmen from a higher national ranking. This game was tied 10-10 at the half. But USF took control in the second half, aided by a game-ending injury to the Statesmen's starting quarterback. The Cougars scored the last 21 points in the game. For their effort on the week, the Cougars were elevated to #2 in the NAIA Coaches Poll.

9/21/2013 - The Cougars home opener was against St. Ambrose, a tough 7th-ranked team that gave the Cougars a 1-point loss last season. The game's outcome wasn't certain until all time had expired from the clock. After scoring a late 4th quarter touchdown, the Bees had a chance to kick for 1 point to tie the score at 38-38. But the Bees opted instead to attempt a 2-point conversion. An incomplete pass denied the Bees the lead at that time. Later in the quarter, as time was running out, The Bees attempted a game-winning field goal. But the kick sailed wide as the clock struck :00, and Saint Francis came away with a 1-point victory of their own, 38-37. Next week, the Cougars return to the road to face their 3rd ranked opponent in 3 weeks when they visit #7 Grand View (IA).

9/28/2013 - The Cougars went on the road and fell to defeat against an impressive Grand View team, 23-7. For their win, Grand View improved to #4 in the national polls, while Saint Francis dropped 4 places to #6. The Cougars next opponent, Siena Heights (Mich.), entered the national polls for the first time, appearing at #25 in this week's rankings.

10/5/2013 - The Cougars went on the road to another tough ranked opponent. The Cougars trailed 17-14 at halftime. Under the leadership of quarterback David Yoder, who replaced an injured Josh Miller, the Cougars scored two touchdowns in the second half while holding Siena Heights scoreless to give them a 28-17 victory. This was their first conference win of the season.

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 14 2:00pm at #16 William Penn (IA)* #5 Oskaloosa, IA W 31–13  
September 21 7:00pm #7 St. Ambrose (IA)* #2 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 38–37  
September 28 2:00pm at #7 Grand View (IA)* #2 Des Moines, IA L 7–23  
October 5 1:00pm at #25 Siena Heights (MI) #6 Adrian, MI W 28–17  
October 12 7:00pm #10 Saint Xavier (IL)*dagger #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 45–20  
October 19 5:00pm at #20 St. Francis (IL) #4 Joliet, IL W 37–28  
October 26 12:00pm Robert Morris (IL) #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 24–28  
November 2 12:00pm Concordia (MI) #10 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 54–0  
November 9 1:00pm at Taylor (IN) #8 Upland, IN W 20–12  
November 16 12:00pm Marian (IN) #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 41–24  
November 23 12:00pm #9 Faulkner (AL)* #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 20–13  
November 30 12:00pm at #1 Cumberlands (KY)* #6 Williamsburg, KY (NAIA Quarterfinal) L 14–28  
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2014

[19] (6-5 overall, 4-2 conference)


Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
September 4 7:00pm Missouri Baptist* #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–10  
September 13 12:00pm William Penn (IA)* #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 27–28  
September 20 2:00pm at #25 St. Ambrose (IA)* #12 Davenport, IA W 27–13  
September 27 12:00pm #8 Grand View (IA)* #9 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 9–21  
October 4 7:00pm Siena Heights (MI)dagger #15 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN L 21–27  
October 11 7:00pm at #16 Saint Xavier (IL)* #24 Chicago, IL L 26–53  
October 18 12:00pm #18 St. Francis (IL) Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–20  
October 25 2:00pm at #12 Robert Morris (IL) Chicago, IL W 38–20  
November 1 1:00pm at Concordia (MI) Ann Arbor, MI W 30–14  
November 8 12:00pm Taylor (IN) Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 42–0  
November 15 1:00pm at #9 Marion (IN) Indianapolis, IN L 18–51  
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

2015

[20] (11-1 overall, 6-0 conference)

11/7/2015 - The Cougars originally scheduled a game against Redemption Christian College of Virginia Beach, VA. When the opponent failed to field a team for the 2015 season, USF found an opening in their schedule.[21][22] The opening was filled with a game against the College of Faith, an Arkansas college whose schedule had also previoiusly included Redemption. The Warriors traveled to Fort Wayne to compete in an exhibition game that did not count in the record or record books of USF.[23][24]

11/14/2015 - With their 64-6 victory over Missouri Baptist, USF completed the 2015 season as the year's only undefeated team in the regular season of NAIA play.

