RIPON, Wis. – Macalester rushed for 274 yards, nearly six yards per carry, and scored a 28-20 win in its Midwestern Conference North Division debut over Ripon.
 
The Scots scored on their first two possession, going 67 and 83 yards to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
 
After receiving the opening kickoff, Macalester went on a 13-play, 67-yard scoring march which took the first six minutes, three seconds of the game with Zandy Stowell carrying the ball five times for 43 yards, including a 19-yard scoring run to give Macalester a 7-0 lead.
 
After forcing a three-and-out on the Redhawks' first possession, the Scots got the ball back on their own 17 but, just three plays later, found themselves at the Ripon 41, thanks in large part to a 31-yard run by Samson Bialostok.
 
From the 41, Bialostok found Tre Nowaczynski on a 41-yard scoring pass play and the Scots had a two-touchdown lead just 9:25 into the contest.
 
The hosts scored on an 86-yard pass play with 23 seconds to play in the first half to cut the lead to seven points and an 10-play, 54-yard drive in the third quarter would tie the game at 14-14.
 
The Scots answered that with back-to-back scoring drives of over 80 yards.
 
The first of which ended with 1:24 to play in the third quarter as Macalester march 86 yards in 16 plays, taking 6:33 off the clock.
 
A 43-yard pass from Bialostok to Sam Bordo, on third and 10, took the ball from the Scots' 29 to the Redhawks 28 and Stowell would eventually bowl his way into the end zone from one yard out.
 
Macalester's next possession was set up when Konnor Fleming intercepted a pass at the Macalester 19 and Bialostok went back to work. Besides a 19-yard completion to Nowaczysnki on a 2-and-13, he also had a 23-yard run for a first down and eventually scored on an 11-yard run to give his team a 28-14 lead.
 
Ripon would march down the field and threatened to score on its next possession, but the Scots' defense held on a 4th-and-1 before putting together a drive which took 4:28 before Ripon got the ball back with 39 seconds to play before Ripon scored on the game's final play.
 
Bialostok and Stowell were the offensive show for the Scots. Stowell  rushed 26 times for 108 yards and Bialostok had 16 carries for 145 yards while also passing for 195 yards, accounting for 340 of the Scots' 471 yards of total offense.
 
Defensively, Reid Callahan led the way for Macalester with 10 total tackles, including one for loss. Jole Miller added eight tackles and Konnor Fleming had seven to go with his interception.
 
Next up for the Scots is a return trip to Wisconsin for a game next Saturday at Beloit. Opening kickoff at the Buccaneers' Strong Stadium is slated for 1 p.m.