St. Norbert 68, Beloit 28

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BELOIT, Wis. - St. Norbert College scored 10 touchdowns in a breakout performance for the offense en route to a 68-28 win over Beloit College in a Midwest Conference game at Strong Stadium.

The Green Knights (3-2, 3-0 MWC) registered the fourth-highest point total in school history, and the second-most points ever scored in a road game. St. Norbert's 668 yards of total offense was also the fourth-highest aggregation in program history. The Green Knights averaged 11.7 yards per play.

St. Norbert wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, taking the opening possession 65 yards in six plays capped by an Elijah Fort 1-yard touchdown. After both teams traded punts, Beloit would score on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Danny May to Ryan Sughroue with 6:02 left in the quarter to knot the game 7-7.

It was all St. Norbert after that, with J.T. Crosby finding Samuel Staehling for a 43-yard touchdown pass just three plays later. The St. Norbert defense got another stop and then marched 94 yards in six plays, finished by a Brad Boockmeier 3-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds left in the quarter for a 21-7 lead.

The scoring binge continued in the second quarter when Matt Barrett forced a fumble and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown with 12:09 left in the period. Barrett's return was the second-longest fumble return for a touchdown in school history.

St. Norbert recovered another fumble two plays later and Crosby hit Boockmeier on a 45-yard touchdown pass with 11:34 left in the frame for a 34-7 lead. The Green Knights scored their third touchdown of the quarter with 6:39 left on a 29-yard run by Crosby. Beloit would get a touchdown on a 5-yard scramble by May with 2:19 left, but St. Norbert would score again on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Crosby to Staehling 52 seconds before halftime for a 48-14 lead.

Beloit (2-4, 1-3) went three-and-out on its possession to open the second half, and one play later Crosby found Staehling again for another long gain, this time a 63-yard touchdown and a 55-14 lead.

Staehling caught four passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns. His 54.3 yards per reception is the second-highest total in St. Norbert history with a minimum of three receptions. Staehling's receiving yardage total is the most for a St. Norbert player since 1983.

The Buccaneers would cut into the deficit with a 3-yard touchdown run by Mason Dixon with 6:40 left in the quarter, but St. Norbert would score again on a 3-yard plunge from Boockmeier at the 3:15 mark for a 62-21 lead.

St. Norbert would score its final touchdown of the game on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jack Becker to Marty Franzkowiak with 11:15 left. Beloit's final score came on an 11-yard touchdown pass from May to Sawyer Lindland with 4:28 to go.

Crosby completed 6 of 9 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns, while Becker completed 4 of 5 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. St. Norbert's 402 yards passing is the sixth-most in school history and the most it has had in a game since 2004.

St. Norbert outgained Beloit 668-430 in total offense despite only having the ball for 21 minutes 39 seconds. Elijah Fort and Jadon Sackman both had 62 yards rushing, while Boockmeier had 61. The Green Knights rushed 43 times for 266 yards.

May completed 22 of 31 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns for Beloit. Dixon led the Buccaneers' ground effort with 106 yards on 31 carries and one touchdown. Michael Nolden had seven receptions for 90 yards.