Lawrence’s football team hosted the Grinnell Pioneers on Saturday, Oct. 5 in a Midwest Conference game on the Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl. It saw great turnout and was part of Lawrence University’s first Athletics Faculty, Staff and Student Day.
To kick off the tradition, Athletics Faculty, Staff and Student Day featured games from five different teams with five different giveaway opportunities.
A crowd of students, faculty, alumni and supporters gathered in the stands for kickoff at noon, excited by the possibility of the team’s first win since the 2021 season. The Vikings were on a three-game losing streak but showed signs of progress, like their 21 points against Cornell College on Saturday, Sep. 14. The team has also seen 25 incoming first-years to add to their now-64 member roster. Lawrence has also recently hired two new coaches in addition to the existing four: Joe Riordan (Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach) and Tom Haughey (Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator).
Grinnell scored first, but the Vikings quickly tied the scoreboard at 7-7. In the second quarter, Lawrence pulled ahead for a score of 14-7 at the half. By the fourth quarter, the two teams were tied once again at 14-14. The crowd was on their feet at every opportunity as action continued on the field; early into the quarter, the Vikings had a field goal blocked by Grinnell, and the Pioneers missed on the next possession. With 11 seconds left in the game, Grinnell had corralled Lawrence back to their 13-yard line. They kicked a field goal to bring the score to 17-14, dashing any hopes of overtime or a Viking victory.
Standouts for the Vikings included sophomores Jack Delzer (16 carries for 57 yards), Hunter Carlson (4 carries for 28 yards), Kolbe Gelvin (9 tackles), Sheldon Watson (7 stops) and junior Jon Pasquarello (8 tackles).
The football team will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 12 against Lake Forest College; kickoff is at noon at the Banta Bowl.