APPLETON, Wis. -- Lawrence University quarterback Eric Aspenson threw a school-record five touchdown passes, as the Vikings thumped Knox College 51-20 in a Midwest Conference game Saturday at the Banta Bowl.
Aspenson, a senior from Rockford, Ill., completed 14 of 21 passes for 308 yards and five scores. He broke the record of four touchdown passes he held with six other players. Aspenson also moved past Ken Meyer into second place on Lawrence's career list with 43 touchdown passes. Meyer threw 41 from 1973-76. Aspenson also became the first Lawrence quarterback to pass for more than 300 yards in a game since Chris McGinley did it against Ripon on Nov. 9, 2002.
Big plays and a stifling defense were the order of the day, as the Vikings (2-4, 2-4 MWC) beat Knox (3-4, 2-4) for the fourth time in five years.
Lawrence jumped on top with 9:57 left in the first quarter when Craig Ebert capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 15-yard scoring run. Less then three minutes later, Derek Micke caught a 73-yard scoring pass from Aspenson and the Vikes led 13-0. Micke finished with four catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
Sam Laes would put the Vikings back in business when he recovered Brent Newman's fumble at the Knox 23 with 2:25 left in the first quarter. Aspenson hit Micke on a 23-yard scoring pass three plays later and Lawrence led 20-0.
After freshman defensive tackle Ariel Kosover recovered a Knox fumble at the Lawrence 29, Aspenson connected with Ebert on the next play for a 71-yard touchdown strike. Ebert finished the day with three catches for 112 yards and rushed 10 times for 106 yards.
The Vikings tacked on Bryan Althouse's 23-yard field goal on the final play of the first half and went to the locker room with a 30-0 lead.
Grant Guimond finally got Knox on the board early in the second half when he ran 31 yards for a score to cut the lead to 30-7. Lawrence took the ensuing possession and drove to the Knox 42, where the drive stalled. The Vikings faked the punt and Aspenson hit Laes, a safety, with a pass. Laes then cut back across the field and broke several tackles on the way to his first career touchdown and a 37-7 lead.
On the ensuing possession, Laes intercepted George Nicholson's pass and returned it 35 yards to the Knox 10. Aspenson found Luke Fickbohm on the next play for his first career touchdown, which was the record-setter for Aspenson, and a 44-7 Lawrence edge.
Third-string Lawrence quarterback Rick Langman also got into the act. With reserve quarterback Nick Maxam out with an injury, Langman scampered 69 yards for a touchdown with 10:44 left in the game. Langman finished with six carries for 81 yards.
Knox, stymied by the Lawrence defense most of the afternoon, picked up a pair of touchdowns in the final 7:35 to finish the scoring. The Vikings limited Knox to just 107 yards in the first half, and although Knox finished with 337 total yards, it gained 128 in the fourth quarter.
Lawrence goes back on the road next Saturday to face Beloit College.