The Carroll University football team jumped on Lawrence University early and rolled to a 55-6 Midwest Conference victory at the Banta Bowl on Saturday in the Hall of Fame Game.
Carroll (4-2, 3-2 MWC) scored two touchdowns in the first 3:39 of the game and led 24-0 after the first quarter. Running back Lamont Williams had topped the 100-yard mark early in the second quarter and finished the game with 26 carries for 153 yards and three touchdowns.
Lawrence (1-4, 1-4) turned the ball over six times and was limited to 215 yards of offense.
Quarterback Luke Barthelmess was limited to 4 of 14 passing for 24 yards before leaving the game early in the third quarter with an injury. Running back Ben Hartman was a bright spot for the Vikings with 13 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Williams capped a four-play, 40 yard scoring drive with a 23-yard run to put Carroll up 7-0. The Vikings fumbled on the next possession, and Carroll scored four plays later on Justin Butterfield’s one-yard run. Williams fumbled on the play before the score, but Carroll recovered at the Lawrence 1-yard line.
Carroll added Butterfield’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Matt Sklander with 6:23 left in the first quarter, and Tyler Raymaker kicked a 20-yard field goal on the final play of the first quarter for a 24-0 lead.
Carroll got a 15-yard scoring pass from Butterfield to Sklander and a 26-yard field goal from Raymaker and led 34-0 at the half.
Lawrence got its only score of the game when the Vikings moved 82 yards in 16 plays in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Alex Brewer hit Tyler Mazur for 26 yards to the Carroll 9. After a roughing the passer penalty gave Lawrence a first down, Hartman scored from three yards out to cut the lead to 34-6.
Carroll added three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, all coming off interceptions, to seal the win.
Lawrence returns to action next Saturday when it travels to St. Norbert College.