11/21/2015 - The Cougars opened the 2015 playoff season with a 37-26 win over Reinhardt (GA). The game was played under adverse weather conditions as a steady, wet snowfall began shortly after the opening kick-off and persisted beyond the end of the game. For the game, Cougars' running back Justin Green rushed for 252 yards on 32 carries, setting a new single-game record for the victors. With the win, the Cougars continued their undefeated home playoff record, posting their 19th consecutive victory since their first home playoff victory in 2000.

11/28/2015 - The Cougars continued their home playoff winning streak, stretching it to 20 consecutive wins without a defeat. This week, the Cougars battled Montana Tech, champions of the Frontier League. The Cougars prevailed 42-20, marking the first time the team posted a playoff victory against a Frontier League opponent. After his record-setting game played last week, Justin Green added a second-straight game of rushing for over 200 yards.

12/5/2015 - The experience of the Knights was apparent as the Knights defeated USF 45-14. With the win, the Knights returned to the national championship game for the 2nd consecutive season and the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons. The Knights controlled the game in most all aspects, and they took control by scoring 24 points in a productive 2nd quarter. The loss avenged a regular-season loss to the Cougars which resulted in the Knights finishing in second place in the MEL regular season standings. The loss also ended the Cougars' streak of 20 consecutive playoff home game victories.


Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 5 7:00pm Olivet Nazarene (IL)* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 59–16  
September 12 7:00pm at Taylor (IN) Upland, IN W 48–42   2,517
September 19 12:00pm Trinity International (IL)*dagger #17 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 45–3   3,275
September 26 2:00pm at Lindenwood-Belleville (IL) #14 Belleville, IL W 74–13   550
October 3 1:00pm at #6 Marian (IN) #11 Indianapolis, IN W 45–42   2,712
October 10 12:00pm Siena Heights (MI) #9 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 49–25   3,175
October 17 12:00pm #28 Concordia (MI) #7 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN W 48–7   2,883
October 24 2:00pm at #9 Robert Morris (IL)* #7 Chicago, IL W 38–29   534
November 7 12:00pm College of Faith (AR)* #6 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (EXHIBITION)  61–0   1,699
November 14 2:00pm at Missouri Baptist #5 St. Louis, MO W 64–6   1,103
November 21 12:00pm #12 Reinhardt (GA)* #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round) W 37–26   1,277
November 28 12:00pm #5 Montana Tech* #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal) W 42–20   1,597
December 5 12:00pm #6 Marian (IN)* #4 Bishop D'Arcy Stadium • Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Semifinal) L 14–45   3,377
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "Refreshing to". Naia.cstv.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  3. ↑ "DONLEY, KEVIN | Indiana Football Hall of Fame". Indiana-football.org. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  4. ↑ "Top 25 - Postseason". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. December 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ Archived July 8, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "Carroll wins fourth straight NAIA football title - College Football - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 2005-12-17. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Archived June 27, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑
  9. ↑
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ "Refreshing to". Naia.cstv.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  12. ↑ "Refreshing to". Naia.cstv.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  13. ↑ "Refreshing to". Naia.cstv.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  14. ↑ "Football | University of Saint Francis | Fort Wayne - 2015 Football Schedule". Saintfranciscougars.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  15. ↑ "Football Top 25 Poll - Preseason - NAIA - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics". NAIA. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  16. ↑ "Donley NAIA's All - Time Winningest Football Coach | 21Alive: News, Sports, Weather, Fort Wayne WPTA-TV, WISE-TV, and CW | Sports". Indianasnewscenter.com. 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  17. ↑ "Football | University of Saint Francis | Fort Wayne - Cougars 'D'eny #11 Wildcats upset threat by 5". Saintfranciscougars.com. 2012-11-17. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  18. ↑ "Football | University of Saint Francis | Fort Wayne - 2013 Football Schedule". Saintfranciscougars.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  19. ↑ "Football | University of Saint Francis | Fort Wayne - 2014 Football Schedule". Saintfranciscougars.com. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
  20. ↑ "Football | University of Saint Francis | Fort Wayne - 2014 Football Schedule". Saintfranciscougars.com. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  21. ↑ http://www.journalgazette.net/Sports/colleges/local-colleges/Legitimacy-of-USF-opponent-questioned-8413094
  22. ↑ https://theuglyorange.wordpress.com/tag/redemption-christian-college/
  23. ↑ http://www.gofaithwarriors.com/schedule.html
  24. ↑ http://www.collegeoffaith.org/
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