ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a game featuring the top two teams in the Midwest Conference North Division, the Macalester College football team lost to visiting St. Norbert, 47-7 Saturday afternoon at Macalester Stadium. With the loss, the Scots fall to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in divisional play, while the Green Knights (6-2) improve to 4-0 MWC to clinch the MWC North title.
Leading 3-0 after one quarter, St. Norbert opened the second quarter with a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jack Becker to Marty Franzkowiak. An interception gave the Green Knights the ball at the Macalester 15-yard line, but the Scots held St. Norbert to a field goal to trail, 13-0.
Late in the second quarter, senior defensive back
Jack Schultenover (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area) pounced on a dropped punt, giving the Scots good field position at the St. Norbert 41. But the drive stalled, and a blocked punt by the Green Knights gave the visitors a chance at the Macalester 31-yard line with 40 seconds left in the half. After a holding penalty, Becker hit Samuel Staehling for a 41-yard touchdown just before halftime for a 20-0 advantage.
The Scots used their first possession of the second half to get back in the game with a 10-play, 79-yard drive punctuated by a 53-yard pass from senior quarterback
Christian Adams (Alexandria, La./Pineville) to junior receiver
Jack Streibich (Whitefish, Mont./Whitefish). The pass was tipped by a defender, but fell into the hands of Streibich in stride.
Sophomore linebacker
Harrison Runnels (Omaha, Neb./Brownell-Talbot) intercepted Becker on the next possession at the Macalester 11-yard line. Adams connected with junior receivers
Alec Beatty (Topeka, Kan./Topeka) and
Jonathan Knee (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) on 37- and 41-yard passes that helped move the ball to the SNC 19. But a penalty and a sack stopped the drive, with the Scots turning the ball over on downs.
St. Norbert broke the game open by scoring touchdowns on its next three possessions and keeping Macalester off the scoreboard. A blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone with just over a minute to play closed out the scoring.
The Scots were sacked six times and turned the ball over three times in the loss. The game also was marred by a combined 23 penalties.
Adams was 18-of-36 for 244 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Junior quarterback
Cody Petrich (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) completed 5-of-6 for 47 yards. Knee caught seven passes for 100 yards, with Beatty registering four catches for 63 yards. Senior linebacker
Sean Hayes (Buckley, Wash./White River) led the defense with nine tackles.
Becker threw for 328 yards, five touchdowns and an interception, with Staehling catching 6 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Prior to the game, Macalester honored its senior players, managers and trainers before playing in the final home game of the season.
The Scots can wrap up second place in the MWC North with a victory at the University of Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 4. The kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Chicago, Ill.
