APPLETON, Wis. – A stingy defense that picked off four passes and allowed just six points led the Macalester College football team to a 16-6 victory at Lawrence University in a Midwest Conference game Saturday afternoon at the Banta Bowl. The Scots improve to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference, while the Vikings drop to 1-5, 0-2 MWC.

On its second possession of the first quarter, Macalester drove 70 yards on six plays to take a 7-0 lead. First year quarterback Michael Nadeau (Garden Grove, Calif./La Quinta) completed all three of his passing attempts, including a 28-yard pass to sophomore receiver Peter Vitalis (Shafer, Minn./Chisago Lakes), and capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run.

In the second quarter, Lawrence got on the scoreboard with a 72-yard touchdown run by Ethan Simmons. Junior defensive lineman John Newton (Highland Village, Texas/Coram Deo Academy) blocked the extra-point attempt to keep the Scots on top, 7-6. Macalester has blocked five kicks in six games this season. Later in the second quarter, sophomore defensive back Maxx Malone (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) picked off a pass for the Scots' first interception of the game.

With the score still 7-6 Macalester to start the second half, senior defensive back Dean Smith (Carpinteria, Calif./Cate School) intercepted a pass by Billy Wallisch on the first play after halftime. The Scots moved the ball to the Lawrence 12 before a fumble stopped the drive and turned the ball over to the Vikings. Macalester forced Lawrence to punt from its own 9-yard line and gained possession at the LU 35. The drive stalled at the 24-yard line, but sophomore kicker Jon Neve (Minnetrista, Minn./Mound Westonka) kicked a 42-yard field goal for a 10-6 lead.

Late in the third quarter, Wallisch was picked off by sophomore defensive back Nathan Gottlieb (Torrance, Calif./Torrance) at the Macalester 45-yard line. Later in the fourth quarter, the Scots put together a nine-play, 53-yard drive that ended in a 23-yard field goal by Neve for a 13-6 advantage. After four straight incomplete passes by the Vikings gave Macalester the ball on the Lawrence 7-yard line, Neve kicked his third field goal of the day, a 22-yarder to put the Scots up 16-6. Smith closed out the win with his second interception of the day on the Vikings' final possession.

Nadeau was 20-of-31 for 207 yards in the air while running nine times for 40 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Kian Sohrabi (Dubai, UAE/American School of Dubai) rushed for 51 yards on 15 carries. Vitalis finished with six catches for 92 yards, while senior receiver Reese Bresson (Homosassa, Fla./Crystal River) also caught six passes for 71 yards.

On defense, senior linebacker Dane Ku Blake (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) and senior defensive lineman Matt Heppleston (Lee, Mass./Lenox Memorial) each had five tackles and combined for two sacks. Neve's three field goals made are a career high, while the 42-yard field goal is the longest of his career. Senior Johnny Bice (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge) punted eight times for an average of 37.5 yards, including four punts inside the 20-yard line and a long of 52 yards.

Simmons rushed eight times for 117 yards for Lawrence.

Macalester returns home for a Midwest Conference match-up with Ripon College on Saturday, Oct. 26. The game starts at 1:00 p.m. at Macalester Stadium.