Box Scores
Carroll University needed a win to stay in the Midwest Conference race while Knox College hoped to treat a big crowd at the Knosher Bowl to a Homecoming victory. Unfortunately for the Prairie Fire, the Pioneers used an effective run game sprinkled in with short passes and a stout defense to win 35-0 on Saturday.
The Knox defense got off to a great start when sophomore linebacker John Bass (Chicago, Illinois) intercepted Carroll quarterback Chris Casper's first pass of the game to set the Prairie Fire up in good field position - on the Carroll 46 - for the initial Knox drive of the game. The drive would ultimately net just eight yards and result in a punt.
The teams played to a draw until the tail end of the first quarter when the Pioneers put a drive together that began with 3:41 to play in the first that was capped off five seconds into the second frame when running back Drew Volkman scored on a 1-yard run with 14:55 to play in the first half to cap an 8-play, 85 yard drive. Dean Beck's extra point attempt was good and the Pioneers took a 7-0 lead.
Knox (1-7, 1-6) struggled to move the football consistently in the game against Grinnell's top ranked Midwest Conference defense. The first half drive summary for the Prairie Fire included a punt, interception, punt, and a possession that was cut short by halftime.
Carroll (6-2, 5-2) used a big second quarter to essentially put the game away. The Pioneers' top running back, Joe Berkstrand, broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run with 11:30 to play before halftime that gave the Pioneers a 14-0 lead. Carroll found pay dirt once more before intermission when Berkstrand scored on a 5-yard run that capped a 13-play, 99-yard drive after Knox had pinned Carroll on its own 1 yard line on fantastic punt by sophomore Doug Lillibridge (Byron, Illinois).
The Pioneers' Berkstrand finished the afternoon with 146 yards rushing on 18 carries with two touchdowns. Volkman was also impressive, adding 18 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. Casper completed 17-of-26 passes for 179 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.
Senior defensive lineman Mike Hendrick (Smithton) had the Prairie Fire's other interception. The versatile Hendrick also ran back two kickoff returns for 45 yards, including one for 24, and made four tackles - including one of a loss.
The league's top rated defense shut down a Prairie Fire offense that had combined to total over 800 yards of offense in a win against Grinnell and a narrow loss at Illinois College a week ago. Carroll held Knox to 175 total yards, with 112 of them on the ground. The Fire's leading rusher was junior Luke Northam (Colorado Springs, Colorado) with 11 carries for 51 yards.
First-year quarterback Drew Diaz (Niles, Illinois), after throwing for over 300 yards last week at Illinois College, was held to 3-of-15 for 21 yards and two interceptions. Back-up Mike Pinter (Naples, Florida) didn't fare much better. The sophomore played a good portion of the second half and completed 4-of-10 passes for 42 yards.
Carroll's balanced offense churned out 460 total yards -- 281 on the ground and 179 through the air. The Pioneers also kept the Knox defense on the field much of the second half by converting 9-of-15 on third down and scoring each of the four times they reached the red zone.
The Pioneers are now in a four-way tie for first place with Illinois College, St. Norbert College and Ripon with two league losses apiece after Ripon lost 40-35 at Illinois College.
Knox tries to regroup at Lake Forest College next Saturday. The Foresters earned their first win of the season on Saturday, a convincing 35-14 victory at home against Lawrence University.
