CHICAGO – The Saginaw Valley State University football team improved to 3-4 after a 32-10 win on the road against National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member Saint Xavier snaps a four-game skid for the Cardinals.
SVSU took a 2-0 lead after a blocked punt by Eli Gordon moved the ball into the end zone and the Cougars registered a safety to put the points on the board on the game's opening drive.
Saint Xavier took a 3-2 lead in the opening minute of the second quarter after a 35-yard field goal sealed a 13-play, 52-yard drive by the home team. Nick Johnson scored on an eight-yard run that capped a 10-play, 54-yard drive and the Cards moved ahead 9-3 just above the halfway mark of the second quarter.
Mike O'Horo scored on a three-yard run to increase the lead to 15-3 in the closing minute of the first half. O'Horo finished with 17 rushing yards on the afternoon. Ryan Heicher completed a 35-yard field goal with two ticks on the clock in the first half to bring the score to 18-3 as the teams moved into the locker room for the break.
The score remained the same through the third quarter. O'Horo threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Eric Craft for a touchdown that finished a 12-play, 53-yard drive that increased the lead to 25-3. O'Horo completed 15-of-28 passes for 149 yards and two total touchdowns.
Mason McKenzie scored the final Saginaw Valley State touchdown after a 15-yard touchdown run to widen the gap to 29 points. The Cougars scored the game's final points on a 27-yard pass that put the score to its final result with 1:42 remaining in the game.
Alfred Dailey Jr., and Micah Cretsinger led the defense with six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Adom LeDuc recorded two sacks and five tackles to lead the pass rush. Leonard Henry IV also recorded five stops, 1.5 sacks, and two tackles for loss.
The Saginaw Valley State football team returns home to host Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference opponent Wayne State for the Cardinals homecoming game at Wickes Memorial Stadium with a 2:00 p.m., kickoff.