Dominic D’Ambrosio looking downfield SXU Athletics
Saint Xavier University (SXU) fell in its second game of the season to Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW), 49-14.
For the second consecutive year, the Cougars have opened with back-to-back losses, this time to the familiar UWW Warhawks, who have now stacked two clear-cut wins over SXU, and to Indiana Wesleyan, their next opponent. In the pros, an 0-2 record can be a building block. In college, a start like that has you almost looking ahead to next season.
SXU has only nine games left, and their margin for error is close to none as they try to avoid another three-loss season that would knock them out of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) playoff picture, if it hasn’t already. The Cougars need to tighten up on both sides of the ball to salvage the year, and quickly.
SXU asked quarterback Blainey Dowling to carry the load once more, and he threw 38 passes, with backup Dominic D’Ambrosio adding nine attempts and a touchdown. Unlike last week, Dowling didn’t throw a touchdown, but he again threw three costly interceptions–his legs weren’t much of a factor either: seven carries for just 13 yards.
The Cougars are still searching for a lead back. They ran for 105 yards on 30 attempts across five ball carriers, with redshirt senior Joey Thompson leading the way with 26 yards. Through the air, they managed only 225 yards on 47 attempts, though freshman standout Coen Demack put together another impressive showing, catching 12 of the team’s 26 receptions for 85 yards.
The receiving depth was on display again, with eight players seeing targets, including freshman running back Antonio Benson, who caught the Cougars’ only touchdown pass.
What the offense couldn’t maintain was the dynamic play that produced 31 points in Week One. The turnovers, meanwhile, kept coming–five this time, up from three last week. It’s hard to imagine this version of the team beating nationally recognized opponents when they are deficient running the ball, scrambling to find a suitable back, and over-reliant on a turnover-prone passing attack that needs explosive plays to survive.
It’s understandable to use the pass as an extension of the run, but the ground game has to be efficient in some regard for that style to work. Right now, SXU doesn’t have the horses up front to make it work, or the dropback passing game to make up for it.
It would be in the Cougars’ favor to experiment with motions and inserts that create numbers on the play side, or, if they had the body type, a Y tight end or H-back who can vary their looks and change angles in the run game.
Defensively, SXU allowed 485 yards and seven touchdowns, including another 200-plus-yard rushing performance and four scores on the ground. In recent years, the Cougars could get by on a middling offense because their stout defense suffocated opponents. That dominant element looks more like a turnstile this year, and it’s not something they can hang their hat on.
Owen Shickel led the way with eight tackles and a sack. Freshman Nathan Gonzalez added three tackles, two behind the line, including a sack, and junior David Burton chipped in one and a half tackles for loss and a sack. But like last week, individual efforts are hard to highlight when an opposing offense torches the unit as a whole.
A defense that used to make opponents earn every yard now wilts against a flurry of blows, and that puts even more pressure on an offense that already can’t protect the football.
That’s what makes this start so uncomfortable–neither side of the ball is covering for the other. Last season, SXU’s defense could absorb a sloppy offensive performance and keep games within a possession or two. This group can’t offer that luxury.
The road ahead is daunting, with two losses hanging over the Cougars’ heads and a tough matchup on the horizon. Still, conference play hasn’t begun, and SXU should be aiming to secure its spot atop the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) in spite of the early losses.
About Post Author
