ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College football team racked up 522 yards of total offense in a 56-21 win over Beloit College Saturday afternoon at Macalester Stadium. The victory came in the first Midwest Conference North Division game for both teams. The Scots improve to 3-2 overall, while the Buccaneers drop to 0-5.

Macalester wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard, as junior running back Jeremy Stephan (Duluth, Minn./Marshall) ran for a 36-yard touchdown on the third play of the game. Stephan broke several tackles on his way to the end zone for the third time this season. On the Scots' next possession, a 16-yard run by senior running back Jacob Jones (Hanceville, Ala./Holly Pond) capped a 5-play, 66-yard drive that put Macalester on top, 14-0 less than four minutes after the opening kickoff.

After Beloit stalled at the Scots' 30-yard line, Macalester made it three consecutive touchdown drives with an 8-play, 70-yard possession that ended with a 21-yard pass from senior quarterback Christian Adams (Alexandria, La./Pineville) to junior receiver Jack Streibich (Whitefish, Mont./Whitefish).

The defense continued to keep the Buccaneers in check in the first half. Junior linebacker Patrick Haley (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crest) intercepted a pass from quarterback Ben Sposito in the second quarter to halt another Beloit drive. Adams then completed six straight passes on the ensuing possession, punctuated by a 5-yard toss to Streibich for the Scots' fourth touchdown in as many drives. After a muffed punt gave the Buccaneers the ball at the Macalester 41, the defense stepped up again with an interception by senior linebacker Phil Wettersten (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury), his third of the season.

Adams and the offense responded with a 71-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jonathan Knee (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) three plays after the interception for a commanding 35-0 lead. Beloit marched down the field with a 65-yard drive, but senior linebacker Austin Dischinger (Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle) picked off Sposito at the 4-yard line to blank the Buccaneers in the first half.

Junior quarterback Cody Petrich (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) entered the game in the second half and added to the offense's success with an 8-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Alec Beatty (Topeka, Kan./Topeka) for a 42-0 lead early in the third quarter. Beloit broke through on the next possession with a 1-yard run by Joey Werner. Jones scored his second touchdown of the day on a 1-yard plunge near the end of the third quarter, then junior running back Jed Buchholz (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) ran it in from a yard out at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Buccaneers scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Erick Mitchell connecting with Dominic Vukobradovich on both drives.

Adams was an impressive 16-of-18 for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Knee finished with 114 yards on five catches, while Jones ran for 79 yards on 12 carries. The Scots finished with a season-high 218 yards on the ground and 304 yards in the air. Defensively, senior linebacker A.J. Imholte (Madison, Wis./Edgewood) had six tackles, and both senior linebacker Elliot Tanin (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) and junior defensive lineman Ben Lewis (Bothell, Wash./Seattle Prep) recorded sacks. Sophomore defensive back Dean Smith (Carpinteria, Calif./Cate School) also had an interception, giving the Scots four for the game and 14 for the season.

Werner gained 98 yards on 17 carries for Beloit, with Jamiel Garcia tallying four catches for 135 yards.

Macalester continues Midwest Conference play on Saturday, Oct. 14 with a game at Lawrence College. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in Appleton, Wis.