POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (Interstat) — In a commanding display of explosive offense and opportunistic defense, the Marist Red Foxes rolled to a 41-13 victory over the Stetson Hatters in a non-conference football game on Saturday at a rain-soaked Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field.

The Red Foxes, now 4-6 overall, erupted for 28 points in a decisive second quarter, turning a competitive game into a rout. The loss dropped Stetson to 3-7 on the season.

Marist quarterback Sonny Mannino, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound junior from Leesburg, Virginia, was the catalyst for the offensive explosion. He completed 8 of 15 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 57 yards and two scores on the ground. His dual-threat ability proved too much for the Hatters’ defense to contain.

The game began with Stetson showing early promise. The Hatters engineered a methodical opening drive, moving from their own 10-yard line deep into Marist territory behind the running of Cayden Betts. The drive ultimately stalled, and Daniel Holbrook missed a 43-yard field goal attempt, squandering a prime scoring opportunity.

Marist responded by taking a 3-0 lead on a 23-yard field goal by Samer Layous with 2:24 remaining in the first quarter. The momentum shifted dramatically on the ensuing Stetson possession. Hatters quarterback Gavin Rupp, who started the game, was intercepted by Marist safety Jace Williamson, who returned the pick 45 yards for a touchdown. The defensive score gave the Red Foxes a 10-0 lead and set the tone for the remainder of the half.

The second quarter belonged entirely to Marist. After Stetson’s Kael Alexander threw his first of two interceptions to Marist safety Chase Hatton, Mannino connected with tight end Connor Hulstein on a 78-yard touchdown strike, extending the lead to 17-0.

Mannino then took over with his legs, breaking free for a 49-yard touchdown run to push the advantage to 24-0. Just over a minute later, following another Alexander interception by Hatton, Mannino found Lance Martinez for a 36-yard touchdown pass, making the score 31-0 in a stunningly short span.

Stetson’s offense, which struggled to find consistency throughout the first half, finally got on the board just before the break. Alexander engineered a two-minute drill, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown pass to Beau Bankston with two seconds remaining. Holbrook’s extra point sent the teams to the locker room with Marist leading 38-7.

The Red Foxes added to their lead in the third quarter with a 46-yard field goal from Layous, making it 41-7. The second half was largely a defensive affair, with Marist content to control the clock with its running game. Carter James led the Red Foxes’ ground attack with 69 yards on 10 carries, while Tristan Shannon added 58 yards on 13 attempts.

Stetson added a consolation touchdown late in the fourth quarter. A sustained drive, powered by the hard running of Michael Dempsey, ended with Betts plunging into the end zone from 2 yards out with 48 seconds remaining. The extra point attempt failed, setting the final score at 41-13.

For Stetson, the quarterback combination of Rupp and Alexander combined for 126 passing yards but threw three critical interceptions. Dempsey was a bright spot for the Hatters, rushing for 81 yards on 13 carries. Betts finished with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Marist’s secondary was dominant. Chase Hatton’s two interceptions and Jace Williamson’s pick-six were pivotal plays that fueled the lopsided victory. The Red Foxes’ defense consistently stifled Stetson’s offensive efforts, allowing just 13 points despite the Hatters being installed as a 13.5-point pregame favorite according to oddsmakers.

The total score of 54 points fell under the betting over/under line of 47.5. The result was closely aligned with projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 42-27 Marist victory and whose ELO system gave the Red Foxes an 80.6 percent probability to win.

Marist will look to build on this victory when it returns to action next Saturday, hosting Davidson. Stetson will aim to regroup on the road against Valparaiso.