MOUNT VERNON, Iowa -- The Lawrence University football team rallied from an early 14-point deficit Saturday, but Cornell College pulled away late to forge a 35-24 Midwest Conference victory at Ash Park.
    Lawrence (1-4, 0-4 MWC) was down 14-0 in the first quarter before rallying to tie the game. Cornell (2-3, 2-2) got a touchdown late in the third quarter and early in the fourth to pull out to a 35-17 lead and held on for the win.
    Lawrence quarterback D'Andre Weaver went 22-of-39 passing for 239 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Weaver also ran for a team-best 51 yards. Logan Olson grabbed six passes for 92 yards to pace the Vikings, and Jaidon Bond had five catches for 36 yards and a score. Nicholas Pastrone and Billy Wallisch also caught touchdown passes for the Vikings.
    Linebacker Eder Bellegarde piled up a game-high 15 tackles, including 12 solo and 1.5 tackles for loss, to pace the Vikings. Terrell Myers had seven tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup for Lawrence.
    Peni Waqairatu led Cornell's ground game with 11 carries for 85 yards, and Tom Martushev had 10 carries for 53 yards and three touchdowns.
    The Rams got on the board early with the help of a fumble recovery at the Lawrence four-yard line. Cornell scored four plays later for a 7-0 lead. Cornell scored again on its next possession and led 14-0 late in the first quarter.
    Lawrence bounced back on its next drive and marched 79 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Cameron Wicks caught a pair of passes on the drive and the Vikings were aided by a pair of penalties. Weaver finished the drive with a 25-yard scoring pass to Wallisch to trim the margin to 14-7 with 12:39 left in the first half.
    After a three-and-out for Cornell, Lawrence moved in for another touchdown. A 22-yard completion to Olson gave Lawrence the ball at the Cornell 24-yard line, and Weaver then converted a fourth-and-two play to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, Weaver found Pastrone on a 13-yard touchdown pass and the game was tied at 14-14.
    Cornell hit on a 71-yard pass on its next drive, and that play accounted for all but 56 of the Rams' passing yards on the day. That set up Isaak Hahn's nine-yard touchdown run, and Cornell led 21-14 with 5:26 left in the half.
    Lawrence came right back as Wicks returned the ensuing kickoff to the Lawrence 47. A 14-yard completion to Tanner Morris moved the ball to the Cornell 27, and Andre Mazur banged home a career-long 44-yard field goal to trim the lead to 21-17 at the half.
    Cornell then put together an 83-yard scoring drive in the third quarter and a 51-yard scoring drive early in the fourth quarter to expand the lead to 35-17. 
    Lawrence then drove to the Cornell five-yard line before an interception in the end zone ended the threat. The Vikings came back on their next possession and moved 70 yards in nine plays for a touchdown. Weaver had a key 13-yard run and later completed a 12-yard pass to Olson for a first down at the Cornell 12. Weaver hit Bond with a 12-yard scoring pass on the next play to cut the lead to 35-24 with 3:55 left.
    Lawrence recovered the ensuing onsides kick, but the drive ended with an interception at the Cornell 45 to seal the victory.