GALESBURG, Ill. ­— Coming off a one-point loss on the road, the Knox football team had some high hopes entering its home opener and Midwest Conference opener with the Ripon Red Hawks in town. But Ripon (1-1, 1-0 MWC) controlled the game from the start, leaving town with a 50-7 victory over the Prairie Fire (0-2, 0-1 MWC).

Ripon scored twice in each quarter, averaging 6.5 yards a play to amass 464 yards on the afternoon. Knox, meanwhile, had trouble penetrating a Red Hawk defense that registered eight sacks and allowed only 153 total yards. Prairie Fire quarterback Clay McClelland completed 6-of-9 passes for 83 yards and an interception before exiting the game in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Red Hawk running backs Treston Dekker was rushing for 89 yards on 11 carries and three touchdowns (including the first two of the game in the first quarter and a 44-yard score early in the second half), while Kevin Tortolero piled up 125 yards on 13 carries. Ripon quarterback Jack Berens connected on 16-of-21 throws for 168 yards and a touchdown before being relieved late in the third quarter.

By halftime, the Prairie Fire found themselves in a 26-0 hole out of which they could not climb. Knox was able to avoid the shutout following a high snap on a Ripon punt attempt that gave the Fire the ball on the Red Hawk 18. Three rushes later by first-year Amir Pruitt, Knox was on the board and Pruitt had his first collegiate touchdown from 3 yards out with 4:26 to play.

• Reserve Knox quarterback Kneko Vasquez also departed the game with an apparent injury early in the fourth quarter, which led to wide receiver Reese Miller lining up behind center for the remainder of the game.
• Sophomore linebacker Chase Caldwell recorded a career-high 11 tackles and one of two Prairie Fire sacks on the day, the other courtesy of first-year Isaiah Liptac.
• First-year Chris Ross blocked a PAT attempt in the second quarter, the third blocked kick by Knox in the first two weeks of the season.
• The 44 rushing yards for the Prairie Fire (a total sabotaged by 49 lost yards on sacks) were their fewest since being held to 33 by Monmouth in 2019.
• Ripon has won seven straight games in the series with Knox and is now 48-6 all-time against the Fire.

Knox will attempt to right its ship next Saturday, Sept. 20, when it travels to Beloit (0-2, 0-1 MWC), which lost at Grinnell in its conference opener today, 24-0. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be streamed live with live stats also available through the official website of Knox College Athletics, PrairieFire.Knox.edu.