ADRIAN, Mich. -- After taking a halftime lead, the 25th-ranked Siena Heights football team struggled during the final 30 minutes and dropped a 28-17 decision to No. 6 Saint Francis (Ind.) in a Mid-States Football Association Mideast League opener at O'Laughlin Stadium on Saturday.
The Saints went ahead, 17-14, as time expired on the first half as kicker Victor Bodrie connected for a 34-yard field goal. From there, the visiting Cougars scored the game's final 14 points.
Linebackers Tyler Karcher and Trenton Bragg led the SHU defense with 11 1/2 and 10 1/2 tackles, respectively, whileSederick Dunbar II made an interception.
On offense, quarterback Matt King completed 19 of 27 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Wide receiver Reggie Blackmon added five receptions for 70 yards while tight end Donovan Campbell had five catches for 65 yards and a score.
In the running game, Ja'Tice Shaw II had 13 carries for 59 yards and a TD while fellow running back Travis Damronrushed 17 times for 53 yards.
SHU scored all 17 of its points during the second quarter, including back-to-back touchdowns to help itself to a 14-7 lead.
Running back Garrett Harvey had aided USF to an early 7-0 lead before SHU came back with 14 points.
King found Campbell for an 11-yard score and, later, Shaw found his way into the end zone from seven yards out with 2:23 left in the half.
Just 1:22 later, Saint Francis quarterback David Yoder threw the first of his three TD passes -- this one a 12-yarder to Akeim Kelsaw with 1:01 left. That USF drive went 70 yards in six plays.
SHU answered with its final go-ahead drive -- six plays for 67 yards -- that culminated with Bodrie's kick.
In the second half, the Saints found themselves in USF territory on two occasions, but could not come away with any points. One drive ended when SHU was stopped on 4th-and-1. Another march came up empty when it stopped on a fumble.
Yoder found wide receiver Aaron Knight for a four-yard score in the third and then tacked on some insurance in the fourth on a 28-yard hookup to wide receiver Seth Coate -- just one play after the aforementioned SHU fumble.
Yoder was 29 of 42 for 250 yards. He completed passes to 11 different receivers. Harvey had 25 carries for 79 yards.
For the Saint Francis defense, safety Erick Humphrey had nine tackles while inside linebacker Kyle Mathewson made seven stops; both had fumble recoveries.
Defensive lineman Zach Bruce added a sack and cornerback Tracy Hathaway had an interception.
Statistically, the teams were evenly matched. USF outgained the Saints, 374-363, with SHU winning the ground battle (140-117) and the Cougars taking the air battle (257-223). The Saints committed three turnovers to USF's one.
Siena Heights will return to action next Saturday with another home game when defending NAIA champ Marian (Ind.) visits for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
