(RV) SF Upsets No. 22 ONU 30-22
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#22 Olivet Nazarene (5-3) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 22 |
|
(RV) Saint Francis (7-2) | 0 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 30 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind.- The (RV) University of Saint Francis Cougars earned an upset victory over No. 22 Olivet Nazarene University on Saturday, November 1, during the Cougars' Military Appreciation Game at Bishop D'Arcy Stadium. The 30-22 win pushed Saint Francis to 7–2 overall, marking its fourth consecutive home win of the season.
After a slow start, the Cougars stormed back from an early 7–0 deficit behind a balanced offensive attack led by quarterback Joshua Kulka and running back Azariah Wallace. Olivet Nazarene struck first on a 78-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter, but Saint Francis answered in the second after Kulka found tight end Chris Mullen for a 17-yard score to even the game at 7-7. Following an ONU field goal, kicker Austin Deleon tied things at 10 with a 32-yard field goal of his own. Just before halftime, Kulka connected with Crosley MacEachen on a seven-yard touchdown to give USF a 17-10 lead at the break.
The Cougars extended their lead early in the fourth quarter when Azariah Wallace broke free for a 24-yard touchdown run. Wallace sealed the win later in the game with a 40-yard scoring burst, finishing the day with 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.
The Saint Francis offense finished with 424 yards of total offense. Kulka completed 25 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns, spreading the ball across six different receivers. Mullen led all Cougar receivers with seven catches for 99 yards, while MacEachen added six grabs for 71 yards and a score.
The Cougars' defense limited Olivet to just 52 rushing yards and held firm in key moments—recording six sacks and coming away with two interceptions. Marquise Cross led the Cougars with eight total tackles, including three tackles for a loss of 17 yards and a forced fumble. Cross, Bobby Weiler, AJ Moore and Nate Johnson combined for crucial sacks, while Weiler recovered a fumble forced by Elijah Hunter. Gregory Holmes III and Nick Nondorf each picked off passes to keep the Tigers off balance.
Up next, the Cougars will travel to Joliet, Illinois to face the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) on November 8 before returning home to face Judson University during Senior Day on November 15.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.
