ST. PAUL, Minn. – For the second consecutive year, the Macalester College football team has opened the season with wins over non-conference rivals to capture both traveling trophies. On Saturday, the Scots defeated Hamline University, 29-27 on the road at Klas Field to win the Paint Bucket and improve to 2-0.
Last week Macalester clinched the Book of Knowledge with a 48-38 victory over Carleton at Macalester Stadium.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Scots capped a 13-play, 70-yard drive with a 3-yard run by senior receiver
Jonathan Knee (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) to lead 7-0. A defensive stop and short punt gave Macalester the ball on the Hamline 38-yard line, and senior running back
Jeremy Stephan (Duluth, Minn./Marshall) ran it in from 16 yards out to put the Scots on top, 14-0 midway through the second quarter. The Pipers responded with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Justice Spriggs to Matt Miller with 4:35 left in the half.
With time running down in the half and the Pipers set to punt, a bad snap gave Macalester the ball on the Hamline 10-yard line with 27 seconds on the clock. Senior quarterback
Cody Petrich (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) hit senior receiver
Alec Beatty (Topeka, Kan./Topeka) for a touchdown on the first play of the drive to make the score 21-7 Scots at the half.
On the first offensive play of the second half, Hamline's Triston Thomas scampered for a 93-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 21-14. The Scots punted on their next possession, but Spriggs fumbled after being sacked on the Pipers' first play by junior linebacker
Harrison Runnels (Omaha, Neb./Brownell-Talbot). Junior defensive lineman
Matt Heppleston (Lee, Mass./Lenox Memorial) recovered the fumble on the Hamline 16-yard line, and Petrich found junior receiver
Reese Bresson (Homosassa, Fla./Crystal River) for a 2-yard touchdown. A missed extra point made the score 27-14 Scots with 12:07 remaining in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Spriggs connected with Thomas on a 36-yard touchdown pass to bring Hamline to within six 27-20. On the extra point attempt, Macalester blocked the kick and senior defensive back
Andrew Smith (Racine, Wis./St. Catherine's) scooped up the loose ball and ran it all the way back for two points and a 29-20 Scots' lead. The Pipers were able to score a late touchdown with just 3.2 seconds remaining, but it was not enough to keep Macalester from bringing home the Paint Bucket for the second straight season.
Petrich, who was named the Midwest Conference's Offensive Performer of the Week after throwing for six touchdowns against Carleton last Saturday, was 19-of-28 for 167 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Knee caught five passes for 64 yards, and Beatty had five catches for 55 yards. Stephan led the ground attack with 47 yards on 12 carries. On defense, Runnels tied a school record with four sacks. Runnels and senior linebacker
Patrick Haley (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crest) each had six tackles, while sophomore
Jared Brogni (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) and first year
Cameron Rogers (Leesburg, Va./Riverside) each had sacks. Sophomore defensive back
Mason Cohn (Charlotte, Vt./Champlain Valley Union) picked off Spriggs in the third quarter.
Macalester has a bye next week, then plays at Monmouth College, the defending Midwest Conference champions, on Saturday, Sept. 22.
