It was a chilly Saturday afternoon in Bourbonnais, Illinois when the #18 best team in the NAIA, the Saint Xavier Cougars, came into town to play the Olivet Nazarene Tigers.
SXU entered the game with a 7-3 record and was coming off of a 44-28 victory over St. Francis (IL) last week. Olivet Nazarene entered the game with a 4-4 record and was coming off of a 36-40 loss to Indiana Wesleyan last week.
In front of 700 people, the game kicked off with the Tigers getting the ball. The Tigers managed to get the ball down the field and kicked a 33-yard field goal to put them up 3-0.
Neither team was able to get anything started for the rest of the quarter. The second quarter began with a missed 39-yard field goal from the Cougars.
After a few failed drives from both teams, the Tigers were able to kick a 26-yard field goal to put them up 6-0.
After multiple failed drives from SXU and Olivet Nazarene, the first half came to a close with Olivet Nazarene up 6-0. The second half started with Saint Xavier getting the ball.
The Cougars and Tigers traded failed drives before SXU was able to march down the field and kick an 18-yard field goal to make the score 6-3 in favor of Olivet Nazarene.
The Tigers got the ball back, but Olivet Nazarene quarterback Jordan Lawton threw an interception to SXU defensive back Kevin Block, giving the Cougars the ball.
Eventually, SXU quarterback Justin Hunniford threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Elliot Pipkin to put the Cougars up 10-6.
The Tigers failed to retaliate and the third quarter finished with SXU up 10-6. The fourth quarter started with Hunniford scoring a 2-yard rushing touchdown to put the Cougars up 17-6.
After a failed Olivet Nazarene drive, SXU marched down the field and Hunniford threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Harold Davis to put the Cougars up 24-6.
Olivet Nazarene responded with Jordan Lawton throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to make the score 24-14 in favor of the Cougars.
SXU failed to do much on their next drive and the Tigers got the ball back with five minutes left in the game.
The Tigers marched down the field and were able to kick a 26-yard field goal to make the score 24-17 with one minute left.
The Tigers needed to recover an onside kick in order to have a chance to tie the game, but they failed and the onside kick was recovered by the Cougars.
SXU kneeled to run out the clock and the game ended with the Cougars defeating the Tigers 24-17.
The Tigers fall to 4-5 on the year and wrap up their season next week against Saint Ambrose University.
The Cougars finish the regular season with an 8-3 record and have clinched their second consecutive MSFA Conference Championship.
Saint Xavier next plays on November 17th in the NAIA Football Championship Series against an unknown opponent.
Chris Leonchik
Sports Editor