APPLETON, Wis. – The Macalester College football team overcame a scoreless first half to defeat Lawrence University, 21-18 in a Midwest Conference game Saturday afternoon at the Banta Bowl. The Scots improve to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference, while the Vikings drop to 1-5, 0-2 MWC.

The Macalester offense moved the ball into Lawrence territory on each of its four possessions of the first half, only to stall on fourth down each time. Early in the second quarter, the Scots drove to the 4-yard line following a 34-yard pass from senior quarterback Christian Adams (Alexandria, La./Pineville) to junior receiver Jonathan Knee (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield). But Macalester was unable to score on a 4th-and-2 play, turning the ball over on downs.

Lawrence scored the only points of the first half on a 43-yard field goal by Brandon Hurt late in the first quarter.

The Scots regrouped at halftime and came out strong in the second half, taking the ball 62 yards on six plays in their first possession. Adams capped off the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run. After the Macalester defense forced a three-and-out for the Vikings, Adams hit junior receiver Alec Beatty (Topeka, Kan./Topeka) for a 41-yard touchdown, and suddenly the Scots had a 14-3 lead less than five minutes into the third quarter.

Later in the third, Adams was picked off by Wyatt Lee, giving Lawrence the ball at its own 43-yard line. The ensuing drive resulted in Hurt's second field goal of the game, this time from 36 yards, to make the score 14-6 Macalester.

Early in the fourth quarter, a poor punt gave the Scots the ball at the Lawrence 47-yard line. Macalester took 2:33 to find the end zone, as Adams and Beatty connected again on a 25-yard touchdown reception for a 21-6 lead. Earlier in the drive, Adams found Knee for a 9-yard pass on third down to keep the drive alive.

Lawrence responded with a 67-yard drive that culminated in a 13-yard touchdown run by Ethan Simmons with 8:29 to play. Senior defensive back Jack Schultenover (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Secondary) blocked the extra point attempt, making the score 21-12. After the Scots were stopped in Vikings' territory on their next drive, senior punter Matt Glasenapp (Lake City, Minn./Lake City) punted the ball to the Lawrence 5-yard line. But Lawrence quarterback D'Andre Weaver found a wide-open William Nichols behind the defense for a 91-yard touchdown pass. Again the Vikings missed the extra point and trailed 21-18 with 3:05 remaining.

Macalester started its next drive at its own 28-yard line needing a couple first downs to run out the clock. A 13-yard catch by Beatty gave the Scots one first down, and a face mask penalty on the Vikings at midfield resulted in another, as Macalester closed out the victory on the road.

Adams was 18-of-31 for 292 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Beatty was his main target all day, finishing with 10 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Knee ended up with five catches for 68 yards. On the ground, junior running back Jeremy Stephan (Duluth, Minn./Marshall) had 75 yards on 17 carries, while senior running back Jacob Jones (Hanceville, Ala./Holly Pond) gained 49 yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, senior linebacker Phil Wettersten (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) tallied 13 tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, and two pass breakups. For Lawrence, Weaver threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, while Simmons ran 10 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.

The Scots return home next week to host MWC North foe Ripon College on Saturday, Oct. 21. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Macalester Stadium.