Macalester comes up one point short at Carleton
After dropping an overtime decision to the Knights a year ago, Macalester lost another heartbreaker in the "Book of Knowledge" trophy game, falling to Carleton 21-20 in Northfield.
Macalester struck first, getting on the board with an Auburn Jimenez (Jr., East Los Angeles, Calif. / St. John Bosco)25-yard field goal after the Scots took 7:14 off the clock on a 13-play drive on its first possession. However, the Knights responded with TD passes to cap 76- and 53-yard drives to go up 14-3 early in the second quarter. The second came on a fourth-down play.
After a 1-yard Mike Adams (Sr., Chippewa Falls, Wis.) touchdown run reduced the Carleton margin to 14-10, CC defensive back Paul Hoffer intercepted a pass deep in Knight territory and returned it a school-record 99 yards with 3:25 left in the first half for the biggest play of the game.
The Scots were down 21-10 at the halftime break and nearly pulled off the comeback by keeping Carleton off the scoreboard in the final two quarters.
The Scots led 451-308 in total yards and 23-17 in first downs.
Spencer Robinson (Sr., Chattaroy, Wash. / Riverside) made nine tackles, including seven solo stops, to lead a solid Macalester defensive effort. Joe Dykema (Jr., Roseville, Minn.) added six tackles. Each registering Macalester QB sacks were Reid Callahan (Jr., Atlanta, Ga. / St. Pius X), Jesse Russell (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Jason Schrad (Sr., Lincoln, Neb. / Southwest).
T. Joe Loiselle (Sr., Chippewa Falls, Wis.), who finished with 104 yards on the ground, ran it in from three yards out early in the fourth quarter to pull the visitors to within four at 21-17. The drive started when Adams returned the third quarter kickoff to just short of midfield. Late in the third period, the Scots received a 10-yard Loiselle scamper, followed by 20- and 15-yard runs by Adams, before settling for a 42-yard Jimenez three-pointer to make the score 21-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
Mac turned the ball over on its first two possessions of the fourth quarter as Carleton held on.
In addition to getting 104 yards from Loiselle, Macalester received 75 yards rushing from Adams, who also gained 44 yards on two punt returns and 74 yards on two kickoff returns.
Clark Bledsoe (Sr., Jacksonville, Fla. / Episcopal) went 18-for-39 for 279 yards. Sam Marshall (Sr., Sun Prairie, Wis.) gained 100 yards on his four catches. Ben Hillman (So., Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer) caught four for 61, C. J. Smith (Jr., Ashland, Wis.) caught four for 45, and John Johnson (Jr., McKenzie, Tenn.) gained 42 yards on a couple catches.
Conor Lynch rushed for 68 yards and passed for 120 and a touchdown to lead Carleton (3-2 on the season).
The Scots (3-2) play Rhodes College of Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday (Oct. 13) at Macalester Stadium at 1 p.m. Rhodes comes in with a 3-2 mark in this first-ever meeting between these two schools.
