LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bellarmine sprint football played its first home game in program history, and it ended the way Knights fans envisioned…with a victory.

Bellarmine held off Fontbonne 14-6 to move to 2-0 in its inaugural season in front of an opening crowd of 2,196 fans at Saint Xavier High School on Saturday.

"I think we improved from last week," Knights Head Coach Harold Davis said.  "We have to finish our offensive drives. We should have had two scores in the first half.  But, I give Fontbonne credit too.  I'm really proud of our team for playing hard, finishing the game, and getting our second win."

Both teams had chances in the first half but came up empty.   Fontbonne made the first big play when Xavier Reddock intercepted a deep pass from Bellarmine quarterback Dylan Gough.   On the ensuing drive, the Griffins threatened with a 38-yard pass from Zapher Lea to Chris Reckels that pushed Fontbonne to the Bellarmine 36.  The drive stalled there, however, and Fontbonne was forced to punt.

The Knights ate up most of the remaining first quarter clock with a 14-play, 65-yard drive down to the Fontbonne one yard line.  The Griffins defense held strong four consecutive plays though and Gough's fourth down try came up just inches short to keep the game scoreless.

The second quarter featured key defensive plays from both teams, starting with a Bellarmine fumble that Fontbonne's Deandre Jones forced and recovered just two minutes into the quarter.  The Knights answered with a blocked punt courtesy of Corbin Barnett but were unable to capitalize.  Barnett ended the day with two blocked punts for the Knights.

Bellarmine posted its longest drive of the first half with just under seven minutes remaining, moving the ball 70 yards down the field on 16 plays.  With under 30 seconds remaining in the half, however, Ben Valle's 27-yard field goal try was blocked.

Bellarmine's fortunes, however, quickly changed in the second half.  Fontbonne started with the ball, and on the fifth play of the second half, Lea lobbed a ball across the field that Bellarmine cornerback Tavius Francis intercepted just above his shoes and returned 40 yards for a touchdown.  Francis' interception was his first and the second of the day for Bellarmine after a Barnett interception at the end of the first half.

Following a pair of stops, Bellarmine pushed into Fontbonne territory with under eight minutes to play in the half.   On third down from the Fontbonne 40 yard line, Gough lofted a pass down the middle of the field that appeared to be intercepted.  Officials gave the ball back to the Knights, however, with a pass interference call.  After the play, unsportsmanlike conduct was called on Bellarmine with a tackle out of bounds.  Bellarmine retained possession but the ball remained at the 40.  Two plays later, Gough pumped on a pass, waited for Joshua Bivens to come open after a double-move, and Gough tossed a perfect pass to an open Bivens for a 41-yard touchdown to give Bellarmine a 14-0 lead (with a Valle extra point).

Early in the fourth quarter, Fontbonne was given some life after a blocked punt of its own.  Dylan Scruggs, who entered the game at quarterback in the second half for the Griffins, found Andre Webb for a 27-yard touchdown pass to pull Fontbonne within eight.  The Griffins chose to go for two, however, and the attempt failed, keeping the scored at 14-6.

Fontbonne's best chance came late in the game after a series of punts.  A short punt from Bellarmine and illegal touching penalty on the Knights gave the ball to the Griffins at the Bellarmine 23 yard-line with 2:49 to play.  The big play in the series came on third down and eight, when Royce Hall powered through the offensive line to sack Scruggs for a 12-yard loss.  Fontbonne was forced to go for it on fourth down, and Scruggs' desperation heave was intercepted by Brenden Reid at the goal line.  

Reid then sealed the game with a 64-yard run on third down from the Bellarmine five yard line to the Fontbonne 31.  

On offense, Gough went 10-15 with 107 yards and one touchdown through the air.  Reid rushed 17 times for 121 yards while Devan Hendricks gained 41 yards on the ground.  Bivens led all Bellarmine receivers with 53 yards and the second score of the game, while Brock Snead made a pair of catches for 24 yards.

On defense, Reid, Francis, and Di'Maurye Ewing each posted interceptions for the Knights.  The Bellarmine defense has totaled six interceptions through the first two games.  Devan Hendricks, Isaiah Smith, Jordan Haywood, and Caleb Murray all had at least four tackles for Bellarmine.  Barnett and Hall each had a tackle for loss for BU.

As a team, Bellarmine outgained Fontbonne 285-167, including a 178-56 edge on the ground. 

Bellarmine will put its undefeated record on the line next weekend at Quincy.  Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

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