Box Score GRINNELL, Iowa -- Samson Bialostock threw for one touchdown and rushed for two others, including an 18-yard scoring run with seven minutes, 17 seconds to play, give Macalester a 21-16 win over Grinnell in the Scots' first game versus a conference opponent as a member of the Midwest Conference.
The Scots went scoreless in three first-quarter possessions before Grinnell finally got on the scoreboard on its third possession. A 58-yard pass completion from Sam Poulos to Jacob Meixler took the ball to the Macalester five but a staunch stand by the Scots' defense, along with a false start penalty, forced the Pioneers to settle for a 29-yard Graham Fisher field goal with 1:07 to play in the opening quarter.
Macalester's ensuing drive began at its own 25-yard line and, three plays later, Bialostock had the ball at the Grinnell 37, following a 33-yard run, to start the second quarter. From there,
Zandy Stowell would carry the ball three times for 18 yards and Bialostock completed a pair of passes, the second to
Ben Hillmann which covered the final 11 yards for the go-ahead touchdown but, a misplay on the extra point attempt kept the score at 6-3.
The Scots put a second touchdown on the scoreboard just 50 seconds before halftime when their defense forced Grinnell to punt from deep in its own territory, giving the visitors the ball on the Pioneers' 47 with 5:47 to play in the half.
Macalester converted two fourth-down attempts on the drive, which took 11 plays and 5:05 off the clock before Bialostock scored on a fourth-and-one from the three yards, giving the Scots a 13-3 lead at halftime.
The second half saw Grinnell score on the first two possessions of the third quarter as the Pioneers took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards on 12 plays with Jacob Bernholtz scoring on a four-yard run to end the 6:09 drive and get the hosts within three points of the lead.
After getting the ball at its own 25 on its first possession of the second half, Macalester found itself at Grinnell's 35 just three plays later but, on the seventh play of the drive, Daniel Munger forced a Bialostock fumble and Richard Renteria returned the ball 69 yards to give the Pioneers a 16-13 lead.
The Scots took advantage of a Grinnell turnover when
Bolton Howes intercepted a pass and gave his team the ball at its own 41 with 9:49 to play in the game.
Bialostock went onto complete three passes on the ensuing possession for 24 yards and then carried the ball the final 18 yards into the end zone to put the Scots back on top with 7:17 to play in the game.
Grinnell's last chance to score ended with 1:48 to play when, on fourth-and-15, Poulos was sacked for a seven-yard loss by
Reid Callahan and the Scots were able to run out the clock.
Macalester outgained Grinnell both on the ground (260-121) and in the air (142-137) to hold a 402-258 advantage in total offense. Stowell rushed for a career-high 136 yards while Bialostock added 84 yards rushing and completed 13 of 24 passes for 142 yards.
The win gives the Scots a 2-1 record on the season, setting them up for next Saturday's game with Midwest Conference South Division foe Knox in a game which gets underway at 1 p.m. at Macalester Stadium.
