BELOIT, Wis. -- Derek Micke got the Lawrence University football team off to a great start on Saturday at Strong Stadium, and the Vikings never looked back.
Micke returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, and Lawrence rolled to a 44-19 Midwest Conference win over the Bucs, who have now lost 17 straight.
Micke became the first Lawrence player to return a kickoff for a touchdown since Ryan Zutter did it vs. Carroll on Oct. 23, 1999.
Lawrence (3-4, 3-4 MWC) rolled up 415 yards of offense, including 235 on the ground. The Vikings defense limited Beloit (0-8, 0-7) to only 273 yards, intercepted two passes, and recovered two fumbles.
It only got worse for Beloit after Micke's kickoff return. Beloit's Jordan Ehlen fumbled on the next possession, and Brian Janssen recovered at the 50-yard line. Quarterback Eric Aspenson, who completed 16 of 26 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, hit Craig Ebert with a 50-yard scoring strike on the next play, and Lawrence led 14-0 just 2:25 into the game.
Quentin Layne got Beloit on the board on the Bucs' next possession when he ran 39 yards for a touchdown. The Bucs missed on the two-point conversion and trailed 14-6.
With Aspenson doing most of the damage on the next Lawrence possession, the Vikings marched down the field. Aspenson ran for 18 yards for a first down, hit Matt Hintz with a 12-yard pass for a first down, and later found Micke for 10 yards and a first down at the Beloit 1. Ebert capped the nine-play, 56-yard drive with a one-yard scoring run.
Lawrence added to its lead early in the second quarter. The Vikings marched 55 yards in 11 plays, with the key play being Aspenson's 15-yard completion to Sam Laes on fourth-and-8 from the Beloit 33. Ebert capped the drive with another one-yard touchdown plunge for a 28-6 lead.
The Vikings added a safety to go up 30-6 late in the half when Brad Hoh sacked Beloit quarterback Joe Davis in the end zone with 2:18 remaining.
Lawrence jumped on Beloit again on its opening possession of the third quarter. Freshman Kyle Gauthier intercepted Davis to give Lawrence a first down the Beloit 42. Ebert ran three times for 22 yards, and Aspenson ripped off a 16-yard run for a first down at the Beloit 4.
After a penalty moved the ball back to the 10, Aspenson hit freshman Jeremiah Johnson with his first collegiate touchdown reception, and Lawrence led 37-6.
Beloit cut the lead to 37-12 early in the fourth quarter, but Micke returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Beloit 39. Hintz ran 39 yards for a touchdown on the next play to complete the scoring for Lawrence.
Lawrence returns to action next Saturday when it hosts Carroll in the Fall Festival game at 5:00 p.m. in the Banta Bowl.