APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University attempted a two-point conversion trailing by one with 30 seconds remaining, but the first-year safety Jalen Brown broke up the pass in the end zone to just hold on for a 35-34 victory and spoil Senior Day at the Banta Bowl for the Vikings. The win ended a six-game skid for the Prairie Fire (3-6, 2-6 Midwest Conference), while Lawrence fell to 1-8 on the season and 1-7 in the league.
Thanks to scoring three touchdowns in the third quarter, Knox held a 14-point lead going into the final 15 minutes. The Vikings cut their deficit in half on a 22-yard touchdown early in the fourth, only to have first-year quarterback Clay McClelland counter with a 50-yard touchdown run, boosting the lead back to 14. When the Prairie Fire defense held Lawrence to a three-and-out, it looked like the offense would be able to grind out some yards and run the clock down.
But a fumble on a third-down run gave the Vikings the ball deep in Knox territory, and on the first play, Aidan Williams threw another 22-yard scoring strike with 8:15 still remaining.
Knox turned the ball over on downs at the Viking 33 with 2:19 to play, and Lawrence covered the 67 yards in 11 plays, overcoming an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the red zone. Williams connected with Alex Lippert in the end zone for the third time — the quarterback's fifth TD of the day — and Lawrence decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion attempt. Williams dropped the snap out of the shotgun, but the ball bounced right back to him. He avoided the rush, the saw an open man in the back of the end zone, only to have Brown bat the ball away before it reached its target. The onside kick failed, and McClelland knelt down to run out the clock.
The Prairie Fire had trailed at halftime, 14-7, but the offense took off when McClelland and his fresh legs entered the game for an injured Will Vines in the middle of the third quarter with Knox deep in Lawrence territory. Three plays after he took over behind center, sophomore Aiden Frail carried the ball in from 4 yards out and first-year Fernando Torres tied the score with the PAT.
Two plays into the next Viking drive, Brown came up with his first big play of the day, intercepting a pass at the Lawrence 35. McClelland ran the ball three times, the third a 10-yard touchdown scamper for the lead. And when Knox stopped the Viking offense again, it quickly gobbled up 49 yards on six rushes, the last an 18-yard end around by sophomore Mario Byrd.
- Of Knox's 322 yards, 280 came on the ground with 116 courtesy of McClelland (and two touchdowns) in less than a half on the field and another 93 from sophomore fullback Taylor McAdams with the lone first-half score.
- Lawrence finished the game with 389 yards of offense, 314 from the right arm of Williams.
- Each team had miscues to overcome — the Prairie Fire fumbled the ball six times but only lost it twice, while Lawrence was whistled for 11 penalties totaling 95 yards.
- Brown and fifth-year linebacker Kolton Krutsinger each had six tackles, while fifth-year defensive end registered both Knox sacks on the day.
- Time of possession was fairly even in the first half, but Knox held the ball for more than 21 minutes after the break.
- The Prairie Fire have won eight consecutive games against Lawrence.
Next weekend is the season finale and the Bronze Turkey Game against Monmouth (7-2, 7-1 MWC), held this year at Stisser Field at the Knosher Bowl in Galesburg. The Fighting Scots suffered a 35-28 loss today at Lake Forest College in the battle of the MWC unbeatens by surrendering two touchdowns in the final 65 seconds. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Saturday with live video and stats available through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official athletics website of Knox College.