Saint Francis football coach Kevin Donley doesn’t speak loudly. He’d be considered a “low talker” in the rerun world of “Seinfeld.”
He doesn’t often get riled up on the sidelines, and his fire and brimstone speeches to his teams are always out of the public’s eye.
In short, the man presents a steady, unflappable countenance.
But there are circumstances when Donley – still in low voice – can deliver a rousing message. And with 10-0 and sixth-ranked Saint Xavier coming into Bishop D’Arcy Stadium on Saturday to play No. 8 Saint Francis (7-1), this is one of those occasions.
He sits on the sofa in his office and talks about Saturday’s game that will determine the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League championship.
Ready?
Donley almost whispers the words.
“It’s a championship game,” he says. “This is conference championship week. If you can’t step up and play your best game for that, then you’re not going to. This is the week the tradition of this football program has thrived on since 1999.
“It’s understood. It’s championship week. It’s our tradition. It’s our heritage. We have the responsibility to carry on.”
But Saint Xavier, which has not beaten the Cougars in six attempts, including last season’s 47-30 showdown in Chicago, is a prime candidate to threaten that winning tradition – one that has carried Saint Francis through 56 consecutive home wins.
Led by quarterback Anthony Kropp’s 315.2 passing yards per game and 35 touchdown passes, Saint Xavier has the third-best passing offense in the NAIA.
Although Saint Francis gave up 438 passing yards in its only loss of the season – a 39-37 setback at Missouri S&T two weeks ago – Donley called the wet conditions “a passer’s paradise” because Saint Francis couldn’t mount a pass rush. He hopes to have his defense put significant pressure on Kropp, who has been sacked only four times this season.
“They’re really fast,” Saint Francis defensive coordinator Warren Maloney said. “They’re well-coached. They’ve got a great offensive scheme, and they execute the scheme.”
While Saint Xavier is third in passing offense, Saint Francis is first overall in total offense with 532.9 yards per game – a balanced effort between rushing (277.4) and passing (255.5).
There is no such balance on the Saint Xavier side.
“They throw the heck out of it,” Maloney said. “It’s kind of like watching the old UNLV basketball teams back when they were running and gunning. If you translate that to football, that’s what they are.”
