Jacob McDonnell (So., Duluth, Minn. / Marshall) ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns, caught seven passes for 130 yards and two more scores, and set up the game-winning touchdown with a 65-yard kickoff return, as Macalester (4-5) defeated Lawrence (Wis.) (4-6) 37-30 in St. Paul.
McDonnell, who had six touchdowns and 363 yards from scrimmage in last weekend's win over Crown, finished with 278 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. This is the fourth time in 14 career games he has both rushed for over 100 yards and caught passes for over 100 yards. McDonnell was a workhorse, carrying the ball 36 times for 148 net yards and pulling in seven receptions for another 130 yards.
He also set up the game-winning touchdown. After Mac's defense held the Vikings to a short field goal to tie the score at 30-30 with just 1:20 to play, McDonnell returned the ensuing kickoff back to the LU 20 yard line. Five plays later, the Scots won the game on a nine-yard pass from Trevor Miehe (Fr., Holmen, Wis.) to Matt Mitchell (Fr., Chippewa Falls, Wis.) with :10 left on the clock.
Lawrence led 20-9 midway through the third quarter before the Scots responded with a Miehe 38-yard touchdown pass to McDonnell and a nine-yard scoring run by McDonnell to go up 23-20. Miehe took care of the ball with smart decisions and finished with 244 yards and three touchdowns against no picks or sacks on a 15-for-31 passing performance.
There were five scores in the final five minutes in what was an exciting finish. The Vikings re-gained the lead on a Craig Ebert five-yard TD run with 4:52 to go. McDonnell scored on a 44-yard bomb from Miehe down the left sideline with 3:19 to play, but Lawrence came back quickly and scored on a Bryan Althouse 14-yard field goal to tie the game at 30-30 with just 1:20 to go. Mac's defense came through when backed up and forced the Vikings to settle for the short field goal.
It looked like Macalester's first overtime game ever, but McDonnell ran the kickoff back to the LU 20-yard-line and five plays later Miehe tossed the game-winning touchdown pass to Matt Mitchell from nine yards away.
Ebert ran 26 times for 150 yards to lead Lawrence . Eric Aspenson went 11-for-22 for 148 yards and two touchdowns, throwing eight times for 119 yards and two scores to Derek Micke. The Vikings hurt themselves with 14 penalties for 98 yards, while only five yellow flags were thrown against the Scots. Kevin Penza led the Lawrence defense with 11 tackles.
Macalester picked off three LU passes, one each by Jeff Wankel (Sr., Bloomer¸Wis.), Matt Malmberg (Sr., Annandale, Minn.) and Brian Foster (Fr., Shannon, Miss.). Gavin Keisling (Jr., Page, Ariz.) registered 11 hard-hitting tackles and Wankel added 10 stops.
Macalester has been breaking school records left and right over the last two years and set another. Despite playing a nine-game schedule, the Scots finished with 3,489 yards in total offense this season. That breaks the old mark of 3,281 set in 1985.
