MARION, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) football team kicked off the season at no. 6 Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday, September 7. The Cougars fell by a final score of 52-14. 

The Wildcats were able to take the early lead, but the Cougars were able to find their footing in the second quarter when Grant Gremel completed a 31-yard pass to O'Vauntay Vickers for USF's first touchdown of the night. The point-after attempt by Austin Deleon was good, making the score 38-7 at halftime.

Gremel connected with Eli Patchett for a short, 3-yard pass to put six more points on the board for Saint Francis. A successful point-after attempt would make the score 38-14 with less than five minutes to play in the third quarter. Indiana Wesleyan would score two more times in the third and fourth quarters en route to the 52-14 win to improve to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Gremel was 16 for 31 with 163 passing yards and two touchdowns. Vickers had five receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, while McCall Ray had three receptions for 56 yards. Defensively, Nate Newcomer finished the game with 13 total tackles, including eight solo. Newcomer also had an interception and a pass breakup against IWU. Jaydin Evans sacked the Wildcats' quarterback for a loss of seven yards, while Chamaar Smith added two tackles for a loss of 10 yards. 

Up next, USF football (0-1) will host Defiance College for the Cougars' home opener of the 2024 season on Saturday, September 14. 

Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.