WAUKESHA, Wis. -- The Carroll University football team turned a four-point deficit into a 20-point lead in the span of less than seven minutes on Saturday to pull away for a 34-14 Midwest Conference win over visiting Lawrence at Schneider Stadium.
Lawrence (0-8, 0-8 MWC) had carved out a 14-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, with the Vikings defense limiting Carroll (6-3, 5-3) to only 193 yards in the first three quarters.
Carroll's defense got it on the board in the first quarter when Jeremy Winter intercepted freshman quarterback Eric Bohling's pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown and 7-0 lead.
Freshman linebacker Jake Runde helped set the Vikings up for their first scoring drive of the day. Runde shook the ball loose from Shaun Banta on a punt return late in the first half, and Runde recovered the fumble at the Carroll 42-yard line.
Nick Maxam, on in relief of Bohling, hit Zack Hintz with a 32-yard pass for a first down at the Carroll 7, and Maxam found Craig Ebert for a touchdown on the next play to tie the game at 7-7.
A 23-yard field goal on Carroll's first possession of the third quarter gave the Pioneers a 10-7 lead, but Lawrence came right back. Lawrence drove 82 yards in seven plays to score a touchdown and take a 14-10 lead.
Maxam was 5-for-6 on the drive for 81 yards, and hit Jeremiah Johnson with a 32-yard scoring pass. Johnson caught seven passes for 72 yards.
Carroll then scored 24 points in a span of 6:28 to break open the close game.
The Pioneers took the lead for good with a nine-play, 88-yard drive, capped by Chris Casper's five-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Galas with 11:49 left in the game.
After a three-and-out and a short punt by the Vikings, Carroll took over at the Lawrence 33. Casper hit Dan Deutschendorf with a 33-yard touchdown pass on the next play and Carroll led 24-17.
Carroll got a field goal to go up 27-14, and Maxam was intercepted by Jon Kosrow on the next possession. Carroll took over at the Lawrence 7, and Casper hit Galas with a six-yard scoring pass two plays later for a 34-14 lead.
Lawrence returns home next Saturday to face Ripon College in a renewal of the oldest college football rivalry in the state.