Many Saint Xavier football players remember when St. Thomas University came to Chicago in 2022 and beat the Cougars by three touchdowns.
Those players were seeking revenge in a rematch at Deaton Field on Sept. 14, but that didn’t happen.
SXU, ranked 8th in the nation by NAIA coaches, dropped a 33-14 decision to STU in the Cougars’ home opener. St. Thomas won, 31-10, the first time the two teams met two years ago.
St. Thomas (2-0) scored the game’s first 27 points and the Cougars (1-1) could not recover.
Saint Xavier fifth-year senior Stuart Ross did make history in the game, as he completed 26 passes and is now the all-time SXU leader in that category with 744. John Rhodes set the former mark of 733 between 2013 and 2016.
Ross is one of a handful of players who are either fifth-year seniors or graduate students playing an extra year because of a COVID exemption. The Springfield native could set more records before season’s end.
“He’s won a lot of football games for us,” Cougars coach Mike Feminis said. “I’m happy for him. Last year we made a rough decision and he lost a quarterback battle [to Aidan Voss]. But he stepped back in early in the season because of an injury and had a fantastic season.”
SXU’s Jessi Plunkett, an Evergreen Park native and Brother Rice graduate, had nine carries for 54 yards and Joe Polselli, an Evergreen Park native and St. Rita graduate, had four receptions for 24 yards and had two punts land inside the STU 20.
In his first SXU start, St. Rita graduate Zach Norred had six tackles and a forced fumble.
The Cougars visit Madonna University on Sept. 21 in Livonia, Michigan.
Madonna (0-2) had five players attempt passes in a 28-27 loss to Judson on Sept. 7. Only two players threw passes when Madonna lost to Division III Adrian, 38-20, on Sept. 14.