ST. PETER, Minn. – The Macalester College football team struggled to stop a potent Gustavus Adolphus offense in a 55-18 loss at Hollingsworth Field Saturday afternoon. The MIAC crossover game marked the first meeting between the two teams since 2007. Macalester falls to 2-4 overall and 0-4 against MIAC foes, while the Gusties improve to 3-3, 2-2 MIAC.

Gustavus racked up 443 yards of total offense and gained 23 first downs while punting just twice in 11 possessions.

After Gustavus scored on the first possession of the game, Macalester drove the ball 43 yards to the Gusties' 36-yard line before turning the ball over on downs. Gustavus recorded its second touchdown with a 64-yard drive to lead 13-0. The extra point was blocked by junior defensive lineman Clayton Bruenn (Meriden, Conn.Platt) and returned the length of the field by senior defensive back Troy Barksdale (Bolton, Mass./Nashoba Regional) for two points. On the ensuing possession, the Scots went 65 yards on nine plays, capped by a 33-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Michael Nadeau (Garden Grove, Calif./La Quinta) to senior receiver Michael Poker (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield East). A successful two-point conversion made the score 13-10 just before the end of the first quarter.

The Gusties continued to move the ball on offense, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives of the second quarter to lead 27-10. Macalester responded with its second scoring drive, going 75 yards in 12 plays. Senior running back Logan Pampel (Johnson Creek, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran School) ran it in from two yards out, and Nadeau reached the end zone for the two-point conversion to make it 27-18 Gustavus. Another Gustie scoring drive sent the hosts into the halftime break with a 34-18 advantage.

On their first possession of the second half, the Scots put together an 18-play drive that moved the ball to the Gustavus 3-yard line. On fourth-and-1, Macaelster was stopped for no gain, turning the ball over on downs. The Gusties kept the ball for the remainder of the third quarter, eventually scoring on a 9-yard pass from George Sandven to Jake Breitbach on the first play of the fourth quarter to lead 41-18. Gustavus stopped the Scots on their next possession, and a bad snap on the punt gave the Gusties the ball on the Macalester 3-yard line. Walker Britz ran it in from there to make the score 48-18. Gustavus added a late touchdown in the 55-18 win.

Nadeau completed 25-of-29 for 208 yards and a touchdown. Pampel rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and also caught seven passes for 49 yards. Poker had seven receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Senior linebacker Noah Bresson (Homosassa, Fla./Crystal River) paced the defense with 12 tackles, with junior defensive back Cameron Latvis (West St. Paul, Minn./Two Rivers) adding eight tackles. Junior defensive lineman Max Menache (Beverly Hills, Calif./Beverly Hills) registered two tackles for loss, including a sack. Sandven threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, with Breitbach catching 11 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns for Gustavus.

Macalester travels to Moorhead, Minn. to face Concordia College in a MIAC Skyline Division game on Saturday, Oct. 21. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.