INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Your University of Saint Francis football team headed to Indianapolis, IN to play in the 19th annual Franciscan Bowl against the #5 ranked Marian Knights. The Cougars were on a four-game winning streak, hoping to snap their five-game losing streak to the team from down south. Throughout the game, the Cougars had their chances, but with five interceptions and defensive setbacks, Marian went on to win their 7th straight and take home the Franciscan trophy for the 6^th straight time, with a final score of 14-24. 

The game began with the Cougar defense forcing a fast three-and-out, giving the offense a favorable field position at the USF 41 at the 13:53 mark. The first offensive drive started smoothly, with Grant Gremel completing passes to Adjaye Dandridge for 7 yards and McCall Ray for 10, along with some strong runs by Cam Peterson. The drive resulted in an Aidan Hosler field goal attempt from 39 yards, but it was blocked, ending the drive after 4 minutes and 26 seconds. Both teams had a few punts, and an interception by Danny Lewis of Marian set their offense up in great field position at the USF 38-yard line. A 38-yard pass from Zach Bundalo to a receiver marked the first scoring play at the end of the first quarter, making it 7-0.

The beginning of the second quarter proved challenging for the Cougars as another drive ended with a fourth-down attempt on fourth and two, resulting in a nine-yard sack by the Knights' defense. The Cougar defense gave up a significant play when William Gibson had a 52-yard run, which was stopped by defensive lineman Chamarr Smith at the 1-yard line. Zach Bundalo then finished with a quarterback sneak, making it 14-0 at the 11:21 mark in the 2nd quarter. However, two drives later, things began to look up. A Derek Robb 46-yard punt pinned the Marian offense deep at the 2-yard line, providing an opportunity for the Cougar defense. They capitalized on this, forcing a fumble by Nate Talhelm. The offense started their drive at the Marian 12-yard line, and with rushes from both David Smith and Cam Peterson, the Cougars scored with a 2-yard rush, ending the scoring drought at the 6:32 mark in the 2nd quarter, making it 14-7. The next Marian drive was eventful, with back-to-back pass interference calls by the Cougar defense and two false starts from Marian. The drive gained momentum when Zach Bundalo completed a 34-yard pass to Tirae Spence, putting them in the red zone. After a few more penalties and rushes, the drive concluded with an 11-yard pass to the corner of the end zone to Jake Reichard at the 3:53 mark. Another Grant Gremel interception ended the first half.

On the bright side, the Cougar defense shone in the second half, giving up only a field goal. Both the Marian and USF offenses struggled, and a notable play was Marlon Pomilli's field goal from 42 yards at the 5:52 mark in the 3rd quarter, extending the lead to 7-24. It wasn't until the 14:56 mark in the 4th quarter that the Cougar offense found some momentum, scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run by Indy native Cam Peterson making it 14-24. Despite having a total of four interceptions on the day, Grant Gremel's offense couldn't mount a comeback. The Cougars had a chance with a promising drive, but it stalled, and the game was sealed when he threw his fifth interception to Dwight Lewis III, giving him his third of the day alone at the 2:17 mark in the 4th. A Keagan La Belle-led drive followed, ending in a victory formation for the Knights' offense, and that was the end of the game. The Franciscan trophy remained in Indy.

The Cougars will be back home vs undefeated #4 ranked IWU starting at 1:00 PM on October 28^th at Bishop D'arcy Stadium. Get your tickets now!

Cougars fans can stay informed about upcoming events and game recaps by visiting saintfranciscougars.com or downloading the Saint Francis Cougars app.