Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
The Forester football team posted a 62-17 victory at Beloit College on Saturday to extend its season-opening winning streak to eight games.
Lake Forest out-gained the hosts 557-95 and recorded 29 first downs to the Buccaneers' six. The home team managed just 18 yards on the ground while the Foresters surpassed 200 rushing and 300 passing for the first time this season.
Leading the Lake Forest defense was sophomore Jackson Sander with seven tackles. He also accounted for one of the team's six sacks and two of its 12 tackles for loss. Senior defensive back Nick Jako and junior defensive lineman Victor Aguirre also had two tackles for loss and graduate student Jaylen Johnson added 1.5 sacks to his team-high total, which now stands at 6.5 on the season. Johnson also blocked a field goal in the second quarter.
The Foresters entered the game tied for fourth in the nation with 14 interceptions and added two more to that total. Junior safety Thomas DeChesaro's second of the season ended the Buccaneers' first drive of the game and freshman Brandon Henderson's team-high fourth stopped another possession late in the first half.
Lake Forest senior quarterback Joshua Gasca completed 19 of 32 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown in the contest. He also finished off the game's opening drive with a 6-yard rushing touchdown.
Four of the Foresters' next six touchdowns came on runs by graduate student A.J. Jackson. The running back and wide receiver led all players in the game with 71 rushing yards on nine carries and five receptions for 83 yards. The nation's leading scorer entering the game reached the end zone from 10, 3, 8, and 7 yards out for his third game this season with at least four scores. Jackson now has 21 touchdowns this season and 65 in his career, four fewer than the program record set by Joey Valdivia in 2017.
The Foresters led 27-7 at halftime and, after forcing a punt on the first possession of the third quarter, finished off their opening drive of the half with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone by senior Luke Kedzierski. It was the H-back's fourth career rushing attempt and first touchdown.
Lake Forest receiving touchdowns came from senior wide receiver Langston Metoyer on a 15-yard pass from Gasca and junior wideout Tommy Carberry on a 43-yarder from sophomore quarterback Michael Kasemervisz. Freshman quarterback Cam Hackworth closed out the scoring with a 31-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his career.
Seven of the Foresters' victories this season have come in Midwest Conference play. Beloit fell to 1-7 overall and 1-6 in the league.
Lake Forest will host Monmouth College, who is also perfect in the conference this season, next Saturday at noon. The winner will clinch the conference title and earn the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs.