Trailing 23-9 at halftime, the Cougars managed fourteen unanswered points over the final 30 minutes of regulation to narrowly escape Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field with a 30-29 double overtime victory over Olivet Nazarene University on Saturday. With the win, Saint Xavier was crowned MSFA Midwest conference champions and earned a guaranteed trip to the NAIA playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Following a familiar trend dating back to the October 21 contest verses Saint Ambrose, the Cougars dug themselves into a two-touchdown hole for the third consecutive week. Fortunately, head coach Mike Feminis’ group found a way to improve their overall record to 8-1 on the season with a valiant second half effort.
Junior quarterback Justin Hunniford remained out on Saturday, as he is still recovering from a knee sprain suffered on October 14. Sophomore Alex Martinez, who has not lost a game since taking over for the injured Hunniford, showed poise, leadership, and toughness in the come-from-behind triumph.
Picking it up at the start of the third quarter, Olivet Nazarene looked to increase their lead to three possessions freshly out of halftime. However, the Cougar defense was up for the test.
Olivet was forced to punt after Saint Xavier created a three-and-out. Then, on the first offensive series of the second half, Martinez led a masterful seven-play, 59-yard drive that ended in a Nick Czeszewski 19-yard touchdown run on fourth down and two.
Riding the momentum, Saint Xavier’s defense dominated Olivet in the second half. The Tigers accumulated a measly 62 yards total on seven second half possessions.
“They’ve played well for us all year,” Feminis said regarding his defense. “They set the tone for us every game.”
Just prior the fourth quarter, Saint Xavier capitalized on a 14-play, 65-yard drive to tie the ballgame at 23. Martinez found sophomore wide out Harold Davis for his team-leading seventh touchdown reception on the year to cap the scoring effort.
The turning point came in the latter minutes of regulation. With 1:32 remaining, the Tigers went for it on fourth-down-and-three at the Saint Xavier 39-yard line.
A conversion would give Olivet an opportunity to complete the upset, but senior Derrick Hosselton and junior Dmitri Joe tackled the Tigers running back inches short of the line to gain. Following the critical turnover-on-downs, Martinez handed the ball to senior halfback Mike Ivlow, who broke free for a 52-yard run play.
Senior Abdul Mahdi had a chance to kick the game-winning field goal with two seconds on the clock, but the right-footed kicker missed the 28-yard try wide right. The result sent the wild contest into overtime.
Per NAIA rules, each team is allowed one possession beginning at the opponent’s 25-yard line. Barring a defensive score on the first possession, the team that starts on defense has an opportunity to either match or exceed the opponent’s offensive series.
Olivet began the first overtime on offense, but could only muster seven yards on four plays as the Saint Xavier defense stepped up again. A field goal or touchdown for the Cougars would be enough for a victory, but Mahdi could not convert on a 36-yard field goal attempt and the game was sent to double-overtime.
Saint Xavier started the frame on offense and committed to a steady running attack. On second-down-and-10, Ivlow broke free for a 22-yard gain down to the Olivet three-yard-line. Two plays later, Ivlow pounded it in for a score. The converted extra point attempt by Mahdi put the Cougars up 30-23.
Desperate to extend the game to triple-overtime, Olivet faced a fourth-down-and-four at the goal line. Running to his left, the Tigers third string quarterback completed a pass into the end zone to make the score 30-29.
Olivet wanted to leave Chicago with a victory, so the offense stayed on the field for a two-point conversion try. Senior defensive lineman Jesse Gonzalez ripped his way into the backfield and brought down the Tiger quarterback to cement the dramatic one-point victory.
Ivlow’s 171 rushing yards and one touchdown was paramount to Saint Xavier’s win.
“If you have a solid running game, it takes a little bit of the pressure off the quarterback,” Feminis said. “Mike’s having a real good senior year. He’s an integral part of what we’re doing offensively and when he’s going good, it certainly makes things a lot better for everybody else.”
Martinez completed 24-of-40 passes for 221 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Davis had five catches for 35 yards and a score, while senior Mark Strbjak was second on the team with four receptions for 43 yards.
With the win, the Cougars finish their 2017 home slate without suffering a defeat. They travel to Robert Morris University on Saturday, November 11 looking to finish the regular season 9-1 overall.
The final contest before the NAIA playoffs begin can be heard on WXAV 88.3 FM and wxav.com. Tune in to the Bookie’s Pregame Show starting at 2:45 PM.
Mike Rankin
Sports Editor