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DULUTH, Minn. – Third-string freshman quarterback #Matt Bacon# (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis./Southwest) led the St. Scholastica football team back from a halftime deficit to capture its first-ever Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) victory tonight by a 22-16 margin over the University of Minnesota-Morris at Malosky Stadium on Homecoming.

Starting quarterback #Jake Olson# (So.-Esko, Minn.) was injured in last week's game and was inactive tonight. That meant backup #Alex Thiry# (So.-Cambridge, Minn./Braham) got the start under center. Things did not start out so good for the Saints as the Cougars took the opening kickoff and drove the ball 56 yards on 12 plays with the drive capped off with an Ernest Tucker 12-yard touchdown run.

Morris was forced to punt on its next possession, but St. Scholastica's #Chris Doran# (Fr.-Andover, Minn.) got a hand on the ball and recovered it at the Morris 11-yard-line. However, on the Saints' first play they would be intercepted in the end zone and the Cougars regained possession. Both teams exchanged punts and the first quarter ended with Morris holding a 7-0 lead.

The Cougars got on the board quickly in the second quarter with a 19-yard field goal from Matt Privratsky to make it 10-0. The Saints responded with a nice drive down to the Cougar 5-yard-line, but on fourth-and-goal, Morris' Nate Lund would make a nice play and intercept the CSS pass and bring it back 93 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 16-0.

Late in the second quarter, CSS quarterback Alex Thiry (Cambridge, Minn./Braham HS (Minn.-Duluth)) led the Saints down the field and hit #Jonny Bennett# (So.-Blackduck, Minn.) for a 34-yard catch and run down the middle of the field. The Saints then tried for the two-point conversion and Thiry would get sacked and injured on the play and did not return. The score at the half was 16-6 Minnesota-Morris.

The Saints out-gained the Cougars in the half 166-135. In a very cleanly played half, there were just two penalties called for 20 yards.

The Saints received the ball first in the second half and that meant freshman Matt Bacon (Green Bay, Wis./Green Bay Southwest HS) would take his first collegiate snaps under center. Bacon did not break under the spotlight converting a big third-and-nine, connecting with #Matthew Johnson# (So.-Superior, Wis.) for 26 yards. Running back #Christopher Henagin# (Sr.-Cloquet, Minn.) was also a key component on the drive carrying the ball five times for 27 yards. With it third-and-one from the Morris 2-yard-line, Bacon would sneak it and follow his linemen into the end zone. CSS then went for the two-point conversion and Bacon connected to Matthew Johnson (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) to make the score 16-14 Morris.

The CSS defense continued to shut down the Morris offense with relentless pressure. Two drives later for the Saints, Henagin broke off three consecutive runs of 16, 10, and 15 yards with the latter being a touchdown to put the Saints in front. St. Scholastica went for two again and Bacon found #Mike VanMassenhove# (So.-Superior, Wis.) to make the score 22-16 at the end of the third quarter.

From there on out, it would be the Saints defense that took over the game. On fourth-and 14 from the Saints' 39-yard-line, #Dan Erickson# (Fr.-Duluth, Minn./Central) intercepted a heave to the end zone, his first career interception. Morris got one more chance with four minutes to go, but after a #JP Leary III# (So.-Inver Grove Heights, Minn./South St. Paul) sack pushed the Cougars back, #Justin Trautmiller# (So.-Somerset, Wis.) intercepted the Morris second down pass attempt for his first career interception.

The Saints picked up the one first down they needed on the drive and ran out the clock, doubling the program's win total with its second win this season and first-ever conference win by a 22-16 score. Morris had just 11 plays for nine total yards in the fourth quarter.

The Saints out-gained the Cougars 347-185 as the CSS defense held the Cougars to 50 yards of total offense in the second half. CSS committed just three penalties for 25 yards in the game.

Christopher Henagin (Cloquet, Minn./Fond du Lac) had his best rushing performance of the season, going for 152 yards on 24 attempts and one touchdown; 112 of those yards came in the second half. Before Alex Thiry (Cambridge, Minn./Braham HS (Minn.-Duluth)) went down with an injury he was 9-of-19 for 109 yards and one touchdown. Bacon was 9-of-13 for 120 yards in his first collegiate game. Jonny Bennett (Blackduck, Minn./Blackduck HS) led the receiving corps with six catches for 95 yards and one touchdown. JP Leary (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul HS) III led the defense with 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the contest.

The Saints will play their second road game of the season next weekend when it travels to Crown College. The kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and can be heard live on ESPN Radio 560-WEBC.