Paced by a huge second quarter, the Grinnell College football team won a 24-21 thriller over Beloit College Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field to help the Pioneers get off to their best start in more than a decade.
The win pushed Grinnell to 4-1 for the first time since the 1999 season while sending the hosts to 3-1 in the Midwest Conference. Beloit dipped to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the league.
Mike Bogard ’12 threw for two touchdowns and kicked a field goal for Grinnel, while TJ Schaid ’13 ran for a career-high 89 yards. Ryan Fletcher ’11 (pictured) paced a strong defensive effort with a game-high 13 tackles and an interception. Marquis Bradley ’11 added 10 tackles and Marc Heronemus ’11 tallied nine.
Bogard finished 21-of-31 passing for 208 yards. Logan Granera ’13 led the receiving corps with 11 catches for 126 yards, while Robert Seer ’12 had five catches for 47 yards.
Beloit opened the scoring with a touchdown with 5:55 left in the first period, but Grinnell tied it when Bogard hit Seer with an 18-yard scoring pass. Bogard’s extra point made it 7-all with 4:36 left in the period. Prior to the touchdown, Bogard hit Cody Weber ’13 for a 17-yard reception.
Grinnell took the lead for good with a 5-yard scoring pass from Bogard to Weber at the 13:29 mark of the second period. Granera helped set up the TD with a 32-yard reception from Bogard, who also kicked the extra point.
Bogard booted a 27-yard field goal with 4:49 left in the period for a 17-7 lead. Schaid and Mike McCabe ’13 had 10-yard runs to spark the drive.
Bradley forced a fumble on the first play of Beloit’s next drive and Grinnell recovered. The ensuing six-play scoring drive, which included a 20-yard pass from Bogard to Granera, was capped by Schaid’s 1-yard TD run with 1:45 left in the half. Bogard’s kick made it 24-7 at halftime.
Beloit managed touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters to account for the final score.
The Pioneers head to Galesburg, Ill., next Saturday to face Knox College. Game time is 1 p.m.
