|
Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006
NAIA FCS Semifinal set
Midwest heads mideast to play for a
ticket south when St. Xavier University travels to the
University of Saint Francis for one of two NAIA Football
Championship Series semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 2.
NAIA officials announced the
semifinals late Saturday night.
Centennial Wireless will have discount
vouchers for USF fans and tickets will go on sale at the Tom
Jehl Football Complex on Monday at 1 p.m. and continue
through Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets
will be on sale on Saturday at 10 a.m. when gates open for
$12.
This is the fourth consecutive
semifinal appearance for USF, the third consecutive at
Bishop D'Arcy Stadium.
The SXU Cougars, who finished second
behind St. Ambrose in the Mid-States Football Association
Midwest League, ranked No. 9 in the final NAIA Top 25
rating. SXU advanced to Saturday’s semifinal game at Bishop
D’Arcy Stadium against top-ranked USF at noon by winning
twice on the road – 42-28 at No. 7 Georgetown on Nov. 18 and
then 14-7 on Saturday (Nov. 25) at Carroll 14-7.
SXU, under the direction of head coach
Mike Feminis, has won six consecutive games to advance to
the school’s first NAIA FCS semifinal. SXU is playing in its
third NAIA FCS.
This will be the fourth meeting
between SXU and USF. The USF Cougars won the most recent
meeting 34-30 at USF in the first round of the NAIA FCS in
2002. USF leads the series 3-0.
“They have been playing good football
the whole season,” USF coach Kevin Donley said. “We just got
a refresher against Bethel on playing well and executing
every play, every game, because we get everybody’s best
shot. (SXU) has won two games on the road against two of the
best teams in the country. This will be our toughest test of
the season.”
SXU features a passing attack that has
completed 65 percent of its passes between starting QB Billy
Yeo and reserve Jeremy Zientek. The Cougars’ top receiver is
an Indiana native, senior All-American candidate Andy Ricca
(LaPorte, Ind.). Ricca (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) averages 73.9
yards per game, 12.2 yards per reception and has seven TD
receptions.
This semifinal pits the MSFA MEL
Player of the Year – Brian Kurtz – against the MSFA MWL
Player of the Year – Ricca.
USF advanced to the semifinal when QB
Eric Hooks connected with WR Zach Rainey with 56 seconds to
play for a 17-yard TD that wiped out a 35-34 Bethel College
(TN) lead.
SXU Series: USF leads 3-0
USF 56 @ SXU 28
@ USF 42, SXU 38
2002 @ USF 34, SXU 30 – NAIA FCS 1st
Round
For stats, go to
http://www.mid-statesfootball.org/
Saint Xavier Univ. Combined Team Statistics
(Through games of Nov 26, 2006)
All games
RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL
ALL GAMES........... (10-2-0) (4-1-0) (6-1-0) (0-0-0)
CONFERENCE.......... (7-1-0) (3-0-0) (4-1-0) (0-0-0)
NON-CONFERENCE...... (3-1-0) (1-1-0) (2-0-0) (0-0-0)
DATE OPPONENT W/L SCORE ATTEND
09/02/06 LAMBUTH UNIVERSITY W
48-0
3702
*Sep 09, 2006 at #5 McKendree, IL W
13-10
2000
Sep 16, 2006 MALONE, OH L
21-24
2105
*Sep 23, 2006 ST. FRANCIS, IL W
31-19
2646
*Sep 30, 2006 at Olivet Nazerene U. W
30-7
1672
*Oct 07, 2006 at #8 St. Ambrose, IA L
27-35
3200
*Oct 14, 2006 WILLIAM PENN, IA W
34-9
2100
*Oct 21, 2006 at Quincy, Ill. W
24-12
319
*Oct 28, 2006 at Iowa Wesleyan W
45-7
400
*Nov 11, 2006 TRINITY INTER, IL W
31-0
2000
Nov 18, 2006 at #7 Georgetown, KY W
42-28
-
Nov 25, 2006 at #4 Carroll College W
14-7
6000
NAIA FCS Semifinals - Saturday, December 2, 2006
#9 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (10-2) at #1 Saint Francis
(Ind.) (12-0), Noon EST
#5 Missouri Valley (13-0) at #2 Sioux Falls (S.D.)
(12-0), Noon CST
Quarterfinals - Saturday, November 25, 2006
Saint Francis (Ind.) (12-0) def Bethel (Tenn.) (10-3),
42-35
Sioux Falls (S.D.) (12-0) def Morningside (Iowa) (9-3),
37-7
Saint Xavier (Ill.) (10-2) def Carroll (Mont.) (11-2),
14-7
Missouri Valley (13-0) def Northwestern (Iowa) (11-2),
33-26
First Round Results
#1
Saint
Francis
(Ind.) (11-0) def. #16
Walsh
(Ohio) (9-3), 42-3
#6
Northwestern Iowa
(11-1) def. #12
Black
Hills State
(S.D.) (8-3), 17-10
#9
Saint
Xavier
(Ill.) (9-2) def. #7
Georgetown
(Ky.) (9-2), 42-28
#4
Carroll
(Mont.) (11-1) def. #11
Montana
State Northern (9-3),
20-7
#2
Sioux
Falls
(S.D.) (11-0) def. #15
Jamestown
(N.D.) (8-3), 48-10
#13
Morningside
(Iowa) (9-2) def. #3
Saint
Ambrose
(Iowa) (10-1), 38-31 (2OT)
#8
Bethel
(Tenn.) (10-2) def. #10
Friends
(Kan.) (9-2), 35-0
#5
Missouri
Valley
(12-0) def. #14
Bethel
(Kan.) (9-2), 31-14
-- GO
USF -- |
