GRINNELL, Iowa — The Grinnell College football team scored the game’s first 35 points and went on to a 52-14 victory Saturday over Lawrence University in the ninth-place game on Midwest Conference championship weekend.
Grinnell quarterback Sam Poulos completed 12-of-16 passes for 214 yards and five touchdowns to pace the Pioneers (3-7). Grinnell’s Jacob Meixler caught four passes, all for touchdowns, for 107 yards.
Lawrence quarterback Chance Byrd completed 21-of-42 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown. Starting linebacker Brandon Taylor did double duty as he played running back and carried the ball 15 times for 68 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (2-8).
Taylor also paced the Lawrence defense by making 12 tackles and recording a sack. Nick Ulloa and Jacob Lueck both recorded interceptions for the Vikings.
Grinnell scored five touchdowns on its first seven possessions of the game en route to building a 35-7 lead at the half. Meixler caught touchdown passes of 32, seven and 33 yards in the first half. He added a 35-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.
Lawrence got on the board when the Vikings moved 67 yards in 11 plays in the second quarter. Byrd capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Spina, who caught six passes for 57 yards on the day.
The Vikings also scored the game’s final touchdown when Taylor recorded his first career score. Byrd’s 31-yard completion to Taylor Mandich gave Lawrence a first down at the Grinnell four-yard line, and Taylor ran it on the next play for the touchdown.
Grinnell finishes in ninth place in the standings, and Lawrence is 10th in the 12-team league. Macalester College won the title with a 30-27 victory over Illinois College.