APPLETON, Wis. -- Big plays proved to be the difference Saturday as the Lawrence University football team fell 28-7 to Grinnell College in a Midwest Conference game on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
    The Pioneers hit on several big plays, two for touchdowns and another to set up a touchdown, to pull away from Lawrence.
    Lawrence quarterback Jack Sweeney was 12-for-25 passing for 88 yards. Sweeney also ran 14 times for 70 yards to pace Lawrence's ground attack. Logan Olson caught four passes for 25 yards for the Vikings.
    Defensive lineman Ian Thomas was a force for Lawrence with 12 tackles, including a sack, to lead all tacklers. Linebacker Donzell Andress added nine tackles, and KJ Sweeney had eight stops, including a sack. 
    Lawrence punter Ben Blumenthal did his job in helping the Vikings in the field position battle. Blumenthal punted seven times for an average of 45.9 yards per kick, the third-longest average in a game in Lawrence history. Blumenthal launched a 69-yard punt, the fourth-longest punt in school history.
    Grinnell broke a scoreless tie early in the second quarter. On a first-down play, Nick Rhinehart got lost in coverage and was all alone in the secondary. Grinnell quarterback Gray Woodhouse hit the open Rhinehart for a 57-yard scoring play and a 7-0 lead with 10:07 left in the opening half.
    The Pioneers (1-1, 1-1 MWC) doubled the lead on the opening drive of the third quarter. Woodhouse found Garrett Wilson, who made a leaping grab in the end zone while being blanketed by Sheldon Garmon, for a 27-yard scoring pass and a 14-0 lead.
    Lawrence (0-2, 0-2) put together a 12-play scoring drive that ended early in the fourth quarter. Pat Thompson was a sledgehammer on the first two plays of the drive to move the Vikings into Grinnell territory. He finished with eight carries for 36 yards.
    Jack Sweeney then hit Thompson with nine-yard pass for a first down, and Sweeney ran for 11 yards to the Grinnell 20-yard line. A penalty moved the ball to the 10, and Sweeney had back-to-back runs of five yards, the second one went for a touchdown. Blumenthal tacked on the extra point to cut the margin to 14-7 with 13:27 left in the game.
    On the ensuing possession, Lawrence had Grinnell in a third-and-two situation at the Pioneers' 33-yard line. Woodhouse took it on the keeper in a play that looked like it was going nowhere. Woodhouse bobbed and weaved through the line and broke out for a 63-yard gain. Woodhouse ran it in three plays later for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
    Lawrence just missed on what looked like a sure touchdown pass on the next drive, and the Pioneers tacked on a late touchdown for the final margin.
    Lawrence hits the road next Saturday for its only nonconference game of the season at the University of Minnesota-Morris.