DAVENPORT, Iowa – The USF football team opened up MSFA Midwest League play with a dominant 42-19 victory over St. Ambrose.
 

The Saints (1-3, 1-0 MSFA Midwest) received offensive contributions from many new faces, including Aaron Ellis (Valparaiso, Ind./Boone Grove) who threw for 329 passing yards and four touchdowns. Perre' Brian Barbarin (New Orleans, La./Saint Augustine) rushed for a team-high 100 yards and Re'John Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin Roosevelt) totaled 10 receptions for 113 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.
 

USF was also stout on defense, totaling three takeaways, five sacks, and 11 tackles for loss, while limiting the Bees (2-3, 0-1 MSFA Midwest) to just 296 yards of total offense.
 

St. Ambrose broke the scoreboard with a field goal on its opening drive, but the lead was short-lived.
 

St. Francis quickly converted on a pair of touchdown passes to take a 14-3 lead. Ellis led a seven-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 22-yard touchdown strike to Zach Moreno (Le Grand, Calif./Le Grand). Then, after Alex Zlomie (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington) converted on a strip-sack that was recovered by Mason DeLong (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bourbonnais), Ellis quickly capitalized by throwing a 31-yard touchdown to Jean Pietrzak (Westmont, Ill./Westmont).
 

USF's defense limited SAU to a field goal on its next possession and the Saints extended their advantage with another strong drive. The key play was a 53-yard strike from Ellis to Pietrzak, which eventually set up an 11-yard toss from Ellis to Williams, putting the Saints ahead 21-6.
 

In the second half, a Lexus Jackson (University Park, Ill./Crete-Monee) 24-yard punt return set USF up with good field position. An Ellis-Ray Vallot (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee) connection put St. Francis in the red zone and Barbarin capped off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run, the first of his career.
 

After another turnover, this time a Kody Randa (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich) interception, USF wasted no time extending a game-high 29-point advantage. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Ellis connected with Williams in the end zone for the second time.
 

The Bees scored 13 unanswered points to move within two scores (35-19) in the fourth quarter, but the Saints would not be denied this conference victory. Barbarin rushed for 40 yards on an eight-play, 54-yard drive that culminated with a Jordon Smith (DeWitt, Mich./Lansing Catholic) one-yard plunge.
 

USF finished the game with 504 yards of offense. Ellis threw to six different receivers. Williams led the team, while Pietrzak and Moreno also caught touchdown passes. Defensively, Dekota Doerr (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) paced the Saints with 11 tackles, while Zlomie had three sacks.
 

Jake Romani led the Bees' offensive attack with 194 yards and a score through the air. Chris Overton topped SAU's tacklers with 11.
 

The Saints host their annual homecoming game next Saturday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m. when they welcome Missouri S&T.