2011 Saint Xavier Cougars football team

The 2011 Saint Xavier Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Saint Xavier University as a member of the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) during the 2011 NAIA football season. In their 13th season under head coach Mike Feminis, the Cougars compiled a 14–1 record and won the NAIA national championship, defeating Carroll (Montana), 24–20, in the NAIA National Championship Game.[1]

2011 Saint Xavier Cougars football
NAIA national champion
ConferenceMid-States Football Association
DivisionMideast League
Record14–1 (4–1 MSFA)
Head coach
Home stadiumDeaton Field
2011 Mid-States Football Association standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Mideast League
No. 3 Marian (IN) x^  5 –0   12 –1  
No. 1 Saint Xavier ^  4 –1   14 –1  
No. 7 Saint Francis (IN) ^  3 –2   9 –3  
Taylor  2 –3   5 –5  
Quincy  1 –4   4 –6  
Concordia (MI)  0 –5   0 –11  
Midwest League
No. 8 St. Francis (IL) x^  6 –1   10 –3  
No. 18 Grand View x^  6 –1   8 –4  
No. 15 William Penn  5 –2   9 –2  
No. 22 St. Ambrose  5 –2   7 –3  
Olivet Nazarene  3 –4   5 –6  
Iowa Wesleyan  2 –5   3 –7  
Trinity International  1 –6   2 –8  
Waldorf  0 –7   2 –9  
  • x – League champion/co-champions
    ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll

The team ran a no-huddle spread offense that led the NAIA with an average of 45.9 points per game.[2][3] The national championship was the first for a Chicago college team in nearly a century (dating to the 1913 Chicago Maroons football team).[2]

Key players included quarterback Jimmy Coy, running back Nick Pesek, kicker Tom Lynch (two-time winner of the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place Kicker Award), and brothers Ryan Fejedelem (linebacker) and Clayton Fejedelem (safety).[4][3]

The Saint Xavier football program was established 18 years earlier in 1993. Coach Feminis played linebacker on the first Saint Francis team.[2] The entire athletic budget for Saint Francis was $3.9 million with 24 scholarships shared among 88 players.[2]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 36:00 p.m.Olivet Nazarene*No. 2
W 55–101,600
September 104:00 p.m.at No. 24 St. Francis (IL)*No. 2
W 34–203,000
September 176:00 p.m.Walsh*No. 1
  • Deaton Field
  • Chicago, IL
W 55–302,300
September 246:00 p.m.Trinity International*No. 1
  • Deaton Field
  • Chicago, IL
W 49–143,000
October 111:00 a.m.at No. 2 Saint Francis (IN)No. 1
W 42–314,000
October 83:00 p.m.at Malone*No. 1
W 52–102,200
October 151:00 p.m.QuincyNo. 1
  • Deaton Field
  • Chicago, IL
W 48–143,000
October 221:00 p.m. TaylorNo. 1
  • Deaton Field
  • Chicago, IL
W 75–332,700
October 2912:00 p.m.at Concordia (MI)No. 1
W 63–3478
November 512:00 p.m.at No. 2 Marian (IN)No. 5
L 9–275,175
November 1212:00 p.m.Jamestown*No. 5
  • Deaton Field
  • Chicago, IL
W 50–141,400
November 191:00 p.m. No. 13 Bethel (TN)*No. 5
W 51–133,000
November 261:00 p.m.at No. 4 MidAmerica Nazarene*No. 5
W 29–14[5]
December 312:00 p.m.at No. 1 Marian (IN)*No. 5
W 30–274,270[6]
December 173:30 p.m.vs. No. 2 Carroll (MT)*No. 5
W 24–205,917[7]

References
  1. "2011 Football Schedule". Saint Xavier University. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  2. David Haugh (December 23, 2011). "St. Xavier embodies best of college sports". Chicago Tribune. pp. III-1, III-9 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Philip Hersh (December 14, 2011). "Winning combo: Fejedelem brothers playing major roles in St. Xavier's quest for 1st NAIA title". Chicago Tribune. p. III-4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "St. Xavier vs. Marian". Chicago Tribune. December 3, 2011. p. II-3 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "St. Xavier, Ill. 29, MidAmerica Nazarene 14". Great Falls Tribune. November 27, 2011. p. V-4 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Knights give up chances". The Indianapolis Star. December 4, 2011. p. C8 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Cougars win 1st title". Chicago Tribune. December 18, 2011. p. III-8 – via Newspapers.com.
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