TIGERS FALL SHORT IN CLOSE CONTEST AGAINST ST. XAVIER

CHICAGO, Ill. — Saint Xavier (IL) defeated Olivet Nazarene (IL) 21-14 at Deaton Field, overcoming a late fourth-quarter touchdown by Olivet Nazarene.

Kaleb Garner completed 12 of 19 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, despite one interception. Ray Coffey caught five passes for 46 yards, securing two touchdowns in the process. On the ground, Aaron Bennett led with 77 rushing yards on 14 attempts. Defensively, Vaisen Viloria recorded 11 tackles, anchoring the team's defensive efforts.

The Tigers hold a record of 5-4 overall and 1-3 in conference play. The Cougars stand at 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference.

The game commenced with Olivet Nazarene opting to defer after winning the coin toss. Brayden Wooley's kickoff reached the Saint Xavier 8-yard line, where Mario Price returned it to the 23-yard line. Following a brief possession by the home team, the Tigers regained control, only for Jack Miller's pass to be intercepted by Terry Elias Jr., setting up the Cougars at the visitor's 26-yard line.

Subsequently, the visitors' defense created a pivotal turnover as John Harman forced a fumble, recovered by Mike White, returning possession to the Tigers. This led to a promising drive highlighted by Garner's 19-yard rush and several short completions, yet the drive stalled after a blocked field goal attempt by Josiah Johnson. The first quarter concluded with the score tied at 0-0.

In the second quarter, Olivet Nazarene struggled to gain momentum against Saint Xavier. After a 29-yard field goal by Christian Casillas put the Cougars ahead early in the quarter, the Tigers attempted to respond but faced challenges, including a drive that ended with a sack of Garner for a 12-yard loss. Olivet Nazarene's defense showed resilience with key tackles by Kennarius Chandler and DaShaunsae King, but the Cougars extended their lead with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Dominic D'Ambrosio to Ronnie Foster. Despite a strong 32-yard kickoff return by Rusten Abang-Perez, Olivet Nazarene could not capitalize and ended the quarter trailing 13-0.

The Tigers capitalized on a penalty by the Cougars early in the third quarter, advancing to the SXU23 with a series of successful plays by Bennett and a 19-yard pass from Garner to Blake Lamb. Garner then connected with Coffey for a 7-yard touchdown pass at 10:06, followed by a successful extra point by Johnson, narrowing the score to 13-7. Olivet Nazarene continued their offensive efforts but were stalled in subsequent drives, ending the quarter trailing 13-7 with no further scoring.

In the fourth quarter, Olivet Nazarene surged ahead with a crucial touchdown as Garner connected with Coffey for a 7-yard score at 4:49, followed by a successful extra point by Johnson. Despite a turnover earlier in the quarter, the Tigers managed to regain possession and capitalize on a blocked punt by Matthew Yoder, setting up their scoring opportunity.

The Cougars responded with a late touchdown, completing a 49-yard pass to Price with just 1:40 remaining. However, Olivet Nazarene attempted a final drive, moving the ball to the SXU17 before an unnecessary roughness penalty halted their progress. The game concluded with Saint Xavier securing a narrow 21-14 victory.

—ONU—

*Contact: Annabel Murley, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, almurley@olivet.edu