APPLETON, Wis. - Noah Carrasco (Cypress, TX) threw for three touchdowns and the Beloit College defense came up with four interceptions, one returned for a score, as the Buccaneers beat winless Lawrence 27-17 on a sunny, 81-degree afternoon at Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
Beloit entered at 2-4 overall and 1-4 in conference play. Lawrence came in 0-5 and 0-3. The Buccaneers built a 20-0 halftime lead on turnovers and big plays, then held off a late Lawrence rally.
Beloit struck first after Josh Yearby (Hollywood, FL) intercepted Lawrence's Jordan Pidala at the Beloit 48. On third-and-11, Carrasco hit Brayden Jackson (Katy, TX) on a deep ball that Jackson took 53 yards for a touchdown. The drive took three plays and one minute. Lawrence blocked the extra point, leaving it 6-0.
Defensive back Alex Klun (Sun Prairie, WI) intercepted Pidala and returned it for a touchdown late in the second quarter. Ian Ladd's (Madison, WI) kick made it 13-0.
With 44 seconds left before halftime, Carrasco found Sammy Barreiro (Miami, FL) for a 20-yard touchdown on third-and-7. The four-play, 34-yard drive took 58 seconds. Guillermo Oyuela Bonilla's (Orlando, FL) kick made it 20-0.
Lawrence cut it to 20-7 on a 38-yard Pidala-to-Odexter Simms touchdown in the third. Beloit answered with a 14-play, 79-yard drive that lasted 7:49 and spanned the third and fourth quarters. Carrasco capped it with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dominic Guzman (Aurora, IL), and Oyuela Bonilla's kick made it 27-7.
Carrasco was 17 of 24 for 201 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also led Beloit with 11 carries, including a 28-yard run, though three sacks held his net rushing total to 2 yards. Deandre Fields (Fort Worth, TX) was the Buccaneers' top rusher with 55 yards on 10 carries (5.5 per carry) and added a 14-yard catch for 69 all-purpose yards. Barreiro caught four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown and added 13 rushing yards on two carries. Jackson had one catch, a 53-yard touchdown that opened the scoring.
Beloit's defense finished with four interceptions, two sacks and five tackles for loss. It also forced a Pidala fumble in the second quarter that Brayden Gonzalez (Mesa, AZ) recovered. The Buccaneers turned the turnovers into 13 points, while Lawrence scored none off Beloit's mistakes.
The Beloit defense also made two key fourth-down stops inside its own 10 and 22. Lawrence marched 87 yards in the second quarter but came up empty when Pidala's fourth-and-goal pass fell short at the Beloit 2.
In the fourth quarter, Lawrence got a safety and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Pidala to Simms, plus a two-point conversion rush by Jacob Cawley, to pull within 27-17. After that, the Beloit defense tightened. Two straight Lawrence drives ended in a punt and an interception.
The teams were close in total yardage. Lawrence finished with 304 total yards to Beloit's 289, but Beloit averaged more per play (5.1 to 4.9) and held the ball nearly seven minutes longer (31:39 to 24:53). Beloit converted 5 of 12 third downs, while Lawrence managed 2 of 12.
Beloit rushed for 88 net yards on 33 carries and was penalized eight times for 75 yards. Lawrence's Pidala went 16 of 35 for 218 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Tristian Gooden led Lawrence on the ground with 62 yards.
The Buccaneers are back at Historic Strong Stadium next Saturday to host the Monmouth College Fighting Scots. Kick off is set for 1 pm.
