With First Win Secure, Bucs Turn Attention to Grinnell, Homecoming

Beloit College Buccaneers (1-3, 1-2 MWC)
vs. Grinnell College Pioneers (2-2, 1-2 MWC)
Saturday, October 1, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Strong Stadium, Beloit, Wisconsin

Game Notes

Homecoming Memories:  According to available records, Saturday's game is the 98th Homecoming Game in Beloit College Football history.  Based on information, the Homecoming Game at Beloit College was first played in 1910.  That year the Buccaneers defeated Monmouth College 17-0 in the final game of the season, a season that saw Beloit sport a 6-1-1 record under head coach Dana Evans, who was in his first season.  In the last 20 seasons, the Bucs have gone 13-7 in the Homecoming Game, including their current streak of three straight wins.  A win this season will give them the first four-season Homecoming Game winning streak since 1997-2000.

Notes from Knox:  The Bucs, who came into the Knox game with seven interceptions in their first three games, were shut out in that department for the first time in 2011.  They were credited with nine pass defenses, though...QB Brian Maughn's 359-yard effort at Knox marked the tenth 300-yard passing game of his career...So far in his career, QB/WR/P Dillon Hess scores a touchdown every fifth time he touches the ball.  He's had 47 career rushes and scored nine TDs...WR Derek Carrier has had 150-plus yard receiving in three of the four games this season and has been over 100 yards receiving in six of his last seven games...

The Series:  The Buccaneers and Pioneers are meeting for the 51st time in a series Beloit leads 26-24.  Beloit had won three straight in the series until last season's 24-21 Pioneer win in Grinnell.  The teams first met in 1915, a 23-0 Grinnell win.  The Pioneers won the first two meetings with shutouts.  After the 28-0 GC win in 1916, the teams did not meet again until 1939, a 26-19 Beloit victory. 

Buccaneers Last Time Out: The Bucs got themselves in the win column Last Saturday at Knox College, taking the Midwest Conference contest 34-20 with a good second half of football.  After a scoreless opening quarter, Knox dented the scoreboard first on a short run by Drew Diaz four minutes into the second.  A Brian Maughn to Derek Carrier 55-yard scoring pass at 9:45 tied it up before KC got in on another short run at 4:28 by Derek Mortensen to take a 14-7 lead.  Beloit had the last word of the half as Maughn and Carrier connected again, this time from 60 yards, to even it up at 14-all at the break.  The Buccaneers took the lead for good at 11:17 of the third quarter on Dan Collins' one-yard run, capping a 72-yard drive.  The Prairie Fire pulled back close with a three-yard TD run by Mortensen two minutes later but missed the point-after, giving Beloit a 21-20 lead thru three quarters.  The Bucs closed it out with a pair of fourth-quarter TDs.  Dillon Hess ran in from four yards away at the 12:09 mark and then Raymond Thomas finished it with a three-yard run with 6:13 left to end a 79-yard drive.  Maughn finished with 359 yards passing on 23-33 passing.  Carrier caught seven passes for 153 yards and the two first-half touchdowns.  Zach Draus led the rushing attack with 71 yards on eight carries, including a 32-yarder.  Mortensen rushed for 111 yards on 28 carries for Knox.  Diaz passed for 204, his main target being Clarke Cuthbert, who caught seven passes for 111 yards.  The Prairie Fire missed two field goals, from 26 and 28 yards, in the game.  On defense, Zach Bock had ten tackles while Vince Salucci, Brian Flanagan and Jake Fisher each had eight.  Mike Hendrick made 23 tackles, 11 solo, and had the lone sack of the game.  John Bass made the only interception.  

Last Time vs. the Pioneers: The Bucs were on their way to erasing a 17-point deficit but ran out of clock as they fell at Grinnell College 24-21 on October 2, 2010.  Beloit had pulled to within three with 6:49 remaining on a Brian Maughn to Derek Carrier 15-yard scoring pass and the ensuing Maughn to Julian Ross two-point conversion pass.  But the Pioneers ran off all but three seconds of the remaining time to secure the win.  Beloit struck first on a Maughn to Carrier 82-yard pass play with 5:55 left in the opening quarter.  Grinnell evened it up just over a minute later on an 18-yard scoring pass from Mike Bogard to Robert Seer to end the first quarter 7-7.  GC jumped out in the second quarter to grab a 24-7 lead at the break.  A short scoring pass at 13:29 of the quarter from Bogard to Cody Weber made it 14-7 followed by a 27-yard field goal from Bogard at 4:59.  The Pioneers then tacked on a one-yard run by TJ Schaid with 1:45 left before the break to take their comfortable lead into the lockerroom.  While the Buccaneer defense held the Pioneers scoreless in the second half the offense started their comeback late in the third quarter on a Dillon Hess one-yard run.  But the kick failed and Beloit trailed 24-13 heading into the fourth.  That set up the only score of the final quarter from Maughn to Carrier.  Maughn finished 24-45 with two interceptions for 329 yards and the two scoring tosses.  Carrier made eight catches for 150 yards while Odin Grina had six catches for 81 yards and Ross six catches for 45 yards.  Bogard passed for 208 yards and the two TDs while Logan Granera caught 11 passes for 126 yards.  Schaid rushed 23 times for 89 yards.  On defense Matt Fogerty and Ryan Koons led the way with nine tackles each.  Tony Baratti had eight.  Chris Juels recorded the only Buccaneer interception, picking off a third-quarter pass.  Ryan Fletcher had 13 tackles and an interception for the Pioneers while Marquis Bradley record ten tackles.  Colton Feller had the other interception and a fumble recovery to go with six tackles.

Up Ahead for the Bucs:  The Buccaneers stay at home for another week, hosting Lake Forest College on October 8, at 1:00 p.m.  They then hit the road for two games, playing at Ripon College on October 15 and at Monmouth College on October 22.