NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College aerial assault led the Knights to a 51-17 victory over Gustavus Adolphus College, their first win against the Gusties since 1996. Quarterback Jack Curtis tied the MIAC record and set a new Carleton (4-5, 3-4 MIAC) standard with seven touchdown passes on the afternoon, while receiver Tyler Dimond totaled 282 receiving yards, the most by a NCAA Division III player this season.
 
Carleton not only snapped a 26-game losing streak to the Gusties (5-4, 4-3), but this was the most points the Knights have scored against Gustavus since a 73-point showing Oct. 11, 1919.
 
Curtis' seven touchdowns are tied for most by a NCAA player (all divisions) this season. He has 20 scoring strikes this season and 52 for his career, the second-highest total in school history (see chart below). He finished the afternoon 28-for-39 for a career-best 469 yards, the fourth-highest single-game total in the 142-yard history of Carleton football (see chart below). Curtis surpassed 2,000 passing yards for the second straight season and now has 5,163 career passing yards, moving into fourth place in team annals (see chart below). He added a team-high 54 rushing yards to his stat sheet on Saturday.
 
Dimond was the top target in the Carleton passing attack, finishing with 12 catches for a whopping 282 yards, three shy of the Carleton record set by Jim Bradford against Gustavus in 1990 and the third-higest figure in MIAC history (see charts below). Entering the day, no NCAA Division III player had more receiving yards in a game this season than Dimond's 282. This was the first time in five years that a Knight tallied more than 200 receiving yards. Dimond hauled in four touchdown catches on the day on plays of 15, 21, 49, and 39 yards. He now has 11 TD receptions on the season, the fourth-highest total in team annals.
 
The Gusties jumped out to an early lead, hitting a 40-yard field goal on the game-opening drive. On its first possession, Carleton marched all the way down the field before fumbling into the end zone for a touchback. The Knights' defense came up with a stop to give them the ball back, and a 33-yard field goal by Marcus Merkelbach to start the second quarter snuck through the uprights and tied the game at 3-3.
 
Gustavus responded immediately, needing only 47 seconds to retake the lead thanks to a 2-play, 75-yard touchdown drive punctuated by a 31-yard touchdown pass from George Sandven to Caden Kleinschmidt.
 
Wasting no time, the Knights scored just 79 seconds later. Curtis found Dimond for a 43-yard reception to put Carleton at the two-yard line, and two plays later he found Ntense Obono to knot the game up at 10-10 with 12:47 to play. That proved to be the first of 42 unanswered points for the home team. Obono finished the contest with six catches for 55 yards and now has 26 career touchdown receptions, tied for third-most in Carleton history.
 
After trading stops, the Gusties elected to go for it on a fourth-and-11 at the Carleton 31-yard line. The visitors were unable to convert, and the Knights took over with 3:03 to play and hoping to tack on some more points before the break. With 18 seconds remaining in the half, Curtis found Dimond in the end zone from 15 yards out to give the Knights a 17-10 lead.
 
The Knights opened the second half with a bang, scoring in just four plays. A 40-yard reception by Dimond, who pinned the ball against the defender's helmet, was followed by yet another Curtis to Dimond scoring strike, giving the hosts a 24-10 advantage with 13:17 to play in the third.
 
Following another quick defensive stop by the Knights, Curtis found Nathan Streiff from 17 yards out for another touchdown, handing the Knights a 21-point advantage with 8:40 left on the clock in the third quarter.
 
The Knights defense held again, and the offense scored in four plays, capped off by a 49-yard heave from Curtis to Dimond again, marking the Knights' third touchdown in just nine minutes of second half action.
 
The Knights' final two touchdowns of the game came on a 39-yard pass from Curtis to Dimond, and a 25-yard strike to Streiff. The Gusties also scored once more before the end of the contest.
 
Dimond's four touchdowns matched his career high set on Oct. 26 at St. Scholastica and are tied for the second-highest figure in team history (see chart below).
 
Defensively, Jake Reinke led the team with eight tackles, and Josiah Tusler followed suit with seven stops. Four Knights had sacks in the game.
 
Sandven was 23-of-42 for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Gusties.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton concludes the season by hosting Hamline University during MIAC Championship week. Kickoff has been moved up to 12:00 p.m.
 
