APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University football team piled up 348 yards on the ground Saturday and had two 100-yard rushers in a 36-22 Midwest Conference victory over Beloit College on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
Lawrence quarterback Ryan Butterfield ran 13 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns and included in that was an 82-yard scoring run. The 82-yard run in the second-longest run play in Lawrence history.
Freshman Wasonu Allen ran 17 times for 108 yards and scored on runs of 29 and 19 yards for the Vikings (2-2, 1-1 MWC), and Donnel Haley added 69 yards on 11 carries, including a touchdown.
Mason Dixon led Beloit (2-3, 1-2) with 25 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Danny May completed 19-of-28 passes for 214 yards, a touchdown and an interception. May added 12 carries for 65 yards.
Hunter Adams led the Lawrence defense with 11 tackles, and Jake Gostisha had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. Dan Rothbauer added eight tackles and picked off a pass for the Vikings.
Lawrence’s first touchdown was set up by Terrell Myers’ 60-yard kickoff return to the Beloit 26-yard line. It took the Vikings just four plays to score as Butterfield ran it from two yards out for a 7-3 lead.
The Vikings opened the second quarter with a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive. Allen capped the drive with a 29-yard touchdown run to put the Vikings up 14-6.
Gostisha recovered a fumbled punt return at the Beloit eight-yard line to set up the next score in the second quarter. Haley ran it in on the next play and Lawrence led 22-6. Beloit trimmed the lead to 22-12 at the half when Dixon capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run with 43 seconds left.
Lawrence took the opening kickoff of the second half and moved 65 yards in seven plays, all runs, for a touchdown. Allen ran it in from 19 yards out, and Lawrence led 29-12. Butterfield then opened the fourth quarter with the 82-yard run for a touchdown. The play looked like it had a mixup in the backfield, but Butterfield broke outside, split the Beloit defense and went untouched for the score and a 36-15 lead.
The Bucs added a late touchdown on May’s 42-yard pass to Michael Nolden.
Lawrence returns to action on Oct. 8 when the Vikings play at Macalester College.