APPLETON, Wis. -- The last time the University of Minnesota-Morris football team traveled to the Banta Bowl, there was a lot at stake.
It was the quarterfinals of the 1981 NCAA Division III playoffs, and Lawrence posted an overtime victory. Saturday's game at the Banta Bowl didn't have any national title implications, but it was important for the Vikings, who put together a solid 21-13 nonconference victory over the Cougars.
The Lawrence (1-9) win allowed the Vikings to avoid what would have been only the second winless season in school history, send its seniors out on a high note, and leave a good taste in the mouth of all the returning players.
Craig Ebert was the star for Lawrence, as the senior running back carried 22 times for 123 yards and caught four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Lawrence took the opening kickoff and marched 54 yards in seven plays for the game's first touchdown. Freshman quarterback Max Granaroli hit Ebert in the left flat, and Ebert went 18 yards for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Vikings made it 14-0 early in the second quarter on an impressive 86-yard drive. Quarterback Nick Maxam found Ebert for 12 yards on a key third-and-11 play to keep the drive alive at the Morris 49-yard line. Two plays later, senior wide receiver Derek Micke took a reverse 41 yards for a touchdown.
Morris (3-6) came right back on its next possession to cut the lead to 14-6. Running back Ernest Tucker carried nine times on the drive for 34 yards, including a one-yard touchdown run. Tucker had 19 carries for 72 yards in the first half but finished the game with 23 carries for only 80 yards.
The Vikings forced a short punt late in the first half, and a kick catching interference penalty gave Lawrence a first down at the Morris 25-yard line with 51 seconds left in the second quarter. Maxam hit Jeremiah Johnson on the next play for a touchdown, as Johnson made a nice catch in the end zone for a 21-6 halftime lead for the Vikings.
Morris put together an 11-play, 82-yard drive to cut the lead to 21-13 late in the third quarter. Robert Koranda had a 14-yard run and a 21-yard reception on the drive. Garrett Mensing's 10-yard reception gave Morris a first down at the Lawrence 1, and Mensing scored on a one-yard plunge on the next play.
Morris drove into Lawrence territory twice in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings stopped the Cougars both times. Mike Gostisha, who finished with 10 tackles, sacked Seth Hubbard on a third-down play, and Hubbard's fourth-down pass fell incomplete. Safety Sam Laes then intercepted Hubbard on the next drive to help seal the victory.
Linebacker Brian Janssen also had 10 tackles for the Vikings.