Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
RIPON, Wis. - For the second season in a row, Grinnell College's football team gave Ripon College all it could handle.
However, a quick start to the second half lifted the host Red Hawks to a 30-20 victory over the Pioneers Saturday afternoon in Midwest Conference play. The point output was Grinnell's largest against Ripon in a dozen years.
Grinnell (1-2, 1-1 Midwest Conference) fell behind 7-0 by the end of the first period, but the Pioneers erupted for two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-9 lead. Ripon (2-1, 2-0 MWC) scored late in the period for a 16-14 halftime edge, and added two touchdowns in the first eight minutes of the third period for a 30-14 lead.
Keaton Fitzgerald '26 took advantage of his time on offense for the Pioneers, rushing for a career-best 86 yards and two scores. Marcus Sung '28 added 72 yards and a TD.
Grinnell's defense, which came up big with two interceptions that led to touchdowns, got 12 tackles from Luke Konczal '29, nine each by Peyton Williams '27 and Adrian Stubbs '28 and eight from both Kevin Johanson '26 and Breck Bishop '26.
Ripon scored on its first drive of the game, but Grinnell held firm after that and eventually tied the game after Brandon Tennicott '26 picked off a Jack Berens' pass deep in Red Hawk territory. Seven plays later, Sung rumbled in from a yard out. Ben Bortel's '29 kick made it 7-all with 9:37 left in the half.
Ripon recorded a safety later in the half for a 9-7 lead, but the Pioneers responded when Fitzgerald raced 62 yards for a touchdown with 3:28 left. Bortel's kick made it 14-9.
The Red Hawks scored right before halftime and twice quickly in the second half for a 16-point lead.
Johanson set up Grinnell's final touchdown later in the period when he picked off a Berens' pass and returned it 18 yards to the 30-yard line. Fitzgerald raced 30 yards for a score on the very next play, but the two-point try was no good to account for the final score.
The Pioneers have next weekend off before hosting Monmouth College on Oct. 4. Kickoff at Rosenbloom Field is set for 1 p.m.