Knox College Prairie Fire

MOUNT VERNON, IL - The Prairie Fire battled until the final minute Saturday, scoring late in the fourth quarter to pull within two points before falling to Cornell, 26-24.

Cornell got going early on in the Midwest Conference contest as they claimed the first three scores against Knox. 

Down 17-0, Knox got on the scoreboard late in the first quarter when Mario Byrd scampered across the goalline from 12 yards out.

Knox scored in all four quarters against the Rams. The Prairie Fire came out swinging in the second half when they scored a touchdown in each quarter. 

Karter Krutsinger powered into the endzone in the third quarter to bring Knox within three points of Cornell at 20-17.

Cornell extended their lead to nine points in the fourth quarter after a pair of field goals.

Late in the fourth quarter, Keilyn Rhetta dropped back in the pocket and found Marcus Carter down the field.  Carter crossed the goalline for a 49-yard touchdown reception to bring the score to 26-24 with just 57 seconds left.

Knox failed to recover the onside kick, and Cornell pulled off a two point victory following a pair of kneels.

Defensively, Jalen Brown led the way with 10 total tackles and recorded a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Aaron Estes added eight tackles, while Isaiah Liptac finished with seven. The Prairie Fire's three fumble recoveries and one interception helped keep the team within reach throughout the contest.

The Prairie Fire will look to build on their second half success next week when they host Lawrence at 1:00 p.m. at the Knosher Bowl in the Knox College Homecoming game.