NORTHFIELD, Minn.-- The Carleton College football team lost the annual "Goat Trophy" game to cross-town rival St. Olaf College by a score of 19-13. The Knights were down 17-0 in the third quarter when Jack Curtis led a touchdown scoring drive midway through the third quarter, only to go down with an injury on the next drive. Backup quarterback Nick Toole guided Carleton to another score and moved the Knights within six yards of taking a late lead on the road before a fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
 
After a scoreless first quarter, the Oles (5-0, 3-0 MIAC) scored on two consecutive drives, the first coming by way of a 24-yard field goal. The second score was a 10-yard touchdown pass from Theo Doran to Derek Hansen, giving the Oles a 10-0 lead with 8:58 to play in the first half.
 
The Oles scored on their second drive of the second half on another connection from Doran to Hansen. The 17-yard touchdown pass gave the home team a 17-0 advantage with 8:04 remaining in the third.
 
The Knights (2-3, 1-2 MIAC) scored quickly in response, though, embarking on an eight-play, 66-yard drive that took 2:22 off the clock. Curtis capped it all off by finding Ntense Obono in the end zone from 10-yards out, cutting the Oles' lead to 10.
 
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Knights looked poised to score, marching 62 yards down the field to the Ole 27-yard line before a pass was picked off at the six-yard line. The turnover seemingly put the Knights' hopes of a comeback out of reach.
 
However, on the Oles' first play after the turnover, Kevin Xiong recovered a fumble to quickly give the ball back to Carleton. Two plays later, Toole found Tyler Dimond in the end zone making it a one-score game at 17-13. A made extra point would have brought the Knights within a field goal, but Marcus Merklbach's kick was blocked and returned the length of the field to the end zone awarding the Oles two points and giving them a 19-13 lead.
 
The Carleton defense once again came up with a critical stop, giving the Knights 3:15 to travel 69 yards to tie or take the lead. On 4^th-and-11 from the St. Olaf 28-yard line, Toole found Dimond open across the middle for 22 yards moving the Knights to the six-yard line. Four consecutive incomplete passes led to a turnover on downs, and the Oles were able to run out the clock.
 
Curtis finished the day 16-of-24 for 149 yards and a touchdown. In relief, Toole completed 13-of-24 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Toole's marks in completions and yards were both career highs, and the passing touchdown was the second of his career.
 
The Knights had two 100-yard receivers on the day as Obono hauled in 10 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown, and Dimond caught seven passes for 100 yards. Obono now has 183 career receptions and moved up to third in the Carleton football record books.
 
On defense, Doug Pham led the way for Carleton with 12 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss. Blake Neithart tallied nine stops of his own, recovered a fumble, and broke up a pass.
 
Up Next for the Knights
The Knights will return home to take on No. 3 ranked Saint John's University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 19.