INDIANAPOLIS - The last two weeks have been dramatic for the Marian University football team. After a last-second defeat a week ago, the Knights embarked on a 13-play, 68-yard drive that culminated in a two-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining in the game to snatch a 28-24 victory over Malone University at St.Vincent Health Field on Saturday.

The Knights fell behind early as Malone used a 62-yard touchdown run and a 17-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

Senior Matt Rogers (Trafalgar, Ind./Indian Creek) found sophomore Julian Williams (Richton Park, Ill./Marian Catholic) with a 36-yard touchdown pass to cap a seven-play, 71-yard drive and send the Knights into the locker room down, 14-7, at halftime.

It looked like the Pioneers were going to take off on the Knights as they opened the second half with a 36-yard touchdown run to take a two-score lead, 21-7. But, the Knights fought back as they matched the third quarter score with a 15-yard pass from Rogers to junior Chris Rutherford (Pittsboro, Ind./Tri-West) to cap an eight-play, 71-yard drive to make the score 21-14 heading into the final 15 minutes.

The Knights went back up top after a Malone punt when Rogers found Rutherford with a 59-yard touchdown pass to tie the score, 21-21, with 13:02 remaining in the game.

The Pioneers then embarked on a marathon drive that covered 73 yards on 19 plays and chewed 10:40 off the clock. However, the Knights' defense held Malone to just a field goal to make the score 24-21 and give Marian the ball back with 2:11 remaining.

Rogers and the offense had 68 yards to go, 2:11 on the clock, and two timeouts to either tie the score with a field goal or win it with a touchdown. The latter was the only thing on their minds as they used 13 plays and 2:01 to score the game-winning touchdown on a two-yard pass from Rogers to junior William Stubbs (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) to take a 28-24 lead with 10 seconds remaining.

Malone had one last shot from its own 20-yard line, but time ran out on the Pioneers and the Knights picked up their first-ever win over Malone.

They improved to 6-4 on the season and moved to 3-3 in the MSFA Mideast League.

Rutherford led the way for the offense as he made six catches for a school-record 150 yards and had two touchdowns. It was the second straight week that Rogers and Rutherford hooked up for a pair of scores.

Rogers finished the day 17-for-29 with 272 yards passing and four touchdowns, which tied a school-record. Stubbs ran the ball 20 times for 91 yards and had the game-winning touchdown.

Junior Brock Caraboa (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) led the defense with 11 tackles (six solo, five assists), while senior Chris White (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) added seven tackles (six solo, one assist) and a sack for the Knights.

The team closes the 2009 campaign when it heads to Fawcett Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio next Saturday. The Knights will face Walsh University at 12 p.m.

The game will air LIVE on the Knights Football Radio Network on the flagship station Catholic Radio Indianapolis 89.1 FM (WSPM) with Dr. David Pierce (p-b-p) and Jeff Burris (color) calling all the action beginning at 11:45 a.m.