APPLETON, Wis. -- The Monmouth College football team scored 35 points in a span of less than 11 minutes to turn a scoreless game into a runaway over Lawrence University on Saturday at the Banta Bowl. The Scots posted a 56-3 victory in the Midwest Conference opener for both teams and the season opener for the Vikings.
Monmouth quarterback Alex Tanney had a big day, completing 23 of 31 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns. Kyle Wantland caught three touchdown passes of 39, seven, and 15 yards for the Scots.
The game was scoreless late in the first quarter when Monmouth capped 61-yard drive with a 39-yard scoring pass from Tanney to Wantland for a 7-0 lead with 5:27 left in the opening quarter.
A Lawrence fumble set up Monmouth's next score when Steve Zidow threw an option pass to Wantland for a 14-0 lead with 3:55 left in the first quarter. After a Lawrence punt, Monmouth went 82 yards in 12 plays, with Clay Bricker running the final 23 yards for the touchdown.
A fumble on Lawrence's next play from scrimmage set up another Monmouth score. Tanney hit Wantland on a 15-yard pass for a 28-0 lead with 11:40 left in the first half. The Vikings again fumbled on the next play from scrimmage and Monmouth recovered at the Lawrence 33. Tanney connected with Matt Shepherd six plays later on a 25-yard pass for a 35-0 lead with 10:06 left in the half.
The Scots added two more scores and led 49-0 at the half.
Senior defensive end Mike Gostisha set up Lawrence's only points when he intercepted Keegan Jones' pass at the Monmouth 28 and returned it to the 17-yard line. Nick Hitch connected on a 24-yard field goal four plays later for his first collegiate points.
Brian Janssen paced the Lawrence defense with nine tackles, and Jeff Nichols and Matt Frelich had eight tackles apiece. Shane Reschke intercepted a pair of passes for Monmouth, which forced eight turnovers.
Lawrence travels to St. Norbert College next Saturday.