DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica football team bounced back from a halftime deficit to knock off the Lawrence University Vikings 31-24 in the season opener Saturday night at Public Schools Stadium.

CSS improves to 1-0 overall (0-0 UMAC), while LU drops to 0-1 (0-0 Midwest Conference). The season opening victory was the first of its kind in the short history of CSS football program.

In the first quarter, the Saints got on the board first at the 10:49 mark, with a 35-yard field goal by #Cole Karsky (Sartell, Minn./Sartell HS)# (Fr.- Sartell, Minn.). Karsky's try was the first attempted and made field goal in program history. #Travis Nehowig# 's (So.- Maple Grove, Minn.) 48-yard rush on the first play from scrimmage was the key play in the opening drive. Lawrence quickly countered on the ensuing kickoff with an 88-yard kickoff return touchdown by Sam Wagner. The extra point made it 7-3 Vikings. LU extended its lead to 11 with a 2-yard run by quarterback Tyler Mazur later in the quarter.

After the Saints defense held Lawrence to a three-and-out, a stout punt rush led by #Nick Thiry# (So.- Braham, Minn.) gave the Saints some offensive life. Thiry's blocked punt was scooped up by #Don Anderson (Prentice, Wis./Prentice HS)# (So.- Prentice, Wis.), and he scampered in 17 yards for a touchdown. #Taylor McGinnis (Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial HS)# ' (Fr.- Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) extra point made the score 14-10 Lawrence, and that was the score at the end of the first stanza.

The only scoring in the second quarter was a 39-yard field goal by Cody Robel, making the score 17-10 LU heading into halftime.

CSS evened up the score halfway through the third quarter when quarterback #Alex Thiry# (Jr.- Cambridge, Minn./Braham HS) found receiver #Jonny Bennett# (Jr.- Blackduck, Minn.) all alone near the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown reception. McGinnis' point after made it 17-17. LU quickly countered with a 21-yard touchdown reception by Wagner from backup quarterback Luke Barthelmess. The extra point put LU back up at 24-17, and that was the score headed into the fourth quarter.

The Saints used a steady mix of running and passing in the fourth, marching the ball into Viking territory behind the arm of Thiry, and some key runs by a tandem of backs: Nehowig, and #Jake Jensen# (Fr.- South St. Paul, Minn.) On a fourth down and 11 inside the LU 20, Thiry hooked up with #Matthew Johnson# (Jr.- Superior, Wis.) on a 19-yard touchdown reception, and the extra point once again tied it up, this time at 24.

The Scholastica defense held LU to a three-and-out on the next drive, and the Saints took advantage good field possession, with a quick four-play drive to set up the go-ahead score. Nehowig toughed out runs of nine and 35 yards, bringing the ball to the LU twelve. Johnson followed suit with two powerful runs, and his five-yard touchdown scamper put the Saints ahead for good. #Justin Trautmiller# (Jr.- Somerset, Wis.) picked off Barthelmess on the next LU drive, and the Saints defense forced a punt in the next series, giving the Saints a 31-24 victory.

Nehowig paced the Saints run game, rushing 15 times for 131 yards. Jensen had 12 carries for 42 yards. Through the air, Thiry went 10-17 with 111 yards, and two touchdowns. Bennett lead the Saints in receiving with four catches for 72 yards. Johnson also had four receptions.

Defensively, #Kaelin Harvey (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS)# (So.- Naperville, Ill.- Neuqua Valley HS) led the way for CSS with nine tackles and a sack. #Alec French# (Fr. St. Francis, Minn.) also had an interception for the Saints.

The Saints will be at home next weekend when it hosts fellow Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) football school Eureka College. However, the game will count as a non-conference game. The kickoff is at 4 p.m. at Malosky Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. It can be seen live courtesy of the iFan Sports Network at csssaints.com.