DECORAH –
Kaleb Skeffington's 72-yard touchdown reception rallied the Rams going into the fourth quarter, but Luther's ground game was too much in the end of Saturday's 26-13 Midwest Conference football loss at Carlson Stadium.
The teams' first matchup since 2011 – when both were in the Iowa Conference – was filled with explosive scoring plays on both sides. Skeffington's long TD catch from freshman
Liam Olsen and subsequent PAT kick by
Mitchell Frahm cut Cornell's deficit to 19-13 with 3:19 left in the third quarter.
Skeffington broke free deep down Cornell's sideline and went untouched into the end zone for his third TD of the season.
Luther (3-1 overall, 2-0 MWC) turned the tide with an 87-yard rushing TD on a reverse that pushed the Norse ahead 26-13 with 12:22 remaining. Luther accounted for 111 of its 309 rushing yards in the final quarter to protect the lead.
Cornell's first points came from its defense in the form of senior linebacker
Jamal Thompson, who scooped up a Luther fumble and raced 36 yards for a touchdown. Cornell's fourth defensive TD in three seasons made the score 6-6 with 9:31 left in the second quarter.
Thompson was all over the field the entire day and finished with a career-high 16 tackles. He recorded nine solo stops.
The Norse hit a 51-yard field goal that put them in front, 9-6, going into halftime. Luther stretched the margin to 19-6 in the third quarter before Skeffington's big play made it a one-possession game.
The Rams were held to 198 yards of total offense, which included 78 yards rushing on 15 carries from
Justin Bender. Skeffington finished with two receptions for 92 yards.
Olsen took the majority of Cornell's quarterback snaps in his collegiate debut. He went 5-of-10 passing for 100 yards.
Joshua Martin and
Hunter Cotten had seven tackles apiece for the Rams. Cotten led the team with 1.5 tackles for loss.
Luther owned a decisive 15-minute advantage in time of possession with 57 rushing attempts in the contest. The Norse held the ball for nearly 20 minutes in the second half.
Coming up – The Rams host Ripon (1-3 overall, 1-1 MWC) for their 112th Homecoming Game next Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is 2 p.m. at Van Metre Field at Ash Park.
