ST PAUL, Minn. -- After riding a high-flying passing attack to three straight wins to open the year, it was the running game, special teams, and defense that kept the Carleton College football team unbeaten this season following a 24-10 victory at Macalester College. Aiden Chang (Jr./Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) career-best rushing day, Travis Brown's (Sr./St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and a series of second-half stops by the defense gave the Knights their fourth victory of the year, already matching their win total from 2019.
 
The victory permitted the Knights (4-0, 2-0 MIAC) to maintain possession of the Book of Knowledge, the traveling trophy in the series.
 
"Total team win," said Carleton head coach Tom Journell. "I'm so proud of how we prepared all week and performed today. We were able to overcome adversity and maintain emotional balance. Our team got better and grew today."
 
After scoring 43 first-quarter points in their first three games of the season, the Carleton offense was limited throughout the initial period. None of the Knights' first three drives amassed more than 20 yards. Thanks to the strong work of the Carleton defense, however, the Scots' (1-3, 0-2 MIAC) offense was largely held in check as well. Macalester mustered only a 41-yard field goal midway through the period, putting Carleton behind for the first time all season.
 
The Knights finally found their footing after a Ryan Flanagan (Sr./Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) interception—one of three turnovers for the defense—set the offense up at the Macalester 36-yard line. The ensuing nine-play drive culminated in a 7-yard touchdown run from Chang on 4th-and-1 to give Carleton the lead on the very first play of the second quarter.
 
After the teams traded punts, Macalester put together a 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took nearly five minutes off of the clock and allowed the home team to retake the lead at 10-6.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Brown fielded the ball at his own 5-yard line and heaaded to the right. The senior evaded multiple tacklers before breaking into open space, tiptoed along the far sideline, and raced into the end zone to give the Knights the lead back just 15 seconds after they had given it up. The 95-return is the longest play by the Knights this season and is tied for the second-longest kick return in recorded team history (see chart at end of release).
 
Later, a 10 play, 62-yard drive that began with less than two minutes remaining in the first half would set up a 31-yard field goal for Trent Ramirez (Jr./Denver, Colo./George Washington), to extend Carleton's lead to 16-10 as they entered the break.
 
Macalester put together a 15-play drive to begin the third quarter, but Ryan McGregor (Sr./Ellsworth , Wis./Ellsworth) intercepted a pass at the 15-yard line, returning the ball out near midfield. The Knight defense—which entered the game as the No 1 scoring defense in NCAA Division III—allowed the Scots to run only one play inside Carleton territory over the duration of the game.
 
The Knights' offense came up empty on a pair of red zone possessions to begin the fourth quarter, but Carleton punched it in one last time when Chang powered in from eight yards out with 41 seconds remaining. He added a two-point conversion to cap his day with a career-best 115 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns.
 
McGregor snuffed out the Scots' final hopes of a comeback with his second interception of the day, this one in the end zone.
 
The normally pass-happy Carleton offense totaled only 101 passing yards but amassed 182 yards on the ground for the Knights' highest rushing output since totaling 223 yards against St. Olaf on Oct. 21, 2017.
 
In addition to the three interceptions, the Carleton defense turned Macalester over on downs twice and forced four additional three-and-outs. James Bradle (So./Lemon Grove, Calif./Steele Canyon) paced the defense with 10 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Isaac Simons (Jr./Oconomowoc, Wis./Lake Country Lutheran) had nine tackles, including 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
 
Up Next for the Knights
At 4-0, Carleton is off to its best start since beginning the 2008 season with a 5-0 mark. The Knights will put their perfect record on the line when they visit crosstown rival St. Olaf College in the Battle for the Goat Trophy on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 1:00 PM.
 
Longest Kickoff Returns in Carleton History
Yds. -- Player -- Opponent -- Date
96 -- Bob Richey (TD) -- Knox -- 11/11/67
95 -- Jeff Jacobson (TD) -- at Monmouth -- 9/20/69
95 -- RJ Jackson -- Augsburg -- 10/2/04
95 -- Travis Brown (TD) -- at Macalester -- 10/2/21
93 -- RJ Jackson -- at MN Morris -- 9/6/06
92 -- Jordan Soteros -- Concordia -- 10/8/11
91 -- Rick Kohlan -- Grinnell -- 11/6/82
90 -- Don Voss -- Lawrence -- 10/30/54
88 -- Dick Raiter -- St. Olaf -- 10/28/39
87 -- Dan Reider (TD) -- Concordia -- 11/7/97
85 -- RJ Jackson -- Macalester -- 10/16/04
85 -- Chris Gardner -- at Augsburg -- 10/21/06
81 -- R.J. Jackson -- Concordia -- 9/24/05
81 -- Jack Arado -- St. Olaf -- 10/19/63
80 -- Gordy Meyer -- Cornell -- 11/18/50