Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
GRINNELL, Iowa - Saturday's football season opener at Rosenbloom Field was expected to be a thriller, and the participants did not disappoint.
Macalester College never trailed, taking a 7-2 lead at halftime and building it to 20-2 before holding off a furious Grinnell rally for a 20-15 non-conference victory.
Right when it looked as if the Pioneers were totally out of it, they exploded for two fourth-quarter touchdowns in 28 seconds to make a game of it.
Both teams rode the pass in terms of offense. The Scots put up 274 passing yards and Grinnell's Stephen Bailey '29 tallied 188 in his first collegiate start.
David Eisenberg '29 and Vincent Shen '29 led the Pioneers' receivers with 72 and 60 yards, respectively. Breck Bishop '26 paced Grinnell's defensive charge with 12 tackles, while Adrian Stubbs '28 added 10 and Peyton Williams '27 and Luke Konczal '29 contributed eight each.
The Scots scored a touchdown for the lone points of the first period before a botched punt attempt by the visitors put Grinnell in good field position early in the second quarter The Pioneers drove to Macalester's 2-yard line before the drive stalled, but the hosts' defense rose to the occasion as Bishop and Ty Jones '26 helped pile up Tucker Snow in the end zone for a safety. Grinnell prevented Macalester from scoring more points in the half when Ajay Griffin '27 registered an interception near the end zone.
The visitors scored 13 points in the third period for a 20-2 edge. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Pioneers put together an 83-yard drive that included passes of 13 and 33 yards from Bailey to Shen. Bailey finished off the drive by hitting Eisenberg with a 27-yard scoring strike. The two-pointer failed, leaving the score at 20-8 with 5:07 left.
Grinnell fed off that momentum on Macalester's next drive, which lasted just three plays before Konczal stepped in front of a Jack Scully pass and scampered 53 yards for a touchdown. It was the Pioneers' first pick six in nearly two years.
The extra point by Ben Bortel '29 brought Grinnell within 20-15 with 4:39 left in the game. However, Macalester milked the clock on its next drive and maintained possession the rest of the way to secure the victory.
The Pioneers will try to even their mark next Saturday when Beloit College visits Grinnell to open Midwest Conference play. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.