2005 Saint Francis Cougars football team

American college football season

2005 Saint Francis Cougars football

NAIA national runner-up
MSFA (MEL) champion

Conference| Mid-States Football Association
Division| Mideast League
Record| 13–1 (7–0 MSFA (MEL))
Head coach|

* Kevin Donley (8th season)

Offensive coordinator| Patrick Donley (2nd season)
Home stadium| Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium

Seasons

← 2004

2006 →

2005 Mid-States Football Association standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team |   | W |   | L |   |  |  |   | W |   | L |
Mideast League
No. 2 St. Francis (IN) x^  |   | 7  | – | 0  |   |  |  |   | 13  | – | 1  |
No. 18 Walsh |   | 5  | – | 2  |   |  |  |   | 8  | – | 3  |
No. 14 Geneva ^  |   | 5  | – | 2  |   |  |  |   | 8  | – | 4  |
Quincy |   | 4  | – | 3  |   |  |  |   | 5  | – | 6  |
Urbana |   | 3  | – | 4  |   |  |  |   | 6  | – | 5  |
Malone |   | 2  | – | 5  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 7  |
Ohio Dominican |   | 2  | – | 5  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 7  |
Taylor |   | 0  | – | 7  |   |  |  |   | 0  | – | 10  |
Midwest League
No. 9 Saint Xavier x^  |   | 6  | – | 1  |   |  |  |   | 9  | – | 3  |
No. 10 McKendree x^  |   | 6  | – | 1  |   |  |  |   | 8  | – | 3  |
No. 16 St. Ambrose ^  |   | 5  | – | 2  |   |  |  |   | 8  | – | 3  |
William Penn |   | 4  | – | 3  |   |  |  |   | 6  | – | 5  |
Olivet Nazarene |   | 3  | – | 4  |   |  |  |   | 6  | – | 6  |
Trinity International |   | 2  | – | 5  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 7  |
Iowa Wesleyan |   | 2  | – | 5  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 8  |
St. Francis (IL) |   | 0  | – | 7  |   |  |  |   | 2  | – | 9  |

* x – League champion/co-champions
^ – NAIA playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll

The 2005 Saint Francis Cougars football team represented the University of Saint Francis, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the 2005 NAIA football season. They were led by head coach Kevin Donley, who served his 8th year as the first and only head coach in the history of Saint Francis football. The Cougars played their home games at Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium and were members of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Mideast League (MEL). The Cougars finished in 1st place in the MSFA MEL division, and they received an automatic bid to the 2005 postseason NAIA playoffs.

The 2005 Cougars finished the regular season undefeated. In the postseason playoffs, the Cougars advanced to the national championship game where they lost to the Fighting Saints of Carroll, 27-10.

## Schedule

[edit]

(13-1 overall, 7-0 conference)
The 2005 season saw a rematch of the 2004 NAIA championship game. Once again, the Cougars finished as runner-up to Carroll (MT). For the three seasons 2003-2005, the USF record was 38-3, with all 3 losses coming as season-ending losses to Carroll (MT).[1]

Date| Time| Opponent| Rank| Site| Result

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September 10| | at Indiana State*| No. 2| Terre Haute, IN| W 42–10
September 17| | No. 6 McKendree*| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN

| W 28–21
September 24| | Wisconsin – Eau Claire*| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN

| W 35–10
October 1| | No. 19 Geneva| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN

| W 50–22
October 8| | at Ohio Dominican| No. 2| Columbus, OH| W 49–7
October 15| | at No. 16 Urbana| No. 2| Urbana, OH| W 35–3
October 22| | Taylor| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN

| W 55–0
October 29| | at Malone| No. 2| Canton, OH| W 28–7
November 5| | Quincy| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN

| W 53–19
November 12| | at No. 11 Walsh| No. 2| North Canton, OH| W 21–7
November 19| | No. 13 Pikeville*| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA First Round)

| W 41–7
November 26| | No. 5 Georgetown*| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Quarterfinal)

| W 44–14
December 3| | No. 3 Morningside*| No. 2|

* Bishop D'Arcy Stadium
* Fort Wayne, IN (NAIA Semifinal)

| W 42–14
December 17| 1:05pm (FW time)| vs. No. 1 Carroll*| No. 2| Savannah, TN (NAIA Championship)| L 10–27

* *Non-conference game
* Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game
* All times are in Eastern time

## Ranking movements

[edit]

Ranking movements| Week

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Poll| Pre| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| Final
NAIA Coaches' Poll| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Carroll wins fourth straight NAIA football title - College Football - ESPN". ESPN. December 17, 2005. Retrieved March 28, 2015.

* v
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Saint Francis Cougars football

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* Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium (1998–present)

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*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
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*[No.]: Number