Kickoff: 1:00 PM EDT
Venue: Bishop John M. D’Arcy Stadium, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Broadcast: Live stats via both schools’ athletics sites | Local stream via NAIA TV
Weather Outlook
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
- Forecast: Mostly sunny with light winds
- Temperature at Kickoff: ~24°C (75°F)
- Humidity: ~55%
- Wind: 5–8 mph from the south-southeast
- Precipitation:
- Impact: Ideal football weather; minimal wind effect on passing/kicking
Injury Report
St. Francis (IL):
- No official Week 1 injury report released
- QB1 expected to start after minor preseason shoulder tightness
- LB rotation may be adjusted due to conditioning concerns
Siena Heights:
- RB Brendan Haisenlader – Cleared to play
- WR Tendaji Alexander – Probable (ankle soreness)
- DB William Gagnon – Questionable (groin tightness)
Key Player Matchups
QB Joshua Kulka (St. Francis) vs. Siena Heights Secondary: Kulka threw for 219 yards and 2 TDs in last year’s matchup; excels in RPO and play-action schemes.
RB Brendan Haisenlader (Siena Heights) vs. St. Francis Front Seven: USF held SHU to just 55 rushing yards in their 2024 meeting; Haisenlader must break early contain.
WR Tendaji Alexander (Siena Heights) vs. CB2 (St. Francis): Alexander’s deep threat ability could stretch USF’s secondary if protection holds.
Recent Team Form
St. Francis (IL) – 2024 Recap:
- Record: 7–4 overall, 4–2 MSFA Mideast
- Strength: Opportunistic defense (+ turnover margin)
- Weakness: Occasional pass protection lapses vs elite fronts
Siena Heights – 2024 Recap:
- Record: 3–7 overall, 2–3 MSFA Mideast
- Strength: Special teams (led NAIA in total punt return yards)
- Weakness: Turnovers (3.4 giveaways/game) & inconsistent run defense
Series History
- All-Time Head-to-Head: Siena Heights leads 4–3
- Last Meeting: Sept. 21, 2024 — St. Francis won 32–10 at home
- Trend: USF has won 2 of last 3; home team has won 3 of last 4 meetings
Trends:
- Siena Heights is 1–4 ATS in last 5 road games vs USF
- St. Francis is 4–1 ATS in last 5 home openers
- Under has hit in 4 of last 6 meetings
- Average combined score in last 3 matchups: 39.3 points
Game Odds
St. Francis (IL) Fighting Saints – 3.5
Siena Heights Saints 44
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 12, 2025
