NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College football team found the end zone on its first eight possessions and rolled to an 84-20 victory over Crown College in the Knights' season opener. This was the second-highest point total in program history and the team's largest margin of victory in over 100 years.
"I just love this team," said Carleton head coach Tom Journell. "We are practicing and performing at such a high level, and our level of expectation is boundless right now. In the context of a high academic program, we are also performing at a championship level. Our preparation is equating to our performance. Every member contributed positively today. We can't wait to build on this week into the approaching weeks."
Carleton (1-0) ran 95 plays on offense and amassed 685 yards, 279 on the ground and another 419 through the air. This was the program's highest rushing output since accumulating 299 yards at Knox College on Sept. 12, 2015, and it was the largest passing total since a 482-yard day at Macalester on Sept. 1, 2018. All told, the total yardage figure ranks in recorded team history behind only a 760-yard effort against University of St. Thomas on Sept. 28, 1996.
Carleton's final point total trails only a 125-0 victory over St. Cloud Normal (which is now called St. Cloud State University) back on Oct. 3, 1914. The 64-point margin of victory on Saturday was the widest by the Knights since a 74-0 victory over Concordia-Moorhead on Oct. 1, 1921.
Against Crown (0-2), the Carleton controlled play early, forcing the Polars into four consecutive three-and-outs, with the Knights cashing in touchdowns after each punt. Aiden Chang cored the first of the Knights' dozen touchdowns with a two-yard plunge at the 10:43 mark. Soon after, Oryon Hamlin burst up the middle for a 21-yard scoring scamper.
Another three-and-out by the defense was followed by a third straight rushing touchdown, this one by Servon Hinton from two yards out with 6:31 still to go in the opening stanza.
The Polars tallied their first points of the day when Malek Folston returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown.
Carleton scored two more times before the end of the first quarter on another touchdown run by Chang and a scoring strike by Jonathan Singleton to Joseph Park. The Knights led 35-8 after the first 15 minutes and never looked back.
Points continued to be scored at an impressive clip in the second quarter. Crown quarterback Elijah Odom ran it in from 14 yards out, but the Knights answered with touchdown passes of 8 and 39 yards to Ntense Obono and Tyler Dimond respectively.
Hamlin then scored for the second time, this one a one-yard plunge with 5:42 still on the clock to cap a 12-play scoring drive.
Singleton played most of the first two quarters and threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns in propelling the Knights to a 56-14 lead at intermission. Those totals improved his career numbers (over 19 games) to 4,541 passing yards and 47 passing touchdowns, figures that now rank him eighth and third, respectively, in team history.
The second half saw the Carleton coaches give extended looks to several of the team's reserves, including Jack Curtis, who was 12-of-14 for 111 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Singleton.
The third quarter saw Curtis connect with Nathan Streiff and Dimond from 11 and 8 yards out, respectively. In between, Sergio Yap rumbled in from 28 yards out.
Nick Toole capped the Carleton scoring with a two-yard quarterback keeper midway through the fourth quarter. It was the seventh rushing touchdown for the Knights, their highest total since at least 1981.
A dozen players had receptions for Carleton, including 13 by Garrett Siff, the most by a Knight since Oct. 19, 2019. He finished with 98 yards receiving.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts University of Minnesota-Morris for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 17.