LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Lake Forest College football team scored with 30 seconds left Saturday to pull out a 34-27 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University at Farwell Field.
The Vikings (2-5, 1-4 MWC) had scored just 26 seconds earlier to tie the game.
Joey Valdivia ran 25 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns to pace Lake Forest (6-2, 4-2). Quarterback Jagan Cleary completed 15-of-27 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown for the Foresters.
Lawrence quarterback Philip Santiago came on in relief and went 12-for-24 passing for 172 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 14 times for 54 yards. Donnel Haley lead the Vikings on the ground with 12 carries for 70 yards.
The Vikings trailed 27-17 heading to the fourth quarter, but Lawrence moved the ball from its own two-yard line all the way to the Lake Forest eight. The big play was a 57-yard pass from Santiago to Cam Boerm to the Foresters’ eight-yard line. Boerm finished with four catches for 85 yards.
The drive stalled there, and Pat O’Mahoney kicked a 25-yard field goal to trim the lead to 27-20.
The Foresters punted the ball back to Lawrence, and the Vikings took over at their own eight-yard line. Lawrence moved the ball methodically down the field, but the Vikings were facing a third-and-19 at the Lake Forest 41. Santiago broke away from the rush and scampered 19 yards for a first down.
After coming up inches short of a first down after a Wasonu Allen catch and run, Santiago plowed ahead on fourth down to give Lawrence a first down at the Lake Forest nine. Santiago then hit Cole Erickson for a touchdown two plays later, and the Vikings tied it at 27-27.
Lake Forest downed the ensuing kickoff at its own 31, and Cleary hit Max Sorby on a 48-yard pass two plays later for a first down at the Lawrence 12. Valdivia ran it in for the touchdown on the next play for the victory.
Special teams helped Lake Forest to take the lead in the first half.
Lawrence drew first blood when it moved 80 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. Starting quarterback Ryan Butterfield hit Trevor Spina for 21 yards early in the drive, and Spina finished the drive with an 18-yard touchdown catch.
Alex Pasiewicz returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, but a missed extra point kept Lawrence ahead 7-6. Chris Edomwande then blocked a Lawrence punt early in the second quarter and covered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown and a 13-7 lead.
Lawrence bounced right back when Terrell Myers returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Lake Forest 49. The Vikings moved 49 yards in 10 plays with Butterfield running it in from two yards out for a 14-13 lead.
Butterfield then pinned Lake Forest deep with a punt downed at the Foresters’ two-yard line. Valdivia helped run the Foresters out of the hole, and Cleary connected with Edomwande for a 36-yard completion to the Lawrence 35. Valdivia ran it in from 32 yards out to give Lake Forest a 21-14 lead at the half.
Lawrence opened the second half with another long drive that ended with O’Mahoney’s 30-yard field goal to trim the lead to 21-17. Lake Forest countered with a 21-yard scoring pass from Cleary to Stanford Ellis to take a 27-17 advantage.