Even a casual observer of Lawrence University football knew the Vikings were going to be able to throw the pigskin this season. With record-setting quarterback Luke Barthelmess and receiver Tyler Mazur back, the Vikings had the pieces in place for a potent aerial attack.
But the Vikings likely raised a few eyebrows around the Midwest Conference last Saturday when they opened the season by showcasing an impressive ground game against Cornell College.
“The goal this year, from recruiting right on through the season, was to recruit more running backs and have a more balanced attack,” Lawrence coach Mike Barthelmess said. “We feel like if are going to win, we have to run the ball more effectively.”
The Vikings certainly did that in the season opener. Lawrence ran for 272 yards, and that is the Vikings’ highest rushing output since they went for 286 vs. Knox College back on Oct. 13, 2007.
“What we’re trying to do is take what the defense gives us,” Barthelmess said. “We were going to keep running the football until (Cornell) took it away.”
The Vikings actually ran for more yards (272) than they passed for (267), and that hasn’t happened for a few seasons. The last time Lawrence gained more yards on the ground than in the air was vs. Knox in 2009 (167 rushing/147 passing).
Luke Barthelmess did the most damage by running 16 times for 132 yards, and he became the first Lawrence back to rush for more than 100 yards since Craig Ebert did it in the 2008 season finale. Barthelmess also completed 26 of 43 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
“Luke always has the option to throw the football or run the football on every single play,” Barthelmess said. “Both he and the coordinators were taking advantage of what the defense was giving us.”
Senior running back Ben Hartman added 21 carries for 86 yards, and freshman running back Scott Vandeloo of Kaukauna added 43 yards on 11 carries. The Vikings lost freshman Corey Fisher to an injury, and freshman Dalton Sendelbach also saw action.
“We have three good running backs, and we’re going to use them,” Barthelmess said. “If defenses want to stack the box to take that way, we’re going to throw the football.”
The other big, and I do mean big, reason the Vikings were successful on the ground was the offensive line. With a group that averages 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, the Vikings have the ability to move the defense.
“The offensive linemen always prefer to run the football,” Barthelmess said. “If you’re a real offensive lineman you want to dig in there and create holes for your running backs. I’m sure that’s the most fun they’ve had since they’ve been here.”
Scoring streak
It took Erich Lohrmann until the first game of his junior season to get his first goal for the Lawrence men’s soccer team. He didn’t have to wait as long for No. 2 or No. 3. Just two days later, in the season’s second game, Lohrmann scored both goals in Lawrence’s 2-1 victory at Marian.
Still perfect
The Lawrence women’s tennis has several players that kept perfect records intact when the Vikings beat Carthage College 5-4 on Tuesday.
Junior Gayatri Malhotra is now 4-0 at No. 3 singles, and the No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Hannah Geoffrey and freshman Ali Heiring are also 4-0.
This marks the second consecutive season the Vikings have defeated Carthage 5-4, and the win in 2011 started an eight-match winning streak for Lawrence.
Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.