GALESBURG, Ill. ­— The Midwest Conference office announced its Performers of the Week in football this afternoon, and Knox College junior Colin Finnigsmier was selected for the defensive honor following his performance in the Prairie Fire's 20-17 homecoming victory over Grinnell College on Saturday afternoon.

Finnigsmier, a 6-1 cornerback from Florence, Colorado, made the game-saving play in the final minute of the fourth quarter. With Knox clinging to that three-point lead with Grinnell lined up at the Knox 8-yard line facing 2nd-and-goal, Finnigsmier made his clutch play. The Pioneers attempted a pass into the end zone, only to have the ball be intercepted by the lanky junior. The pickoff set off a raucous celebration in the stands and on the sideline, and one kneel-down later, the Prairie Fire had their victory, evening their conference record at 2-2.

For the game, Finnigsmier had five tackles, one going for a 3-yard loss, as well as a pass breakup to go with his impactful interception. He leads the league in passes defended this fall with eight (no one else has more than five), and he is tied for second with two interceptions. His other pick came in the final minute at Beloit at midfield to preserve a 16-14 victory.

• The last Knox player to earn a Midwest Conference weekly award was kicker Fernando Torres 11 months ago as the Special Teams Performer of the Week.
• The last Prairie Fire player to be named the Defensive Performer of the Week was Isaac Mora '25, who took home the honor almost exactly three years ago (Oct. 17, 2022), also after a victory over Grinnell.

Knox (2-3, 2-2 MWC) travels to Illinois College (3-2, 2-2 MWC) this Saturday, Oct. 18, for a game that kicks off at 2 p.m. The Blueboys suffered a 48-15 defeat at Monmouth today, their worst loss since a 49-14 defeat in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Division III playoffs. The game will be streamed live with stats also available through the official website of Knox College Athletics, PrairieFire.Knox.edu, courtesy of Illinois College.