HELENA, Mont. -- The whispers from a week ago, suggesting the Fighting Saints could be a factor in the Frontier Conference, became a rousing roar on Saturday.

The Fighting Saints (1-1) took their shots, made big plays and dominated No. 23 Rocky Mountain College (2-1) 44-7 in Nelson Stadium in front of 2,090 fans. 

"This is a huge statement for us," Saints freshman redshirt quarterback Devan Bridgewater said, before readjusting his focus to the work yet ahead. "We're 0-0 (afterward) and we have to move on to next week." 

It was the first win of the Troy Purcell era. 

"It feels great," Purcell said. "These kids responded well after the loss last weekend to Dillon in that close game. We were kind of getting our identity at that time. Our biggest thing was the response. These kids responded. They played tough. They were enthusiastic and fired up. They were having a good time."

Halfway through the first quarter, it appeared the game would be a shootout. 

That notion ended in the second quarter.

Carroll College came out and Bridgewater connected with junior wide receiver Shane Sipes on a deep ball to jumpstart the Saints' first drive. 

"I like taking shots," Purcell said. "It was an opportunity to take a shot. I love shot plays. I love big plays and I love getting the juice going and getting the momentum going."

The drive would end with a Matthew Burgess six-yard touchdown run. 

"He's special," Purcell said. "He's got speed. He's got some burst. He's got some shakes. Burgess is a special player. We're very blessed to have him." 

After a big Rocky Mountain kick return, the Battlin' Bears scored a few plays later on a Josh Kraft touchdown catch, which would give RMC a 7-6 lead. 

Then, it was all Saints.

Burgess would score on a four-yard run and then a seven-yard run all in the first half, ending the game with three rushing touchdowns as part of his massive 121-yard day. 

"I don't really think when I"m out there," Burgess said of his performance. "I just go out there. The line did a great job of opening up holes and I just ran through them."

It wasn't just the offense setting the tone with the rushing attack -- though the Saints pounded Rocky all day with 286 yards rushing to the Battlin' Bears' 40. The Carroll defense recorded its first turnover of the season when senior Matt Kvech snagged a pass from escaping out of bounds in the first quarter.  

"I just dropping back and looking for where the quarterback was looking at the ball," Kvech said.  "I moved with him and got closer to the sideline. I didn't think he was going to throw the ball. Luckily enough, he threw it right to me."

Kvech wouldn't be the only defender in the first half to snatch a ball. 

Junior linebacker Nate McGree stole a ball out of the air from Korf, setting up the Saints late in the second quarter. 

Josh Kraft would tack on a 41-yard field goal to give the Saints a 23-7 lead at halftime. 

While Burgess carried the load in the first half, the passing attack electrified the crowd to begin the second. Bridgewater found Sipes on a third-and-eight, and the junior sped down the field for a 61-yard touchdown run to push the Saints' lead to 30-7. 

Rocky made one final serious threat in the game when Korf hooked up with Lucas Overton on a 49-yard pass play to ignite a drive. As the Battlin' Bears looked like they might put up their second score of the game, freshman Zach Spiroff stepped in front of a Korf pass intended for Overton again and picked it off. 

Spiroff would nearly walk out of the game with two interceptions, but the ball squirted free as he tried to bring it down. In total, the Saints would record three interceptions, force a fumble (by Cole Greff), and block a field goal, credited to Garrett Kocab. 

"We didn't have turnovers last week and the opportunity to flip the field and... wow what a performance they put on this week," Purcell said. "They did an outstanding job." 

Major Ali rushed in from three yards out to give the Saints a 37-7 lead in the third quarter.
 
Bridgewater -- who finished 11-for-21 for 230 yards and two touchdowns with one interception and adding another 79 yards rushing -- would finalize the scoring with a 27-yard pass to Tony Collins in the fourth quarter. 

The Saints piled up 516 yards of total offense while holding Rocky to 242. 

Two weeks into the season, the Saints are 1-1 and defeated No. 23-ranked Rocky, the defending Frontier Conference champion. The Saints are showing their preseason ranking is a distant thing of the past. 

"All I gotta say is watch out for those Carroll College Saints," Bridgewater said.