SXU Athletics
It never looked pretty for the Saint Xavier Cougar football team this weekend, but that does not mean they were out of the game.
The then-No. 10 Cougars lost 41-37 to the then-No. 8 Grand View Vikings in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday.
Despite turning the football over five times in the game, Saint Xavier still had a chance to capture the lead in the final minute of play.
Down 41-35, the Cougars marched down the field after taking over the football at their own 20-yard line.
It was the smoothest offensive drive of the game for the Cougars, but in an instant the smooth operation turned to dust.
After an offside penalty against the Vikings gifted Saint Xavier a first-and-goal, the Cougars worked to the 4-yard line on third down with the clock under 40 seconds.
The handoff went to junior running back Joshua Hunter, who was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. As he fought to gain yardage, senior Viking linebacker Adam Wenck stripped the ball and the Vikings recovered to end what could have been the go-ahead drive.
Hunter’s fumble was the fifth and final turnover of the game for Saint Xavier. Sophomore quarterback John Rhode had fumbled on consecutive drives in the second quarter, and he began the game’s first two drives with interceptions.
The Cougars would have a chance to possess the ball one more time in the fourth quarter following a three-and-out from the Viking offense and an intentional safety on fourth down that made the score 41-37.
Saint Xavier took over at its own 47-yard line with 16 seconds remaining. Two incomplete passes led to a last-ditch trick play.
Rhode pitched the ball to sophomore receiver Ryan Carroll, who delivered a pass to senior receiver Nick DeBenedetti. DeBenedetti tried for the lateral, but he was tackled as time expired.
Rhode’s interception on the game’s opening drive led to a Grand View touchdown just two plays later, but Viking kicker Ben Hurley missed the extra point attempt.
The Cougars would have a chance later in the game in part because of poor special teams play by Grand View. Hurley missed three extra points (one blocked), missed a 46-yard field goal, had a blocked punt and had another punt that netted eight yards.
Because of the first missed extra point and the missed field goal, the Cougars took a 7-6 lead on a seven-yard run by freshman running back Mike Ivlow and a successful Abdul Mahdi extra point.
That lead would not last long. The Saint Xavier defense was on the field for nearly 10 minutes in the first quarter and another nine minutes in the third quarter.
The defensive unit was consistently tested by fatigue and bad field position because of turnovers.
For the most part, the defense responded. But with Grand View’s offense given a short field on many drives, points were inevitable.
The Cougars were down 18-7 when they blocked a Hurley punt and freshman Drey Devereaux recovered at the Grand View 48-yard line.
Finally given a short field of its own, the Cougar offense still could not get going and the field goal unit came on.
On fourth-and-four, the snap went to senior holder Patrick Kelso, who got up and scooted down the field to the one-yard line. After a false start penalty, Rhode completed a five-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Stephen Simms on third down.
The wind left the Saint Xavier sails almost immediately, though, as two plays after the ensuing kickoff Viking quarterback Derek Fulton broke away for a 78-yard touchdown.
The Cougar offense responded with a 25-yard Rhode run, followed by a 40-yard touchdown pass to DeBenedetti in the corner of the end zone. That score sent Saint Xavier into halftime with just a 25-21 deficit.
Grand View took the second-half kickoff back for a touchdown, and then the Cougars drove down the field for a touchdown of their own. But a high snap from sophomore center Sean Jones resulted in a safety that lengthened the Grand View lead to 34-28.
Another touchdown for each team, including another Ivlow score, had the Cougars within a touchdown before the fourth-quarter collapse.
The schedule does not get much easier for Saint Xavier from here. The Cougars have three consecutive games against teams that have been ranked at one point or another this season.
Another performance like the one against Grand View will put the playoffs in jeopardy.
Next up is the University of Saint Francis (Indiana), a team that has fallen on hard times with three losses in its last four games.
That matchup between the two sets of Cougars is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Deaton Memorial Field this Saturday. The radio broadcast is available over WXAV 88.3 FM.
Tim Carroll
Senior Sports Editor
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