After suffering heart-breaking losses in back-to-back weeks, Saint Xavier’s struggles continued on a rainy Saturday afternoon, as they endured a disappointing 20-7 defeat by the hands of Davenport University at home. Davenport’s speed in the secondary, consistent pressure into the Cougar backfield and impressive poise by their freshman quarterback all contributed to the Panthers’ 13-point victory.
Headlining the limited amount of positives for Saint Xavier in this game was the return of senior quarterback John Rhode. Rhode finished the afternoon 16-31 passing for 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Getting Rhode back is important for the Cougars in the long run, however on Saturday, Saint Xavier and their senior quarterback could not find an answer to Davenport’s aggressive style on defense. It was difficult for the Cougars to find consistency in the run game, while their attack through the air was relatively non-existent until the second half.
Defensively, Saint Xavier played well and were a major reason the game remained close for just over three quarters. The Cougars made it a point to shut down Davenport’s running game early, while their secondary came through with several athletic plays down field. Saint Xavier was able to sack the Panther freshman signal caller twice on the afternoon.
The first quarter remained scoreless, as both Davenport and Saint Xavier flexed their muscles on defense. Each came up with big stop after big stop, which included a turnover on downs forced by the Cougars on the Panther opening possession.
With 8:41 left in the second quarter, Saint Xavier’s offense took over at their own 28-yard-line following a Davenport three-and-out. The Cougars mustered an impressive drive that was highlighted by a 36-yard completion to junior Mike Ivlow. The series stalled, however, after a missed 46-yard field goal attempt.
Davenport’s offense kicked it into gear on the next possession and responded with a touchdown. Panther quarterback Hunter Krause aired out a beautiful 62-yard dime to his wide receiver, which brought them all the way down to Saint Xavier’s six-yard line.
With just under four minutes to go in the half, the Cougars were looking to build off their last offensive series that took them into plus territory. With a calculated snap count, Rhode drew the Davenport defenders offside several times on the afternoon. During this possession, the senior took advantage of a free play opportunity and heaved a deep ball into the end zone.
A defensive pass interference penalty brought the Cougars to the Davenport three-yard line with a plan to take the lead before halftime. After three failed attempts to score, Saint Xavier opted for a fake field goal attempt with freshman wide out Michael Markasovic taking the pitch from the Cougar place holder.
Markasovic was stopped short, and Saint Xavier turned the ball over on downs. After a couple opportunities to score points, the Cougars finished the half trailing by six.
Saint Xavier was set to receive the second half kickoff, but Davenport surprised everyone in attendance with a well-executed onside kick. With both teams heavily relying on their defense, the field position battle loomed large throughout the contest.
The Cougars were able to stop Davenport, but were pinned deep into their own territory after a well-placed punt by the Panthers. On third down and 13 yards away from a first down, Rhode completed a pass to senior Dan Ladd, who was then stripped by Davenport defender T.J. Douglas.
A huge swing in momentum shifted in Davenport’s favor, as they took advantage of a short field by scoring a touchdown three plays later.
Trailing 13-0, Saint Xavier’s offense took over at mid-field with 5:48 left in the quarter. A hurry up style offense moved the Cougars down field quickly, and took advantage of another free play after an offside call thanks to Rhode’s variation in his snap count. Rhode capped the four play, 50-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Dan Ladd to cut Davenport’s lead to six.
The Panthers offense extended their lead back to 13 almost immediately, as Krause methodically took his team into the end zone with a seven play, 37-yard drive in just over four and a half minutes of game time.
Saint Xavier fell victim to another gutsy onside kick call by Davenport on the kickoff following their score. The Panthers did well to control the clock from that point on and the Cougar offense had no answer to Davenport’s athletic defense.
Offensively, Rhode was pressured all afternoon and had few opportunities to stand in the pocket and scan the field. He was sacked six times. Also, Saint Xavier missed freshman Jamari Watson in their backfield, as the Cougars totaled just 52 yards on the ground.
Dan Ladd was Rhode’s go-to target in this one, as he racked up 77 receiving yards on seven catches and a touchdown. Stephen Simms led the Cougar backfield with 48 yards rushing on seven carries, while Mike Ivlow gained 74 yards total on the afternoon.
The Cougars record stands at 2-4 and are in the midst of a three game losing streak. They hope to right the ship against Concordia University Saturday, October 8 during homecoming week.
Mike Rankin
Senior Sports Editor