GALESBURG, Illinois – The Prairie Fire got back on track in a big way with a 45-14 win over Lawrence University on Stisser Field at the Knosher Bowl on Saturday.
Two weeks after suffering a 40-14 setback at Carleton College, Knox started fast against the Vikings and never let up. The win is the second straight for Knox at home this season and second in a row against Lawrence on the home turf. Knox last started a season 2-0 at home in 2005.
The Prairie Fire (2-1) used a smash-mouth rushing attack to score all six of their touchdowns, including five through the first two quarters to take a commanding 35-0 lead at the half.
Both teams turned the football over on their opening drives, but Knox turned the Vikings' first miscue into points. First-year quarterback
Matt Mc Caffrey (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) scored on a 1-yard keeper with 4:22 left in the first quarter and Knox led 7-0 following the PAT kick by first-year
Drake Sykes (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg).
First-year running back
Terry White (Hillsdale, IL, Riverdale) began his huge afternoon by busting loose for a 21-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds to go in the quarter. He topped that by breaking tackles and racing 47 yards to pay dirt with 11:38 remaining in the second quarter. Sykes connected on the extra-point kicks for a 21-0 Prairie Fire lead.
Knox scored 14 more points in the final 2:09 of the second quarter on a 2-yard run by Mc Caffrey and a 13-yard rush by senior
Adam Brooking (Oswego, IL, Oswego). Sykes finished the half 5-for-5 on PAT kicks as the Prairie Fire held an insurmountable lead at the break.
Lawrence (1-2) dashed any hopes of a Knox shutout when quarterback Chance Byrd, under pressure, found Trevor Spina open in the middle of the field and he ran for an 80-yard touchdown with 7:39 remaining in the third period. The extra point kick trimmed the Prairie Fire lead to 35-7.
Knox answered with a field goal by Sykes from 24-yards out with 1:39 in the third to extend the advantage to 38-7.
Both teams added a touchdown in the fourth quarter to account for the final score.
Byrd scored on a 15-yard run less than a minute in to bring Lawrence a little closer, 38-14.
White came back with a 67-yard touchdown run, his third of the game, with 11:38 to play and Sykes banged home the extra point to arrive at the final score.
White finished with 176 yards on 15 carries while Brooking had 17 carries for 104 yards.
The Prairie Fire churned out 502 total yards of offense and held the Vikings to 226. Knox rushed for 345 while Mc Caffrey was 12-of-19 passing for 157 yards. Junior
Ilir Emini (Yorkville, IL, Yorkville) led the receivers with nine catches and 75 yards.
Sykes wound up six-for-six on extra point attempts, which ranks in a tie for the fourth-most in a game all-time at Knox.
Knox resumes play next Saturday at Macalester College, like Lawrence, a member of the Midwest Conference North Division. The kickoff is scheduled at 1:00 p.m. in Northfield, Minn.
NOTES: White averaged 11.7 yards per carry in the game, which ranks fifth all-time in Knox football history. White and Brookings both topped 100 yards on the ground, which is only the 14th time that's happened in the program's history.
