MORRIS, Minn. - In an exhilarating showdown, the University of Minnesota Morris football team edged out Macalester College with a dramatic 17-16 victory. The Cougars come out of the season opener with a 1-0 record heading into next weekend. 

The first quarter scoring started on the opening drive for Macalester. A rush down the middle from the Scots for a fourteen-yard touchdown followed by a missed extra point attempt put Macalester up 6-0 over Minnesota Morris. In a drive that took five minutes off the clock, the Cougars put their own points on the board when Logan Ahlers put the ball through the uprights for a thirty-yard field goal that brought the score to 6-3, Macalester.  In the opening drive of the second quarter, the Scots widened the scoring gap with a 42 yard field goal attempt. Neither team was able to score for the remainder of the quarter, and the game went into halftime 9-3 in favor of the Scots.

Macalester opened the third quarter scoring, putting together a drive that ended in a 28-yard touchdown. An extra point attempt for the Scots that was good put them up 16-3 over the home team. The score remained unchanged for the rest of the third quarter despite an eight minute drive from the Cougars. 

A two minute drive that started at the Cougar 35 in the fourth quarter saw the first touchdown of the game for Minnesota Morris. Ethan Klimek threw short left to Ethan Tang for a four yard touchdown. Ahlers launched another kick through the goal posts. Just like that, the Cougars were back in striking distance on the Scots. Minnesota Morris started their third scoring drive with 2:42 left on the clock at the Macalester forty-yard line. Klimek launched a pass to a wide open Cole Mitchell at the MAC 8 for a 35-yard touchdown. Ahlers' final kick attempt was good, giving the Cougars a 17-16 lead. The Minnesota Morris defense pressued the Macalester offense, forcing three incomplete passes and a sack that turned over the downs in favor of the Cougars with a minute left in the game. 

Klimek ended the game with 198 passing yards on 29 attempts. Izayah boss led the Cougars in rushing with 81 yards. Tang received five passes for 73 yards. 

Carter Maurice led the defense with nine total tackles, while Gregory Ohman finished with six solo tackles and eight total. JT Cook caught one interception for 22 yards with two pass break-ups to pad his stats. Maurice (2), Alex Emmrich (1), and Chayce Meyer(1) put the pressure on the Macalester offense with quarterback hurries.

Cougar Football heads on the road next Saturday, Sept. 14 to take on the Hamline Pipers at 6 PM.