THE GAME
The Siena Heights University football team opens the season with a tough road matchup against 10th-ranked Olivet Nazarene on Saturday, September 4. The kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., CDT. This is the season-opening game for both teams.
The game will be broadcast live on 96.5 FM The Cave live or online here. Saint fans can also follow along to the live stats and video stream by clicking the links or visiting the SHU Football Schedule page.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the ninth meeting between Siena Heights and Olivet Nazarene in football. The Saints hold a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series including a perfect 3-0 mark when playing the Tigers in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The most recent matchup in 2019 saw SHU pull out a 20-18 win inside of O'Laughlin Stadium. That was the smallest margin of victory in the series. The win also gave the Saints a two-game active winning streak over ONU.
2021 SCHEDULE
The Saints start with the Tigers in week one before hosting Saint Xavier (Ill.) on September 18 at noon. That game is followed by the second home game against Saint Francis (Ill.) on September 25. The kickoff is also at noon.
Siena Heights has back-to-back tough road games to being the month of October that starts with a trip to face #16 Saint Francis (Ind.) on the 2nd. Then it's off to Ann Arbor for a date with MSFA Mideast rival #6 Concordia (Mich.) on October 9. That game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m., kickoff. Homecoming is the following week as SHU hosts Madonna on the 16th for a noon kickoff. The Saints will end October the same way they started with two consecutive road games against Lawrence Tech (Oct. 23) and Indiana Wesleyan (Oct. 30).
The final two games of the season take place inside O'Laughlin Stadium as the Saints host #9 Marian (Ind.) on November 6 before finishing the regular season against Taylor on the 13th.
THE SAINTS
SHU finished the shortened 2020 season with a 2-2 overall record and a 1-2 mark in Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Mideast league play. The Saints return key starters on both sides of the ball including CoSIDA Academic All-America and Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the MSFA Mideast, Kole Murlin (Jr. | Celina, Ohio) at linebacker. Murlin will be joined by first-team all-conference defensive back Trenton Morrow (Sr. | Norwalk, Ohio) and second-team all-conference defensive lineman Andrew Loria (R-Sr. | Sterling Heights, Mich.). Offensively, first-team All-MSFA Mideast running back Jared Jordan (R-Jr. | Grosse Point Woods, Mich.) and wide receiver Eric Williams II (R-So. | South Bend, Ind.) both return.
THE TIGERS
ONU finished 2020 with an 8-1 mark and won the MSFA Midwest title before receiving their third berth in the NAIA Football Championships. Key contributors from the team's success last season return this year including AFCA NAIA first-team All-American and MSFA Midwest defensive player of the year linebacker Jason Freeman, MSFA Midwest offensive player of the year quarterback David Hutton, All-MSFA Midwest league players Jalen Dunnigan (Jr. | WR) and Princeton Harris (Fr. | DB).
