After leading by just one point entering the fourth quarter, the Grinnell College football team erupted for 22 points in the final stanza en route to a 43-35 victory over Knox College Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field.
Grinnell has now won three in a row, a feat that had not been accomplished since the 2001 campaign, and is 3-2 in the Midwest Conference and 4-2 in all games. Knox fell to 0-5 in the league and 0-6 in all games.
Logan Granera ’12 had 101 receiving yards on seven catches, while Robert Seer ’12 had 99 yards on six catches with three touchdowns. Mike McCabe ’13 completed 13-of-19 passes for 219 yards.
Andrew Clark ’14 (pictured) sparked the defense with two interceptions, both setting up touchdowns. Ryan Creps ’12 had 12 tackles for Grinnell, while Jeremy Wiles ’14 and Brian Taylor ’13 added nine apiece and Richard Renteria ’15 had seven.
Leading 21-20, Grinnell scored just five plays into the fourth period when McCabe hit Seer on a 7-yard TD strike. Kelsey Davis ’12 hit Jason Peters ’14 for the two-yard conversion to make it 29-20 with 12:54 left.
A Clark interception set up Grinnell’s next score, a 39-yard pass from McCabe to Seer with 11:58 left. Granera’s extra point made it 36-20.
After forcing a point, the Pioneers kept it up with a five-play, 45-yard drive. Jimmy Borrasso ’12 hit Granera with a 24-yard pass during the series, which was capped by a 12-yard run by Cody Weber ’13 with 9:21 left. Granera had the point after.
Knox did score two more touchdowns after that to account for the final score.
The teams were tied 7-all after one period and 14-all at halftime. Grinnell’s touchdowns came on a 24-yard pass from McCabe to Peters with no time left in the first period and a 29-yard strike from McCabe to Seer at the 2:32 mark of the second period. Granera had both extra point kicks.
Knox went up 20-14 in the third period before a 1-yard Weber run with 3:06 left tied the game. Granera’s extra point put Grinnell on top, setting up the big fourth period.
The Pioneers play at Lawrence University next Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.
