JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Grinnell College's football team used a huge second quarter to get back into Saturday afternoon's game, but it was too little, too late as Illinois College pulled away for a 55-24 victory.
The Blueboys (4-5, 4-4 Midwest Conference) shot out to a 20-0 lead, but the Pioneers made things interesting with an 18-point second quarter to pull within 27-18 by halftime.
Grinnell (2-7, 2-6) scored six points in the third period but couldn't keep pace with the hosts.
The Pioneers had a season-high 264 yards of passing, with
Hayden Moses '25 accounting for a season-high 208 of those yards.
Nick Rhinehart's '25 135 receiving yards were also a season-high for the team as was his 74-yard reception from Moses. Also a team-high were
Clayton Burton's '23 two-and-a-half sacks.
Danny Carter '22 rushed for 113 yards including a 72-yard jaunt, which is best for the team this year. Besides Rhinehart's big reception-yard total,
Dustin Saia '22 caught three passes for 91 yards.
Luke Stefan '25 had eight tackles to lead the defense, while
Tom Henehan '22,
Hugh Werner '25 and
Blady Cavazos '25 had six stops each. Henehan and
Adam Khater '23 each had a sack and
TJ Lawrence '25 half-a-sack.
After the first period, Grinnell went to work thanks to a fumble recovery. Five plays later, Rhinehart caught a 47-yard TD pass from Carter on a little trickery. The extra point kick was blocked, leaving the score at 20-6 with 8:27 left in the half.
After forcing a punt, Grinnell put together another five-play scoring drive. Moses hit Saia on a 34-yard reception before
Daniel Quirk '25 scored from 14 yards out. The extra point was no good, but Grinnell was within 20-12 with 2:05 left.
The teams struck quickly down the stretch. After the Blueboys scored, Carter ripped off a 72-yard TD run on the Pioneers' first play from scrimmage with 1:16 left in the half. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 27-18 at halftime.
Another quick strike late in the third period accounted for Grinnell's final touchdown, as Moses found Rhinehart on a 74-yard scoring strike. The two-pointer failed, putting the score at 41-18 with 3:13 left.
The Blueboys scored twice more to finish off the scoring.
Grinnell wraps up its season next Saturday when Cornell College visits Rosenbloom Field. Action for the Senior Day event begins at noon.
