Dom Esposito and
Ethan Springer turned in the program's highest single-game receiving and passing yardage totals, respectively, as the Forester football team prevailed 68-12 at Knox College on Saturday.
In less than three quarters of play, Esposito caught 10 passes for 359 yards and reached the end zone four times from at least 60 yards. In addition to being a school record, his yardage total is the highest in Midwest Conference history and ranks eighth all-time in NCAA Division III. He is also just the third Forester to catch as many as four touchdown passes in a game.
Springer, who also exited after the visitors took a 56-6 lead with four minutes to play in the third quarter, completed 17 of 20 passes for 489 yards and the four touchdowns to Esposito. His yardage total broke the previous program record of 445 set in 2001 and ranks ninth in league history while his pass efficiency rating of 356.38 is another new team record. In addition to his exploits as a passer on Saturday, Springer also rushed for 30 yards on four carries.
Tailbacks
Taylen Goodwin and
Joseph Clark each ran for two touchdowns and combined for 78 yards on the ground. Backup quarterback
Robert Knorr was the game's leading rusher with 51 yards, including 34 on his way to the end zone late in the third quarter.
The Forester offense, which scored touchdowns on all 11 possessions in last Saturday's 77-14 victory over Greenville University, came away with seven points on 9 of its first 10 drives and added a field goal on another this week. The team's 523 passing yards and 725 total yards are school records while the 68 points on the day matched the ninth-best mark in team annals.
Kicker
Hudson Schambach was 9-for-9 on extra points and added a 28-yard field goal to raise his point total after just two games this season to 23. Lake Forest's other two points came from defensive back
Kaden Kern, who picked up a blocked extra point and sprinted 85 yards to the end zone for a defensive two-point conversion.
Linebackers
Blake Ware and
Zachariah Brayboy tied for team-high honors with eight tackles apiece while defensive lineman
Merino Merola added six. They also combined for four of the team's eight tackles for loss in the contest. A second quarter interception by Forester sophomore defensive back
Quentin Robinson was the first of his career and the first turnover for the team this year.
The Lake Forest defense prevented the Prairie Fire from recording a first down on five possessions and limited the home team to just 66 rushing yards and 11 first downs on the day.
The non-conference victory was the Foresters' second in as many games this fall while Knox fell to 1-1.
Lake Forest will be back at home next Saturday taking on Grinnell College at 1:00 p.m.
