ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College football team dominated on both sides of the ball to earn a 29-0 victory over Hamline University in the annual battle for the Paint Bucket Saturday night at John Leaney Field at Macalester Stadium. The win gives the Scots a 2-2 record overall and a 1-2 mark in the MIAC. The Pipers drop to 1-3, 0-3 MIAC.

The Paint Bucket returns to Macalester after Hamline had won the previous two meetings between the two rivals, who have played 123 times since the series began in 1887.

Macalester gained 459 yards of total offense, including 347 yards rushing, while holding Hamline to 205 total yards and zero points. The ground attack featured a pair of 100-yard rushers in senior Vasco Sierra (Chicago, Ill./DePaul College Prep) and first year Brennan Litchford (Milwaukee, Wis./Ronald Reagan). The defense was buoyed by two interceptions by sophomore defensive back Jay Green (Roseville, Minn./Mounds Park Academy).

On its first possession, Macalester drove 75 yards on 14 plays to set up a 22-yard field goal by first year Andrew Wetherill (Langhorne, Pa./The Hun School of Princeton) for a 3-0 lead. After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Scots took over at midfield and found the end zone on this drive, capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jack Scully (Menlo Park, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) to first year receiver Kelly Storms (San Anselmo, Calif./Marin Catholic) for a 10-0 advantage.

On Hamline's first play after the touchdown, Green picked off Hamline quarterback Zayden Stevens, giving Macalester the ball at the 50-yard line. Again the Scots took advantage of the short field, with first year running back David Frechette (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) running seven times for 33 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Deijon Feliciano (Evergreen Park, Ill./Evergreen Park) ran it in on 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line to put the Scots up, 16-0 early in the second quarter.

The Pipers put together their best scoring drive of the game, moving the ball deep into Scots territory. But the drive stalled at the Macalester 4-yard line and the Scots held on fourth down to regain possession. The offense proceeded to put together a 7-play, 96-yard drive that featured a 41-yard pass from Scully to Storms and a 29-yard touchdown run by Litchford that made the score 22-0. Again the defense stepped up, as Green notched his second interception of the day on Hamline's next drive.

The only touchdown of the second half came on Macalester's first possession. The Scots ran the ball nine times on the 12-play drive, with Litchford gaining 18 yards. The drive was punctuated by Storms' second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard pass from Scully for a commanding 29-0 lead. Macalester kept the ball on the ground after that with time-gulping drives that didn't result in points but limited Hamline's chances of a comeback.

Litchford rushed 16 times for 134 yards and a touchdown for his best game as a Scot. Sierra also registered his first career 100-yard game with 105 yards on 26 carries. Frechette had an effective day as well with 70 yards on 14 carries. Scully was 7-of-16 for 118 yards and two touchdowns, both to Storms, who caught five passes for 96 yards. On defense, first year defensive back Niko Zacharias (Seattle, Wash./Shorewood) led the Scots with five tackles. First year linebacker Asher Niemi (Meridian, Idaho/Rocky Mountain) had a sack and two tackles-for-loss, while junior linebacker Jason Weaver (Roselle Park, N.J./Pingry) and senior defensive lineman Tommy McKissick (Denver, Colo./Kent Denver) each had a sack.

Macalester faces Saint John's University for the first time since 2001 for a MIAC game next Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in Collegeville, Minn.