Marian 49, St. Francis (Ill.) 7
I had hoped that the meeting of Marian University and the University of St. Francis (Illinois) in the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics postseason tournament would be a thrilling matchup. I rationalized that schools didn’t make the playoffs unless they were pretty good, right?
The two schools had played each other only twice previously, in 2009 and again in 2010, and both times Marian prevailed. Marian entered the game 11-0, winner of the season’s Mid-States Football Association Mideast League championship. It also was the top-ranked NAIA school in the country. St. Francis, 10-2, was ranked 11th.
St. Francis took the opening kickoff and marched downfield from its own 30-yard line to Marian’s 16 yard-line before an intentional grounding penalty pushed the Saints back to the 36 yard-line and forced them to punt.
The two schools had played each other only twice previously, in 2009 and again in 2010, and both times Marian prevailed. Marian entered the game 11-0, winner of the season’s Mid-States Football Association Mideast League championship. It also was the top-ranked NAIA school in the country. St. Francis, 10-2, was ranked 11th.
St. Francis took the opening kickoff and marched downfield from its own 30-yard line to Marian’s 16 yard-line before an intentional grounding penalty pushed the Saints back to the 36 yard-line and forced them to punt.
After that, this opening-round tournament game was all Marian. No contest.
Knights’ freshman running back Tevin Lake rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries and was named NAIA FCS offensive player of the game. In the lead photo at the top of this post, Lake (10) is shown scoring on his first touchdown, a 9-yard run in the second quarter that gave Marian a 14-0 lead.
Knights’ freshman running back Tevin Lake rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries and was named NAIA FCS offensive player of the game. In the lead photo at the top of this post, Lake (10) is shown scoring on his first touchdown, a 9-yard run in the second quarter that gave Marian a 14-0 lead.
Junior quarterback Adam Wiese threw three TD passes among his 10 completions in 13 attempts and 165 yards, and senior wide receiver Julian Williams had four catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 40 yards.
The Knights scored once in the first quarter on Wiese’s 37-yard pass to Williams, and Lake ran for two TDs in the second to help Marian to a 21-0 lead at half. Williams and Lake scored again in the third quarter, and a Wiese 47-yard pass to John Hasty and a 2-yard run by Clifford Brown in the fourth quarter gave the Knights an insurmountable 49-0 lead with 6:06 remaining.
The Saints scored a meaningless touchdown with 1:38 remaining to close the scoring, denying the Marian defense its sixth shutout of the season.
Marian defenders picked off four Saints passes, and senior defensive back Eric Sheppard was responsible for two of those. He returned one for 29 yards and the other for 64 yards. He also led the team with nine tackles (five solo) and was named the NAIA FCS defensive player of the game.
Marian defenders picked off four Saints passes, and senior defensive back Eric Sheppard was responsible for two of those. He returned one for 29 yards and the other for 64 yards. He also led the team with nine tackles (five solo) and was named the NAIA FCS defensive player of the game.
The Knights had beaten their next tournament opponent, Saint Xavier University (Chicago), 27-9, in a home contest just four weeks earlier. But the No. 5 Cougars were better prepared for the rematch. The Cougars led 30-27, with 3:54 and two timeouts remaining in the game, when Marian got the ball and mounted a drive in which it reached the Cougars' 1-yard line. Penalties pushed the Knights back to the 10-yard line on second and goal.
After a Wiese pass into the end zone on second down was batted down by a Cougars defender, another Wiese pass into the end zone on third down was tipped into a defender’s hands, sealing the Saint Xavier victory and sending the Cougars to their first-ever national championship game in any sport.
Marian ended the season 12-1. Two weeks later, Saint Xavier defeated No. 2 Carroll College (Helena, Mont.), 24-20, in the 56th annual Russell Athletic NAIA football championship at Barron Stadium in Rome, Ga. Carroll had been hoping to secure its seventh national championship.
Despite the disappointment, the Knights were in the thick of the NAIA title hunt the following season as well, and this time, they made it to the championship game against Morningside College (Sioux City, Iowa). They rallied from a 20-10 third quarter deficit to force the game into overtime, this time prevailing, 30-27, which ironically was the same score that had ended their season in 2011. It was Marian’s first-ever NAIA football championship and the 20th overall in the university’s history.
