No. 5 IWU Wildcats Prove Too Strong for Cougars to Overcome
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (3-4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Indiana Wesleyan (6-1) | 10 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 44 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Saturday afternoon the University of Saint Francis Cougars (3-4; 1-3 MSFA MEL) faced another tough challenge when they traveled to Marion, Indiana to take on the No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats (6-1; 4-0 MSFA MEL) but couldn't overcome the might Wildcats attack as they fell 44-0.
The Wildcats set the tone at the beginning showing just why they're the number five ranked team in the NAIA. After the Cougars defense stopped the Wildcats in the game's opening drive, an interception thrown by junior quarterback Luke Robertson gave Wesleyan the ball back and they capitalized, taking the lead on a one-yard touchdown run.
From there, matters only got worse as the Cougars fumbled the ball on their next drive giving Wesleyan the ball right back, and the Wildcats cashed in with a 43-yard field goal to put Saint Francis in a 10-0 hole.
No more scoring was done in the frame as the first quarter ended with the score 10-0.
Just two plays into the second half, another interception was thrown by the Cougars and resulted in an 11-yard touchdown pass for the Wildcats to extend the margin to 17-0. Wesleyan got another chance late in the half and the Cougar defense could do nothing to stop the relentless offensive attack the Wildcats were imposing.
Another touchdown was scored as the game went to halftime with the Cougars trailing 24-0.
Heading into the second half, the Wildcats picked up where they left off. The Cougars started the half with the ball but a three-and-out gave Wesleyan the ball back. Throughout the third quarter, two more touchdowns were scored by the Wildcats, including a 40-yard interception return and down by 37, the deficit was too much to overcome as the Cougars suffered the tough loss.
Throughout the game the Cougars managed just 153 yards on offense, with 90 on the ground and 63 in the air with three interceptions thrown.
The Cougars resume play next Saturday afternoon when they return home to Bishop D'Arcy Stadium to take on the Taylor University Trojans (4-3; 2-1 MSFA MEL) with kickoff set for 12:00 pm.
Cougar fans, stay updated with all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting Saintfranciscougars.com or by downloading the Saint Francis Cougars app.
