APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University football team landed the first punch Saturday, but Illinois College responded with 54 unanswered points to defeat the Vikings 54-7 in the Midwest Conference opener at Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
Lawrence grabbed a 7-0 advantage midway through the opening quarter when Boris Christensen connected with Hunter Carlson for a 21-yard touchdown. Lennon Frazier converted the extra point to put the Vikings in front.
Illinois College tied the game late in the first quarter on a two-yard touchdown pass before taking control during the second. The Blueboys scored four touchdowns in the quarter, including a 27-yard interception return and a 91-yard touchdown pass, to carry a 35-7 lead into halftime.
The Lawrence defense limited Illinois College to a field goal in the third quarter, but the Blueboys added 16 points in the fourth to produce the final margin.
Raenaldo Farrington Jr. led the Lawrence ground game with 37 yards on eight carries, including a 15-yard run. Carlson added 16 rushing yards to go with his 21-yard touchdown reception.
Ethan Holland led the Vikings through the air with two catches for 39 yards, including a 29-yard reception. Xavier Waters, Odexter Simms and Antonie Perry each recorded two catches as Lawrence finished with 106 passing yards.
The Vikings finished with 158 yards of total offense while Illinois College accumulated 337. Lawrence was hurt by three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, as the Blueboys turned takeaways into a significant portion of their scoring.
