NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Jonathan Singleton (Jr./San Martin, Calif./Live Oak) threw for four touchdowns and ran for another, and the Carleton College football team defeated Hamline University, 35-7, in the MIAC opener for both teams. The fans who filled the stands at the Knights' home opener – which was the first game played at Laird Stadium since Nov. 16, 2019 – watched Carleton improve to 3-0, their best start since the 2008 season.
 
Both offenses sputtered to begin the game, with the teams trading a pair of 3-and-outs on their opening drives. However, after the Pipers (2-1, 0-1 MIAC) muffed Carleton's first punt of the game, Ryan Flanagan (Sr./Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) recovered the ball deep in Hamline territory. On fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line, Singleton took it in himself to put the Knights (3-0, 1-0 MIAC) on the scoreboard first.
 
A short punt set the Knights up at Hamline's 23-yard line to begin their next drive, and Singleton took full advantage of the short field, finding Ntense Obono (Fy./Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) three plays later for a 16-yard touchdown.
 
Carleton's special teams came up big again later in the first quarter. Beau Nelson (Sr./San Diego, Calif./Westview) executed a fake punt to perfection, hitting defensive lineman Aaron Berkowitz (Jr./Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill School) for a 12-yard gain on a 4th-and-3 to keep the Knights' drive alive.
 
After a Jackson Cleveland (Jr./River Falls, Wis./River Falls) interception once again set up the Knights in their opponents' territory, Bert Bean (Sr./Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill School) pulled in a beautiful 41-yard long bomb from Singleton to finish off a 3-play, 41-second drive. This was Carleton's third scoring drive that lasted less than 80 seconds of game time, and the home team enjoyed a 21-0 advantage early in the second quarter.
 
Hamline's offense began to show signs of life midway through the second period, as the visitors reached the Carleton 11-yard line on the strength of a 9-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock. However, Travis Brown (Sr./St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) picked off Pipers quarterback Connor Leavens in the endzone, returning the ball 55 yards to once again set the Knights up in Pipers territory and keep Hamline off the board.
 
Carleton proceeded to put together a 5-play, 92-second drive that culminated in a 28-yard strike to Will Irons (Sr./San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory), who dove over the goal line to give the home team a four-score lead.
 
Carleton's ball-hawking defense was not done, even after allowing the Pipers to again drive deep into Knights territory. The Knights' third pick of the day – this time from Ryan McGregor (Sr./Ellsworth , Wis./Ellsworth) at the 8-yard line – gave the home team a first-half shutout.
 
Despite a Singleton interception on the very first play of the second half, the defense was able to keep the Knights' momentum going, as they forced three straight negative plays to turn a short field for the Pipers into a 4th-and-36 at their own 38-yard line.
 
Later in the quarter, an extended 10-play, 41-yard drive from the Knights resulted in a 16-yard Nathaniel Strieff (Fy./New Glarus, Wis./New Glarus) touchdown reception and Singleton's fifth score of the game.
 
Hamline respond on the ensuing possession with a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drive late in the third quarter. Running back Alec Ralph accounted for 49 yards and the score, which represented the first points the Carleton defense had given up in nearly seven quarters of play.
 
Singleton's four touchdown tosses gave him 12 total for the season and move him into seventh in the all-time Carleton record books, with 31 for his career. He finished the game 19-for-42 with 206 passing yards, and a single interception.
 
The Knights were led on the ground by Aiden Chang (Jr./Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto), who carried the ball 16 times for 56 yards. Chang also picked up eight yards on a pair of catches.
 
Henry Detmer (So./River Forest, Ill./Oak Park And River Forest), Isaac Simons (Jr./Oconomowoc, Wis./Lake Country Lutheran), and Brown led the Knights in tackles with nine, eight, and eight respectively. Luis Miranda (So./Pomfret Center, Conn./Woodstock Academy) accounted for 1.5 of the home team's 5 sacks.
 
The Pipers were paced by Triston Thomas, who caught 10 balls for 67 yards and picked up 82 yards on four kickoff returns.
 
Carleton was able to win comfortably despite picking up fewer first downs (15 vs. 19) and running fewer plays (69 vs. 74) than the Pipers, although they did outgain the visitors, 275 yards to 221.
 
Up Next for the Knights:
Carleton and Macalester will battle for the Book of Knowledge next Saturday, Oct. 2, at 1:00 PM in St. Paul.