COUGARS RANKED NO. 2 IN NAIA PRE-SEASON TOP 25

The University of Saint Francis football team received two first-place votes and is No. 2 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Association 2005 Pre-season Top 25 rating which was released on Tuesday (August 16). It is the highest the Cougars have ever been ranked in the NAIA Pre-season Top 25.

USF had its first practice on Thursday morning after players report on Wednesday, August 17.

“Considering the number of returning starters and significant contributors we have back, we pretty much expected to be ranked the same place we were to close out 2004,” USF coach Kevin Donley said after seeing the first poll. “With our schedule, we’ve got our work cut out for us.

“Starting off No. 2 is a tribute to the players who have graduated – Chris Van Horn, Marty Starks, Adam Sherman, Matt Pettiford and Randall Guzman just to name a few – as well as the players we have coming back. But we’ve got to work even harder to prove we deserve to get back for another shot at the title. We’ve got a big target on our backs.”

The Cougars, who finished 13-1, are No. 2 behind 3-time defending champion Carroll College in Helena, MT, a 15-13 winner over USF in the 2004 NAIA Championship Series title game in December.

This is the 66th consecutive NAIA Top 25 rating the Cougars have appeared in and USF has been in the Top 10 for 21 consecutive polls. USF has been ranked No. 2 in 13 different polls and have held the No. 2 spot now for seven straight polls. This will be the eighth season for the USF football program, which got its first rating in the October 26, 1999 poll. USF was No. 25 with a 5-2 record and 37 rating points.

The Cougars, who are 63-10 over their last six seasons and have won six consecutive MSFA Mideast League titles, open their eighth campaign on September 10 at Indiana State at 1 p.m. in Terre Haute. USF will open its home portion of the schedule on September 17 against No. 9 McKendree College.

USF is the highest ranked Mid-States Football Association member. McKendree is next at No. 9, Walsh is No. 21 and St. Ambrose is No. 22. MSFA MEL members Urbana and Geneva received votes.