INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian University football team opened the 2010 season with a 37-17 victory over the University of St. Francis (Ill.) Fighting Saints in the first-ever Night Game at St.Vincent Health Field on Saturday night.

The Knights used a relentless offensive attack in the first half to stake themselves a 24-0 lead heading into the break. The defense staved off a furious comeback by the Saints in the second half and added 13 fourth-quarter points to earn the program's second straight season-opening victory and first at home.

Each team went three-and-out in its first drive, but, on their ensuing possession, the Knights went on a 10-play, 49-yard drive that chewed up 5:31 of the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead. Seniors Clay Coomer and Chris Rutherford hooked up on a 10-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring with 5:23 remaining in the quarter.

Redshirt sophomore Nathan Toon intercepted E.J. White on the Saints' subsequent drive and returned it 44 yards to put the offense in scoring position with 3:25 to go in the frame. Sophomore Nathan Jones capped a five-play, 26-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown plunge to give the Knights a 13-0 lead with 1:21 remaining. USF ended the quarter with the ball, but the offensive efficiency of the Knights could not be questioned. Coomer finished 9-of-11 for 80 yards and one touchdown in the first 15 minutes of the contest.

Head coach Ted Karras Jr. said "he was very pleased with the offense for our first game of the 2010 season." "We were crisp in the passing game in the first quarter and the defense played very stout with a couple of great turnovers," he said. "I thought the first half was great."

The beginning of the second quarter saw the defense step up one more time as sophomore Stephen Rogers intercepted White and returned the pick 21 yards and into USF territory. Just one play and 14 seconds later, the Knights had a 21-0 lead as Coomer hit senior wideout JaQuan Patilla with a 41-yard touchdown pass. The catch was Patilla's first of the game and his 100th career reception.

The Saints could get nothing going on offense as they punted and turned the ball over on downs, thanks to a massive defensive stand, in the second frame. A 12-play, 49-yard drive, after the turnover on downs, resulted in the first career field goal for redshirt freshman Zach Sparks as he hit a 41-yard attempt to give the Knights a 24-0 halftime lead.

While neither team got much going on the ground in the first stanza, the Knights notched 173 yards passing and 219 yards of the total offense in what seemed to be a blowout in the making. However, the Saints came out of the locker room supercharged.

USF drove the opening kickoff of the second half down the field on a nine-play, 71-yard drive to cut the lead to 24-7. Three drives later, a fumble by Coomer gave USF the ball at the Marian 42-yard line. Six plays later the Saints were in the end zone and had cut the lead to 10 at 24-14.

The Saints dominated the third quarter as they held the Knights to just four yards of total offense and looked poised for a furious comeback in the final frame. The MU defense would stand tall and the offense would put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.

"I thought in the third quarter we hit a lull," said Karras. "We have got to get over that. We have to come out a little bit sharper."

After forcing another turnover-on-downs, the Knights went on a short four-play, 44-yard drive that put them up 31-14 with just 8:39 remaining in the contest. Coomer hit Patilla with a screen, and the senior took what the defense gave to him and scampered for a 31-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach.

The Saints embarked on an epic 17-play, 64-yard drive that took 6:15 off the clock but managed just a field goal to make the score 31-17 with just 2:24 to go. An MU turnover-on-downs gave USF the ball back with 1:13 remaining, but freshman linebacker Obed Jean picked off a pass and ran it back 43 yards for a touchdown to clinch the Knights' 37-17 victory and their second straight season-opening win.

"We finished the game very strong in the fourth quarter," Karras said. "Obed Jean's interception for a touchdown and JaQuan Patilla's electrifying touchdown on a screen were examples that we did what it took to win our first game."

While USF out-gained the Knights by a 296-286 margin in total offense, the Knights racked up 219 yards through the air and went four-for-five in fourth down conversions.

Coomer finished the day 21-of-35 for 219 yards passing, three touchdowns and an interception in the first game. Patilla had five receptions for 91 yards and two scores, while Rutherford finished with four catches for 21 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, senior Brock Caraboa led the Knights with 17 total tackles (five solo, 12 assists) and a forced fumble. Toon finished with seven tackles, an interception and two pass break-ups.

The Knights have their bye week before they play host to No. 8-ranked McKendree University on September 11 at St.Vincent Health Field. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m., and the game will air LIVE on the Knights Football Radio Network with Dr. David Pierce (p-b-p) and Jeff Burris (color) calling all the action beginning at 12:45 p.m.

The game will also be simulcast online at www.muknights.com and LIVE STATISTICS will also be available.