NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Macalester College football team struggled to stop the Carleton College offense while racking up 414 yards and four touchdowns of its own in a 56-27 defeat at Laird Stadium. The loss drops the Scots to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in MIAC games, although divisional play begins next Saturday. The Knights remain unbeaten at 4-0, 2-0 MIAC.

Things started well for Macalester, as junior quarterback Michael Nadeau (Garden Grove, Calif./La Quinta) hit senior receiver Rex Desso (Evergreen, Colo./Lakewood) with a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage for a 7-0 lead. Carleton answered on its second offensive possession with a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Aidan Chang, then closed the first quarter with a 53-yard drive capped by a touchdown run from Nick Toole for a 14-7 edge.

With 10 minutes left in the second quarter, the Knights made it 21-7 with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jonathan Singleton to Beau Nelson. The Scots responded with an 11-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Nadeau to junior receiver Nick Bice (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge) with five minutes left in the half. On Carleton's last possession of the half, Singleton hit Ntense Obono with a 3-yard pass that gave the Knights a 28-14 lead at halftime.

Carleton pulled away in the third quarter with a touchdown on each of its three offensive possessions for a commanding 49-14 advantage. The Knights also forced two Macalester punts. At the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, the Scots drove the ball to the Carleton 7-yard line. Back-to-back incompletions on third and fourth down turned the ball over, and the Knights went 93 yards on nine plays for another touchdown and a 56-14 lead.

Macalester found the end zone twice before the end of the game, as junior running back Logan Pampel (Johnson Creek, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran School) caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Nadeau with seven minutes left, and first year quarterback Jude Wallin (Wayne, Pa./Radnor) ran for a 9-yard score with a minute remaining. The last touchdown was set up by a Carlton fumble forced and recovered by senior defensive back Michael Barton (Titusville, Fla./Space Coast).

Nadeau completed 28-of 49 for 326 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Desso caught 11 passes for 125 yards, while Bice had six catches for 106 yards. Junior receiver Michael Poker (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield East) also caught six passes for 63 yards. On defense, senior linebacker Victor Wright (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner) and senior defensive back Troy Barksdale (Bolton, Mass./Nashoba Regional) each had five tackles.

Singleton threw for 276 yards and five touchdowns, including three to Ntense, who had nine catches for 40 yards. Chang rushed 17 times for 81 yards, as the Knights finished with 491 yards of total offense.

The Scots begin Skyline Division play next Saturday, Oct. 8 at Concordia College. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn.