DES MOINES --- After three games, University of St. Francis still finds itself searching for its special teams and because of that the Saints are also still seeking their first win of the season.

A 55-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 76-yard kickoff return to set up another score turned out to be the difference in the Mid-States Football Association - Midwest League season opener between St. Francis and Grand View University (Iowa) with the latter gaining a 31-21 victory Saturday afternoon.

The win was a historic one for Grand View's second-year program, which was playing in its first-ever MSFA - Midwest League contest.

Grand View (2-1, 1-0) looked anything but like a young program - 71 of its 91 players are freshmen or sophomores - after 30 minutes as the Vikings built a 21-7 lead at the break courtesy of two Daryl Ford touchdowns (runs of 31 and 19 yards) and Titus Bland's punt return for a touchdown. The latter play marked the second time in as many weeks that the Saints have yielded a punt return for a touchdown.

"Our special teams were terrible once again," stated USF head coach Mike Uremovich. "We lost again due to our poor special teams play today."

Ford's first-half, yeoman-type effort did not help matters with the sophomore runningback producing the two touchdowns and 113 yards on 20 carries. For the day, he totaled 146 yards on 31 carries.

"Their offense was way more physical in the first half," continued Uremovich. "We did not match their physicalness in the first half on the defensive side of the ball."

Things could have been even worse for the Saints in the first half had Grand View been able to convert on the first of two John Goolsby (University of Toledo/Morris, IL) interceptions. The Vikings got as close as the Saints' three-yard line before having a 24-yard field goal attempt go wide left.

At the same time, the Saints had their own opportunity to reduce the halftime deficit when they got down to the Grand View nine-yard line one series after Bland's punt return for a touchdown. But USF was called for a 15-yard personal foul after a first-down run by junior runningback Javon Stewart (Bolingbrook H.S./Bolingbrook, IL) and the Saints turned the ball over on downs four plays later.

St. Francis was eventually able to whittle the difference down to seven points late in the third quarter when redshirt freshman fullback Connor Krisch (Northern Illinois University/Plainfield, IL) capped off a 14-play, 78-yard march with his three-yard touchdown plunge. That made it a 21-14 game with 3:58 remaining in the quarter.

But like it did all day long, beginning after USF senior wide receiver Jason Fiske (Belvidere H.S./Loves Park, IL) knotted the score at seven-all with his sixth catch (six yards) in an 11-play touchdown drive, Grand View answered each of USF's three touchdowns with scores of its own. The second time came courtesy of Bland again, who set up Gavin Burns' improbable 12-yard touchdown reception with the 76-yard kickoff return following Krisch's run just 57 seconds earlier.

Burns' touchdown came after Grand View quarterback Taylor Bennett's pass looked to be intercepted only to have the ball hit off USF cornerback Wayne Johnson's chest, pop up in the air and land in Burns' hands in the end zone.

USF again made it a one-touchdown game early in the fourth quarter following a short 17-yard punt by Grand View's Trace Ball when Stewart, a workhorse himself on Saturday, scored from two yards out with 10:55 to play. Stewart finished the day with a career-high 152 yards on 32 carries.

Grand View answered right back again with a 44-yard pass play on the first play from scrimmage following Stewart's touchdown setting up Blake Steil's 32-yard field goal with 7:44 remaining in the game.

"You have to play four quarters to win football games and we only played two today," said Uremovich. "We didn't get into any rhythm offensively until the fourth quarter."

Nonetheless, the Saints did outgain Grand View, 409-274, including 242-120 through the air. USF also totaled more first down, 24-15, and held a nearly 10-minute advantage on time of possession.

Fiske had a lot to do with the Saints' offensive numbers, establishing a new school record with his 15 catches on the day and netting 155 receiving yards, which marked the fifth-best single-game performance in school history.

USF (0-3, 0-1) will look to rebound when it hosts Taylor University (Ind.) in the Saints' annual Homecoming game at Joliet Memorial Stadium next Saturday. Kickoff is 1 p.m.