GRINNELL, Iowa – The Macalester College football team opened the 2025 season with a hard-fought victory over Grinnell College on the road, 20-15, Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field. The non-conference win came in the first meeting between the two schools since 2019 and marked the fifth win in a row for the Scots in the series.

The Macalester defense started off well with a stop on third down at the Scots' 44-yard line on Grinnell's first possession. After a touchback, Macalester drove 80 yards on 14 plays while using up 6:30 to score the first touchdown of the season. The Scots converted on third down three times, including a 29-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jack Scully (Menlo Park, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) to first year receiver Kelly Storms (San Anselmo, Calif./Marin Catholic) on 3rd-and-5 that put the ball at the Pioneers' 5-yard line. First year running back Brennan Litchford (Milwaukee, Wis./Ronald Reagan) gained two yards on first down, then ran it in from three yards out for a 7-0 lead.

On Grinnell's next possession, the Scots stood firm again, turning the ball over on downs with a stop on 4th-and-1 at the Macalester 32-yard line. In the second quarter the teams exchanged punts on the first two possessions. The Scots stalled at their own 35-yard line and prepared to punt again, but an errant snap gave Grinnell the ball at the Macalester 10. Undeterred, the Scots kept the Pioneers out of the end zone, with first year defensive lineman Matt Hernandez (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy College Prep) stuffing Sam Eaton for no gain on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line. On the next play, sophomore running back Tucker Snow (Gresham, Ore./Gresham) was tackled in the end zone for a safety, making the score 7-2.

As they did in the first half, the Scots struck pay dirt on their first drive of the second half. Scully hit sophomore receiver Paxton Boyd (Newton, Mass./Newton South) on a quick slant that Boyd turned into a 40-yard touchdown, capping a 9-play, 65-yard scoring drive. A low snap on the extra point attempt left the score at 13-2. After the Pioneers attempted a 48-yard field goal that came up short, Macalester's offense went to work again. First year running back David Frechette (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) rushed six times for 24 yards and Scully completed all five of his pass attempts, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to Boyd to punctuate a 12-play, 64-yard drive for a 20-2 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, the Pioneers put together a 10-play, 83-yard scoring drive, buoyed by a 33-yard completion on 4th-and-15 and capped by a 27-yard touchdown pass from Stephen Bailey to David Eisenberg with 5:06 remaining. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 20-8 Scots. After an onside kick was covered by Macalester at midfield, Scully was intercepted by Luke Konczal, who took it 53 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made the score 20-15 Macalester with 4:30 on the clock.

Despite the setback the Scots did not hang their heads, as sophomore defensive back Jay Green (Roseville, Minn./Mounds Park Academy) returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to the Macalester 49-yard line. Snow carried the ball four straight times for 20 yards to run the clock down to the 2-minute warning, then Grinnell stopped Snow on 3rd-and-1. On fourth down, Scully found Storms with a first-down pass at the Grinnell 29-yard line, allowing the Scots to run out the clock and clinch the victory.

Scully, who was one of five quarterbacks to play for Macalester last season, completed 27-of-44 for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Storms caught 10 passes for 102 yards, and Boyd finished with seven catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Snow rushed 20 times for 52 yards and also caught seven passes for 46 yards. Frechette gained 47 yards on nine carries.

The defense, which limited the Pioneers to 221 yards of offense, was led by junior defensive back Boaz Lieberman (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) with nine tackles and sophomore defensive lineman Jake Ray (Houston, Texas/Tompkins) with five tackles, including two tackles-for-loss. Senior linebacker Issam Rafidi (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) also had a pair of tackles-for-loss. Bailey was 10-of-28 for 188 yards and a touchdown for Grinnell.

Macalester has a bye week, then resumes the rivalry with Carleton College for the Book of Knowledge on Saturday, Sept. 20. The MIAC opener begins at 1:00 p.m. in Northfield, Minn.