INDIANAPOLIS - Playing in the snow for the first time since 2015, the Marian football program began their postseason run victoriously on Saturday afternoon, outlasting No. 10 seed Dordt 26-18 in the NAIA FCS Second Round. Marian will advance to the quarterfinals with an 11-1 overall record. 

Weather played a factor early Saturday, with the turf turning into a snow-covered field over the final 30 minutes of warmups. Marian received the opening kick, and after a limited return, the Knights went ground-and-pound. On their opening drive, the team handed off the ball 10 consecutive snaps, with Keagan La Belle taking the first eight from the 14-yard line of the Knights to the Defenders' 33. Uriah Buchanan took the final two snaps, ripping a 24-yard sprint for a touchdown, giving Marian a quick 6-0 lead.

Dordt looked to respond with points of their own, using their option offense to run down to the Marian red zone. Marian would make the hold on their first defensive series, as Wyatt Woodall blew up a swing pass on fourth and six, dropping Dordt in the backfield for a turnover on downs. Tristan Polk and the Knights offense took to the air on their second series, but came up empty on the board, as a Keagan La Belle touchdown on the series would be called back, leading to an eventual turnover on downs. 

The defenses for both teams stepped up on their next trips to the field, as the punters for each team were called on after multiple three-and-outs. The Knights would eventually take over at their own 34 with 11:23 to play in the first half, and by way of a Dordt penalty, methodically moved the ball downfield. A chunk catch-and-run of 31 yards between Polk and Montasi Clay drove the team into the red zone, and with 6:00 remaining in the half, the senior quarterback found Keagan La Belle in the flat for a three-yard passing touchdown. Polk then connected with Matthias Pilkington on a two-point conversion, giving Marian a 14-0 lead.

The Defenders took the final lengthy possession of the first half, slowly marching to the Marian 18-yard line after the two-minute timeout. Dordt would stall their drive at the 18, while a penalty after an incomplete third down pass forced a fourth and long. The Defenders opted to try and reach the end zone prior to half, but were denied at the 15, as Cade Houseman buried Jacob Van Donge with 18 seconds to play in the half. Marian would kneel out the final seconds, taking a 14-0 lead to the locker room at the break.

Marian's defense continued to be stout and physical as the snow subsided and the second half began, making hard hits across the field, eventually forcing a turnover on downs on Dordt's opening possession of the third quarter. The Knights would use the stop and convert another scoring drive, dashing through the snowy field in nine plays to score their third touchdown of the game. La Belle scored from seven yards out to cap the series, giving Marian a total of 20 points. Dordt would go on to block the extra point, with Coleson Quiring running the block back for the rare defensive PAT, making the score a 20-2 affair.

A Yassine Falke interception stalled out Dordt's initial counter, but Marian was unable to make the defenders pay, going three-and-out immediately following the pick. The same series of events would repeat itself as the game moved into the fourth quarter, as Noah Strickfaden was intercepted by Logan Carrington on the next offensive possession for the visitors, but Marian would again be forced to punt.

Just as Dordt looked to get their offense on the board with four completions in five plays, Marian's defense came up with a third consecutive drive-ending interception, as Falke jumped the pass lane of Strickfaden and raced 76-yards through the snow-covered field, diving into the end zone for his second pick-six of the season. Falke's dive across the goalline would cause a penalty on the point-after-try, forcing a lengthy try which would end in a failed run by Polk.

With the score at 26-2, Marian looked in prime control of the game, but Dordt would have other plans, as their offense picked up from the previous three interceptions. Facing a fourth and eight, Strickfaden connected with Rhett Williams for a 57-yard score, and converted the ensuing two-point conversion to bring the game within two scores. Dordt immediately recovered an onside kick, and took advantage of the extra possession, as the Defenders' quarterback tossed a 14-yard score, before again converting a two-point conversion.

The sizable lead quickly shrank to eight points, with Marian holding a narrow 26-18 edge. Dordt opted for a short kick after Strickfaden's second touchdown pass, giving Marian a chance to win the game with their offense. Polk and La Belle would help pick up a first down and down the clock below two minutes, but the series would eventually stall at fourth and two, forcing a punt.

Dean Mason pinned the Defenders inside the five with his final punt of the game, and with 53 seconds to play, Marian slowly let the Defenders move toward midfield. With three seconds remaining after inching toward midfield, but as they attempted to clock the ball with time running down, an illegal procedure forced a 10-second run-off, dropping the clock to zero with Marian surviving the scare 26-18.

Dordt would out-gain Marian 420 yards to 300, as Marian took just 11 offensive snaps in the fourth quarter, shrinking their chances with the ball. 

In their offensive attack, Marian ran for 200 yards, with 138 belonging to La Belle, who scored through the air and on the ground. Buchanan ran for 28 yards and a touchdown, while Polk threw for 100 yards and ran for another 34. Aidan Wanner led the receivers with 41 yards, and Montasi Clay gained 37 yards on two receptions. Defensively, Cade Houseman led the team with 15 tackles, making 12 solo stops. Wyatt Woodall made 13 stops with 2.5 for loss, and Yassine Falke made six tackles to go with his two interceptions.

After the game, La Belle was named the Offensive Player of the Game, while Woodall and Falke were named Co-Defensive Player of the Game.

On Saturday night, the NAIA revealed the Quarterfinal pairings for next weekend. Marian will fly to No. 2 Keiser, taking on the Seahawks next weekend in West Palm Beach. 

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.