St. Norbert Can't Overcome Macalester

From Sports Information Director, November 8, 2014 | Football
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College couldn't make the most of its opportunities and dropped a 21-13 decision to Macalester College in a Midwest Conference North Division game at Schneider Stadium.

The Scots (8-1, 5-0 MWC North), who won eight games in a season for the first time in 121 seasons of intercollegiate football, clinched the division title and will play Illinois College next Saturday for the MWC championship. St. Norbert (5-4, 3-2) will travel to Cornell College for the second time this season to play for fifth place.

On St. Norbert's second possession of the third quarter, it drove to the Macalester 12 before the drive stalled. A bad snap on the ensuing field-goal attempt resulted in a desperation pass into the end zone by Randy Hill, and Macalester was called for holding. The Green Knights could only muster one yard in the next three plays and settled for a 23-yard field goal by Hill to cut the deficit to 14-10 with 1:25 left in the period.

Two plays from scrimmage later, Mark Hoeft forced a strip sack and the Green Knights recovered at the Macalester 20-yard line. Elijah Fort rushed 12 yards on the next play to set up a first-and-goal at the Macalester 8. Three plays netted two yards and Hill kicked a 24-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-13 with 13:05 remaining.

Macalester answered with a 14-play, 72-yard drive that chewed up 7:49 off the clock. The Scots collected five first downs on the series and capped it off on a Samson Bialostok 2-yard touchdown run on a naked bootleg with 5:16 to go.

St. Norbert punted on its next possession with 3:16 left. Three plays later, Macalester passed and Bialostok was intercepted by Joe Lorenz. A personal foul by Macalester set St. Norbert up at the Scots' 34 with 1:54 to go. The Green Knights were in a second-and-12 situation at the Macalester 26, but the Scots' Konnor Fleming intercepted a pass in the end zone with 45 seconds to go.

Macalester took an early 7-0 lead when Bialostok scrambled 47 yards for a touchdown with 2:43 left in the first quarter. St. Norbert tied the game on a blocked Macalester punt by Dan Egan, and Zack Klarkowski returned the ball 30 yards for the Green Knights' lone touchdown of the game. The Scots retook the lead on its next series on a 32-yard pass from Bialostok to Victor Bordo with 8:05 left before halftime.

Macalester outgained St. Norbert 366-218 in total offense and had 21 first downs to the Green Knights' 11. James Tringali completed 15 of 28 passes for 147 yards and three interceptions. Elijah Fort rushed 73 yards on 13 carries, while Marty Franzkowiak caught seven passes for 52 ayrds.

Bialostok completed 8 of 16 passes for 122 yards and one score with one interception. Zandy Stowell rushed 36 times for 143 yards, while Bialostok rushed for 100 yards on 13 carries. The Scots rushed 55 times for 244 yards overall.