The Xavier football team used several key defensive plays to knock off top-ranked Notre Dame-West Haven in the season opener for both teams Friday.

Junior defensive end Sean Marinan, Jr., stripped the ball out of the hands of Green Knights’ running back David Rose and advanced to the Notre Dame 26 yard line with under five minutes remaining.

On their ensuing offensive possession, it took the Falcons just four plays to score the winning touchdown, capped off by junior quarterback Pat D’Amato’s 8-yard run.

Senior Austen Ahern ran in the successful two-point conversion to lift Xavier to a 22-15 Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision win before 4,000 at Veteran’s Stadium in a battle of the top two teams in the Register Top 10 Poll.

The No. 2 Falcons forced four turnovers.