FORT WAYNE, Ind. –  It took just over 16 minutes for the University of Saint Francis to score, but once the No. 5 Cougars did, they outscored No. 6 Saint Xavier 42-10 and locked up the program’s 100^th win with a 42-13 victory on Saturday afternoon at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium.

   “We really played as close to a complete game as possible,” USF Coach Kevin Donley said after getting his 100^th win at USF and 215^th career victory. “We

played well in nearly every phase of the game. Doug Wasylk really played the way we knew he could play.

  “Daniel Carter, Taylor Vieck, seniors Brian Smiley, Echo (Josh Ekovich), Zach Rainey, Bo Thompson, William Knepper, Tim Farrell, so many names the list just goes on and on.”

  USF assured itself an NAIA Football Championship Series first-round home game with its 44th consecutive home win.

  "This was a big win not only for this team but for all 10 teams," Donley declared. "It's something for all of us to be proud of."

  USF expected to learn its first-round opponent by mid-afternoon on Sunday (Nov. 11).

   Carter scored on a 15-yard pass from quarterback Jeff Wedding and on a 7-yard run. Vieck caught a 9-yard TD pass from Wedding and ran for a 12-yard TD. Wedding threw three TD passes including a 10-yard pass to tight-end Jeremiah Wood. And Wedding got a TD himself with a 1-yard sneak.

  On defense, Farrell had two QB hurries. Bret Winegardner forced a fumble. And DB Paul Carter III tied the USF record for career interceptions when he picked off a Billy Yeo pass in the end zone, his 18^th career pick tying the record set by Scott Payne (1998-01). LB Carl Thomas led USF with eight tackles and Jarrell Hunter added seven along with a near interception.

   Though Wasylk didn’t score, he rushed for 94 yards on just eight carries. Carter and Vieck each pitched in 71 yards rushing apiece helping USF to 267 yards rushing against the No. 1 rushing defense in the Mid-States Football Association yielding just 64.3 yards per game.

   “We wanted to make a kind of statement today and I’d say we did a pretty solid job,” Donley said.  

   USF finished with 520 yard total offense, the most surrendered by SXU (9-2, 5-2 MSFA MEL) this season. Ohio Dominican had 506 in a 42-41 win at SXU and Malone had 514.

   “We felt like we’d done a good job of just giving up field goal,” USF’s Paul Carter said about Shane Longest’s 44-yard field goal. SXU led 3-0 with 8:19 to play in the first quarter.

   Daniel Carter put USF in front for good when he hauled in a 15-yard pass from Wedding with 13:40 to play in the second quarter.

  USF added to its lead after Winegardner forced a Jim Doherty fumble after a reception and Anthony Harber recovered it for USF at the SXU 23-yard line. On fourth and goal just inches from the goal line, Wedding slashed in for the TD and Rhys Barnhart made it 14-3 with 1:35 left in the first half. Longest added a 37-yard field goal cutting the deficit to 14-6 at the half.