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COLUMBUS – The Capital University football team was dominant in nearly every facet of the game Saturday in a 13-7 victory over Marietta in the 2012 Ohio Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

The Crusaders (1-1 overall, 1-0 OAC) gained 344 yards, including 255 on the ground, and held the Pioneers to just 88 total yards.

Freshman running back Bo Hardy (Galloway, Ohio; at right) had his second consecutive monster game, rushing for 197 yards on a whopping 36 carries. Hardy and the offensive line were solid all day long as Hardy finished just four carries and 43 yards away from school records in carries and yards in one game, respectively.

"Bo has done everything we envisioned him doing, and he's still got more to do," Capital coach Henry Stanford said. "He definitely has to continue to grow as a player and be that dominant running back that everybody wants. I'm definitely happy with his performance today.

"The offensive line is the foundation of this team … as they go, we go. They did a tremendous job opening holes up for Bo and our running backs, and protecting our quarterback."

Senior defensive lineman Aaron Knisley (Bexley, Ohio) led a punishing Capital defense with a team-high 10 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss. The Crusaders totaled five sacks on the day.

"If our defensive line is dominant in a game, that helps us out with our pursuit, our run defense and our pass defense," Stanford said. "They did a great job today of getting pressure on the quarterback and giving their offensive line problems at times."

Sophomore kicker Travis Bosanac (Strongsville, Ohio) booted field goals from 33 and 45 yards and, along with an extra point, accounted for over half of the Crusaders' point total.

With 53 rushing attempts, more than double their passing attempts, the Crusaders held the ball for over 36 minutes, compared with just under 24 for Marietta (0-2, 0-1).

In the first half, the Crusaders more than doubled the Pioneers' yardage output (131-58) and Hardy piled up 68 yards on just 12 carries, good for a 5.7 yards per carry average. Marietta held the ball for just over 16 minutes in the period, but was just 1-for-7 on third-down conversions.

Despite the performance, Capital held just a 3-0 advantage heading into the locker room.

With 7:43 to play in the third quarter, junior quarterback Ryan Kremchek (Sylvania, Ohio), who finished with 122 yards passing, found senior running back Casey Meridieth (Toledo, Ohio; at left), who made a nifty, one-handed, juggling catch in the flat for a 10-yard touchdown, to put Capital ahead 10-0.

After the defense forced a punt on the ensuing possession, the Crusaders drove deep into Pioneers territory before Kremchek was picked off by Louis DiPaulo, who returned it 91 yards to the end zone to cut the Capital lead to 10-7.

The two teams traded possessions into the fourth quarter, when Bosanac capped an eight-play, 32-yard drive with his second field goal of the game, making the score 13-7 with 4:39 remaining.

Marietta neared CU territory before a sack by senior defensive lineman Jay Bondzeleske (Columbus, Ohio) forced a fourth-and-23. The Crusaders forced an incompletion and ran out the clock on the ensuing drive.

Senior defensive lineman Nate Nasrallah (Norton, Ohio) added six tackles and two sacks, while defensive backs Domenic Hebebrand (Hinckley, Ohio) and Anthony Cicione (Akron, Ohio) each ended Pioneer drives with interceptions.

Capital answered many questions surrounding the team following a 44-17 defeat against Wittenberg in Week 1, but Stanford, who was barefoot on the sidelines to draw awareness to Samaritan's Feet, admitted there's still plenty of room to grow.

"Our guys are prideful, they bleed purple and white," Stanford said. "When I came to them and said we need a better showing, they answered. They understood it's important for us to play well at home and represent Capital University and our football legacy. They went out today and started that process."

Capital competes in its first road game next Saturday at Ohio Northern. Kickoff in Ada, Ohio, is slated for 1:30 p.m.