ST. PAUL, Minn. – In the first MIAC game in any sport to feature two Black head coaches, the Macalester College football team defeated Hamline University, 23-13 in the annual Paint Bucket game Saturday night at Macalester Stadium. With the win, the Scots end a six-game skid to improve to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in the MIAC Skyline Division. The Pipers drop to 3-5, 0-3 in the Skyline Division.

Prior to the game, head coaches KiJuan Ware of Macalester and Chip Taylor of Hamline participated in the coin toss with their captains to commemorate the milestone. Nearly 50 years ago, Macalester hired Don Hudson as the first Black football head coach at a non-HBCU college in the modern era.

The Scots took the opening kickoff and drove 54 yards in 10 plays, culminating in a 27-yard field goal by senior kicker Jon Neve (Minnetrista, Minn./Mound Westonka) for a 3-0 lead. In the second quarter, a three-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Michael Nadeau (Garden Grove, Calif./La Quinta) pushed the Scots' lead to 9-0 following a blocked extra point attempt. Neve would have another kick blocked at the end of the second quarter on a 42-yard attempt, keeping the score 9-0 Macalester at the break.

On the first possession of the second half, the Scots' defense held on 4th-and-4 at Hamline's 43-yard line and took over the ball in Pipers' territory. Nadeau hit senior receiver Rex Desso (Evergreen, Colo./Lakewood) with a 14-yard pass, then connected with senior receiver Ty Bruckner (Wichita, Kan./Wichita North) on a 29-yard touchdown pass for a 16-0 lead. Hamline finally solved the Macalester defense with a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 30-yard touchdown pass from Connor Leavens to Ryder Hutton. Senior defensive lineman John Newton (Highland Village, Texas/Coram Deo Academy) blocked the extra point to make the score 16-6 Scots.

Macalester answered on the next drive, as the Scots went 66 yards on 10 plays. Sophomore running back Logan Pampel (Johnson Creek, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran School) ran for a 17-yard touchdown to punctuate the scoring drive and put Macalester on top, 23-6. Hamline's Triston Thomas scored in the fourth quarter on a 36-yard run to bring the Pipers within 10, 23-10. Hamline eventually got the ball back and drove to the Scots' 34-yard line, only to have junior linebacker Victor Wright (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner) intercept a Leavens pass to end the threat. Macalester ran down the clock to clinch its third win over Hamline in the last four meetings.

The Scots' defense limited Hamline to 329 total yards, including 178 yards passing. Senior defensive back Nathan Gottlieb (Torrance, Calif./Torrance) led Macalester with 11 tackles, while first year defensive back Cameron Latvis (West St. Paul, Minn./Two Rivers) tallied nine tackles. Junior defensive back Troy Barksdale (Bolton, Mass./Nashoba Regional) also had an interception, while sophomore linebacker Noah Bresson (Homosassa, Fla./Crystal River) had three pass breakups.

Nadeau completed 27-of-38 for 361 yards and a touchdown. Desso had eight catches for 140 yards, while senior tight end Peter Vitalis (Shafer, Minn./Chisago Lakes) caught six passes for 64 yards. Pampel finished with a career-best 64 yards rushing and a touchdown on 12 carries. Hamline's Thomas, last week's MIAC Offensive Athlete of the Week, was held to six catches and 40 yards receiving.

Macalester plays a cross-divisional game at St. Scholastica on Saturday, Nov. 6. The game starts at 1:00 p.m. in Duluth, Minn.