GRINNELL, Iowa – Things looked very bleak for the Grinnell College football team on Senior Day Saturday when Cornell College built a 23-0 lead just six minutes into the game.
But rather than fold during a game that marked the season finale for both teams, Grinnell roared back into contention. The Pioneers cut the gap to 23-14 by halftime before the Rams pulled away for a 51-20 victory at Rosenbloom Field.
Two quarterbacks combined for a season-best 366 passing yards for Grinnell (2-8, 2-7 Midwest Conference) and
Nick Rhinehart '25 caught 11 passes for 153 yards and two scores, all bests for any player on the team this season.
Grayson Woodhouse '24 completed 14-of-24 passes for 219 yards and a score, while
Henry Baird '25 added a 13-of-23 completion rate for 147 yards and two TDs.
Besides Rhinehart's big day of catching passes,
Garrett Wilson '25 added eight catches for 110 yards.
Luke Walters '26 had 11 tackles but, just as importantly, forced two fumbles. The latter figure ranks among the best in school history.
Kevin Johanson '26 added nine stops while
Tim Johnson '24 and
Luke Stefan '26 added six apiece.
A safety and three quick touchdowns put Cornell (6-4, 6-3 MWC) on top 23-0 right out of the gate.
But then Grinnell went to work, doing the only scoring of the teams in the second period. Baird connected with Rhinehart for a 16-yard score for the first touchdown, while Woodhouse found Wilson on an 8-yard TD midway through the period. The first of those scores was set up when Johanson recovered a Cornell fumble deep in Pioneer territory, and the second came after the Pioneer defense stopped Cornell on a fourth-and-1 play in Grinnell territory.
The teams traded scores after that, with Cornell scoring late in the third quarter and the Pioneers finding the end zone early in the fourth on a 26-yard strike from Baird to Rhinehart.
However, Cornell scored two touchdowns after that to secure the victory.
