Grinnell College’s football team snatched their first victory of the season 28-7 against Lawrence College on Saturday, Sept. 17. This win came right after a disappointing 48-0 loss to Monmouth College the week prior.

“We were pretty down after the first game,” said linebacker Clayton Burton `23, “but we kind of came together. We got pretty motivated mid-week.”

Burton attributed the win to good communication between defense and offense. He was one of the top players in the game with a total of 8.5 tackles, two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

Burton stayed modest, however, saying, “I think our whole team did pretty well though. Overall, I think my stuff just came from our team being pretty good and getting set up by my teammates.”

Quarterback Grayson Woodhouse `24 also played well, earning the title Performer of the Week. Woodhouse had an impressive afternoon, throwing two touchdown passes with 187 passing yards. He also had 103 rushing yards which included two additional touchdowns.

First-years Keaton Fitzgerald `26 and Brandon Tennicott `26 both had significant playing time during the game. Fitzgerald made six stops and Tennicott had a fumble recovery. Due to the smaller size of the team, first years have been getting the chance to test their skills out on the field.

“Our freshmen get quite a bit of playing time compared to a typical team,” said wide receiver and kicker Nick Reinhardt `25. “So, it’s not as hard for us to get them involved.”

Looking ahead, the team hopes to win their game this week against Beloit College, but it is realistic about some of the harder opponents they will face later in the season.

“I think we just have to keep our spirits up throughout all of it regardless of if we win a couple games or lose a couple games,” said Burton. “We have to stay pretty level-headed throughout.”