Julian Sanderson
Aidan McMurtrie
Julian Sanderson had 10 tackles with a sack.
35
Winner Cornell College COR 3-5 , 3-4
14
Knox KNX 2-5 , 2-4
Winner
Cornell College COR
3-5 , 3-4
35
Final
14
Knox KNX
2-5 , 2-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
COR Cornell College 7 14 7 7 35
KNX Knox 0 7 7 0 14

Game Recap: Football |

Red Zone Difficulties Prove Fateful in Loss to Cornell College

Five trips inside the Rams’ 20 yield only 14 points

GALESBURG, Ill. ­— The Knox College football team spotted visiting Cornell College 21 points and was unable to climb out of that hole despite reaching the red zone five times in a 35-14 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Knosher Bowl. BooBoo Browning ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Rams (3-5, 3-4 Midwest Conference) to the road win, while the Prairie Fire dropped to 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the league.

Knox amassed a season-high 331 total yards and matched another with 25 first downs, but the Cornell defense found a way, more often than not, to keep the Prairie Fire out of the end zone. Senior quarterback Reese Miller set season highs with 13 completions and 167 yards through the air, including a 15-yard touchdown toss to junior Mario Byrd, who posted career highs of six receptions and 87 yards.

The game began with the Rams marching 65 yards for a touchdown after the opening kick, culminating with a 6-yard Browning run into the end zone. Knox responded by gobbling up 60 yards down to the Cornell 10, but came up a yard short on 4th-and-2 to turn the ball over on downs.

The Rams added to their lead on the first play of the second quarter with quarterback Mason Dew connecting with Justin Bender on a 21-yard touchdown toss for a 14-0 advantage. The Prairie Fire defense came up with a big play on the next Cornell possession as first-year linebacker Jahprece Joseph forced a fumble and recovered it at the Knox 28. But Browning capped a 70-yard Ram drive with a 3-yard scoring scamper with 1:52 left in the half.

But Knox did not go quietly to the locker room as a roughing-the-passer penalty gave the offense life. Miller completed four passes totaling 52 yards and he ran three times, the last a 1-yard tush push across the goal line in the final seconds of the half, closing the gap to 21-7.

The Prairie got the ball again to start the second half and took advantage, gobbling up more than eight minutes with 11 consecutive runs before Miller hit Byrd from 15 yards out, bringing Knox back within a touchdown at 21-14. But the ensuing kickoff was right at an upback, who smothered it at the Fire 49, and Browning broke free on the first play for his third touchdown.

Again Knox ate up the clock, this time into the fourth quarter, meaning they had the ball for all but 11 seconds of the third quarter. But after having 1st-and-goal at the Cornell 6, the Prairie Fire lost yardage on each of the four plays, allowing the Rams to take over at their own 12.

Now it was Cornell's turn to have a long possession, holding the ball for nearly nine minutes before Dew scored on a quarterback keeper from 9 yards out. Again Knox drove down to the Rams' 6-yard line, only to have a pair of sacks foil the Fire's dwindling hopes.

  • Miller's 167 passing yards are the most by a Knox quarterback in six years (Grant Graham, 279 vs. Cornell College).
  • Junior Julian Sanderson led the Prairie Fire defensive effort with 10 tackles including a sack.
  • Dew finished the game with nearly identical passing numbers as Miller — 13-of-22 for 173 yards and a touchdown.
  • Cornell College had 101 more total yards (432) but four fewer first downs than Knox.

Knox will play its final home game of the 2025 season next Saturday, Nov. 8, when Lake Forest (5-3, 5-2 MWC) comes to town for a noon kickoff and Senior Day. The game will be streamed live with live stats also available through the official website of Knox College Athletics, PrairieFire.Knox.edu.

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