Most TD Passes in a Game — MIAC Players
TD Player — Team and Opponent — Date
7 Mitch Hendricks — Gustavus vs. Augsburg — 9/27/2014
7 Michael Veldman — Gustavus at Augsburg — 10/26/2019
7 Aaron Syverson — Saint John's vs. St. Scholastica — 10/28/2023
7 Jack Curtis — Carleton vs. Gustavus — 11/9/2024

Most Receiving Yards in a Game — MIAC Players
TD Player — Team and Opponent — Date
334 Joey Sonnenfeld — Augsburg at Bethel — 11/15/2014
285 Jim Bradford — Carleton vs. Gustavus — 10/20/1990
282 Tyler Dimond — Carleton vs. Gustavus — 11/9/2024
278 P.J. Theisen — St. Thomas vs. St. Olaf — 11/20/2007
275 Nick Heenie — Augsburg vs. Carleton — 10/13/2018
 
Most TD Passes -— Game
TD Player Opponent Date
7 Jack Curtis vs. Gustavus  11/9/24
6 John Nielson vs. Gustavus 10/20/90
6 Christian Zaytoun vs. Hamline 10/6/18
6 Jonathan Singleton vs. Augsburg 10/19/19
6 Jonathan Singleton at Crown 9/18/21
5 John Nielson at Lawrence 9/9/89
5 Ted Kluender at Bethel 11/8/91
5 Ryan Beckers at St. Olaf 10/16/93
5 Darren Caspers vs. Macalester 9/19/06
5 Shane Henfling at Macalester 9/15/07
5 Shane Henfling at Cornell 9/13/08
5 Christian Zaytoun at Macalester 9/1/18
5 Christian Zaytoun vs. Lawrence 9/8/18
5 Jonathan Singleton vs. Macalester 10/1/22
5 Jack Curtis at UM-Morris 9/16/23
5 Jack Curtis at Concordia 9/30/23
5 Jack Curtis at St. Scholastica 10/26/24
 
Most TD Passes — Single Season
TD Player Year
30 Shane Henfling 2008
28 Jack Curtis 2023
27 Christian Zaytoun 2018
25 John Nielson 1990
25 Jonathan Singleton 2021
21 Jonathan Singleton 2022
20 Shane Henfling 2007
20 Jack Curtis 2024
 
Most TD Passes — Career
TD Player Years
65 Jonathan Singleton 2019-22
52 Jack Curtis 2022-current
51 Shane Henfling 2005-08
50 Ted Kluender 1989,91-93
44 John Nielson 1987-90
40 Christian Zaytoun 2015-18
 
Most Passing yards — Game
Yds. Player Opponent Date
494 C.G. Shoap St. Thomas 9/28/96
486 Ted Kluender Bethel 11/8/91
482 Christian Zaytoun at Macalester 9/1/18
469 Jack Curtis vs. Gustavus 11/9/24
462 Shane Henfling Hamline 11/1/08
458 Christian Zaytoun at Lake Forest 9/9/17
456 John Nielson vs. Gustavus 10/20/90
 
Most Passing Yards — Single-Season
Yards Player Year
3045 Shane Henfling 2008
2702 Jack Curtis 2023
2305 Darren Caspers 2006
2261 Christian Zaytoun 2018
2237 John Nielson 1989
2197 John Nielson 1990
2156 Jonathan Singleton 2019
2122 Conor Lynch 2013
2098 Jonathan Singleton 2021
2070 Vaughn Schmid — 2009
2006 Jack Curtis — 2024
 
Most Passing Yards — Career
Yards Player (Comp-Att) Years
6241 Jonathan Singleton (632-1063) 2019-22
5427 C.G. Shoap (390-833) 1994-97
5297 Darren Caspers (468-905) 2003-06
5163 Jack Curtis (510-784) 2022-pres
5058 Ted Kluender (331-705) 1989-93
4983 Shane Henfling (416-664) 2005-08
4749 Jon Groteboer (401-870) 1998-2001
4742 Todd Nickodym (336-672) 1983-86
 
Most receiving Yards — Game
Yds. Player (# rec) Opponent Date
285 Jim Bradford (10) Gustavus 10/20/90
282 Tyler Diamond (12) vs. Gustavus  11/9/24
226 Emanual Williams (14) Augsburg 10/19/19
223 Chris Gardner (8) at Cornell 9/13/08
220 Jim Bradford (13) at St. Thomas 9/29/90
219 Chris Gardner (8) UM-Morris 9/8/07
202 Chris Gardner (9) at Concordia 10/2707
 
Most TD receptions — Season
TD Player Year
13 Jim Bradford 1990
13 Chris Gardner 2007
12 Matt Frank 2008
11 Tyler Dimond 2024
 
Most TD receptions — Career
TD Player Years
32 Jim Bradford 1988-91
28 Chris Gardner 2005-08
26 Jeff Scherer 1988-91
26 Matt Frank 2005-08
26 Ntense Obono 2021-pres
 
MOST TD RECEPTIONS - GAME
TD Player Opponent Date
5 Jim Bradford Gustavus 10/20/90
4 Jim Bradford at Lawrence 9/9/89
4 Chris Gardner MN Morris 9/8/07
4 Tyler Dimond at St. Scholastica 10/26/24
4 Tyler Dimond vs. Gustavus 11/9/24