After a down year in 2013, the Knights would make it to the national title game again in 2014,’15 and ’19. The opponent in the first two games, Southern Oregon, ended with mixed results. The Knights lost, 55-31, in 2014 then regained the title, 31-14, in 2015. Both games were played in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Despite the disappointment, the Knights were in the thick of the NAIA title hunt the following season as well, and this time, they made it to the championship game against Morningside College (Sioux City, Iowa). They rallied from a 20-10 third quarter deficit to force the game into overtime, this time prevailing, 30-27, which ironically was the same score that had ended their season in 2011. It was Marian’s first-ever NAIA football championship and the 20th overall in the university’s history.
After a down year in 2013, the Knights would make it to the national title game again in 2014,’15 and ’19. The opponent in the first two games, Southern Oregon, ended with mixed results. The Knights lost, 55-31, in 2014 then regained the title, 31-14, in 2015. Both games were played in Daytona Beach, Fla.
In 2019, unbeatens Marian and Morningside fought to a 40-38 finish, with top-ranked Morningside (14-0) prevailing in Grambling, La. Marian finished 12-1. The Knights also would play in the postseason tournament in 2020, '21 (quarterfinalist), '22 (quarterfinalist) and '23 (second round).
To view a full gallery of images from the Marian-St. Francis (Ill.) game, follow the link in this sentence.
Above: St. Francis running back Connor Krisch is chased by Marian defensive lineman Nate McIntosh early in the contest.
Above: The Knights' Eric Sheppard is in the middle of the return of his first of two interceptions for the day.
Above: Defensive lineman Seth Vondersaar (22) dogged St. Francis quarterback E.J. White all afternoon, and he led the Knights with 12 tackles. But here on special teams, he was cited by game officials for running into Fighting Saints punter Michael Rogers in first-half action.
Above: Tevin Lake found the opening in the line to begin a 24-yard scamper for the Knights' third touchdown of the game at 7:24 of the second quarter.
Seth Vondersaar (22) came close to blocking this pass (above) from St. Francis quarterback E.J. White. Below, White tried to make some headway by carrying the ball on the ground, but lurking on the other side of offensive lineman J.C. Shoop (52) is Knights' defensive lineman Suavve Barker (77).
Above: Several Fighting Saints players were injured Saturday. A leg injury to junior Luis Santana (46) brought the game to a halt to allow trainers to stabilize the leg and get him into a cart to seek more thorough medical attention. With him is teammate Wayne Johnson (8).
Above: To score the Knights' last touchdown from two yards out, running back Clifford Brown (25) elected to try and hurdle the Fighting Saints' defensive line. He succeeded in scoring but paid the price: a St. Francis defender snagged Brown's ankles, forcing Brown to complete the play with a crash landing.
Above: St. Francis receiver Dustin Greenwell (81) couldn't catch this E.J. White pass. Defending for Marian is Robert Palmer (24).
Above: Marian's Nick Bradford picked up some yardage before bracing for a collision with a Fighting Saints defender on this fourth-quarter run.
Above: Marian starting quarterback Adam Wiese enjoyed much of the fourth quarter from the sidelines as reserves took the field. Wiese completed 10 of 13 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Above and below: St. Francis special teams player Thomas White (31) tried valiantly to maintain his balance to down a punt before his momentum could carry him into the end zone, but he couldn't manage it. Officials (below) ruled White crossed the goal line before releasing the ball, forcing a touchback and giving the Knights the ball at the 20-yard line.
Above: Marian's Eric Sheppard intercepted a pass by St. Francis' E.J. White at the home team's 2-yard line in the second quarter and returned it 64 yards in a sprint down the left sideline before White caught up to him and forced Sheppard out of bounds.
Above: A St. Francis ball carrier was sent airborne during an attempt to hurdle fallen players on the turf.
Above: Marian players huddle at the center of the field for a moment of reflection at the conclusion of the game.
Next up: Chapter 10, Marian University campus
Previously in Game Day Revisited:
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