NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Macalester College football team opened the conference schedule with a 51-7 defeat at Carleton College in a MIAC game Saturday afternoon at Laird Stadium. The loss comes in the first battle for the Book of Knowledge since the 2022 season between the Scots (1-1) and the Knights (1-1).
Carleton scored touchdowns on its first three possessions of the game, with touchdown passes from Jack Curtis to James Alexander and Jaden Coleman and a 1-yard run from Coleman giving the Knights a 21-0 advantage. On the first drive of the second quarter for Macalester, the Scots moved the ball 71 yards on 12 plays, capped by a 32-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback
Jack Scully (Menlo Park, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) to sophomore receiver
Paxton Boyd (Newton, Mass./Newton South) that made the score 21-7. Boyd now has three touchdown catches in two games so far this season. The Knights answered by scoring 16 points over the final 7:31 of the second quarter to take a 37-7 lead into halftime.
Two more touchdowns in the third quarter put the Knights out in front, 51-7. Their final touchdown followed an interception at midfield, with Carleton needing just three plays to find the end zone. The big play haunted Macalester all day, with the Knights scoring five touchdowns of 28 yards or more.
Scully completed 13 of his 32 attempts for 78 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for a team-best 59 yards on seven carries. Boyd caught five passes for 41 yards and a score, with first year receiver
Kelly Storms (San Anselmo, Calif./Marin Catholic) registering three receptions for 22 yards. First year running back
Brennan Litchford (Milwaukee, Wis./Ronald Reagan) finished with 31 yards on six carries. Defensively, junior linebacker
Jason Weaver (Roselle Park, N.J./Pingry) had five tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, and first year defensive back
Niko Zacharias (Seattle, Wash./Shorewood) had four tackles and a pass breakup. Junior defensive back
Boaz Lieberman (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) also had four tackles and a forced fumble.
Curtis threw for 478 yards and six touchdowns, with Tyler Dimond recording nine catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
Macalester heads to Duluth, Minn., to take on St. Scholastica on Saturday, Sept. 27. The MIAC game begins at 1:00 p.m. at Walt Hunting Stadium.
