ST. PAUL, Minn. – Three Lake Forest touchdowns in the third quarter allowed the Foresters to beat Macalester College, 24-7 in the first Midwest Conference game for both teams Saturday afternoon at Macalester Stadium. The Scots are now 2-3 overall, while Lake Forest improves to 4-1.

The Macalester offense struggled to find its rhythm, compiling 189 yards of total offense one week after rushing for 280 yards in a 24-9 victory over Cornell College.

After a scoreless first half, the Foresters put the first points on the board early in the third quarter with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Bill Degnan to Ted Crane. The Scots stalled at their own 10-yard line on the next possession, and Lake Forest blocked the punt attempt, giving the Foresters the ball at the Macalester 1-yard line. Degnan ran it in for a 14-0 lead with 11:28 remaining in the third quarter.

The Scots responded on their next drive, going 79 yards on 10 plays, including three third-down conversions. First year quarterback Michael Nadeau (Garden Grove, Calif./La Quinta) ran for a 10-yard touchdown to cut the deficit in half, 14-7.

On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore kicker Jon Neve (Minnetrista, Minn./Mound Westonka) kicked a short, line-drive kick that bounced off a Lake Forest player and was recovered by sophomore linebacker Brady Thompson (New Brighton, Minn./De La Salle). The momentum was short-lived, as Nadeau was picked off by Jordan Briggs on the first play of the drive.

Starting from their own 9-yard line, the Foresters drove the ball all the way down the field and scored on a 4-yard touchdown run by Stone Matthews for a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter. The 91-yard drive included a 68-yard pass from Degnan to Matthews on 3rd-and-8.

Macalester tried to get the offense going in the fourth quarter, moving the ball 48 yards on 11 plays to the Lake Forest 27. But the drive stalled there, and the Scots turned the ball over on downs. The Foresters then executed a clock-draining, 17-play, 63-yard possession that took nearly nine minutes and ended with a 28-yard field goal for a 24-7 lead. Another interception by Lake Forest wrapped up the win.

Nadeau was 8-of-24 for 130 yards and three interceptions, and he was sacked four times. Sophomore receiver Rex Desso (Evergreen, Colo./Lakewood) caught three passes for 97 yards, including a 47-yard reception. Senior linebacker Josh Bartz (Omaha, Neb./Brownell-Talbot) led the defense with nine tackles and two quarterback hurries, while senior defensive back Dean Smith (Carpinteria, Calif./Cate School) and junior linebacker Jack Levin (Encino, Calif./Grover Cleveland) each forced fumbles. Thompson also recorded his second interception of the season.

Degnan threw for 198 yards and a touchdown, and Matthews rushed 19 times for 71 yards.
 
Macalester continues Midwest Conference action next Saturday, Oct. 19 at Lawrence. The game is set to start at 1:00 p.m. in Appleton, Wis.

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