CHICAGO, Ill. -- Ripon College Football (3-3, 3-2 MWC) dropped a conference game to the University of Chicago (5-1, 5-0 MWC) this Saturday, Oct 18. Linebacker Zane Vetter (Mayville, Wis., Mayville HS) would lead all players with 17 tackles, a new career high. 

Both teams open Saturday's game with defensive success, shutting drives down before much offense could be mounted. Despite a scoreless first half, Ripon entered the second with momentum after lineman Diallo Dubois (Rockford, Ill., Jefferson HS) snagged an interception in the final minutes of the quarter, giving the Red Hawks the ball as the next one began. Although the visitors would go three-and-out on the next set of downs, U-Chicago would muff the punt, with linebacker Deven Soerens (Cedar Grove, Wis., Cedar Grove-Belgium HS) recovering the ball at the Maroon's 8 yard line. The Red Hawks would kick a field goal for the first points of the game, going up 3-0 with 13 minutes left in the first half. 

The Maroons wasted no time in answering back after Ripon's field goal, completing a deep pass on the next drive for a 95 yard touchdown. Stopped by U-Chicago's defense on their next two attempts, the Red Hawks would go down 14-3 after a rusher broke free for a 42 yard touchdown. Looking to even things out before halftime, quarterback Cale Barnhart (Canton, Ill., Canton HS) and receiver Ryan Clayborn (Evans, Ga., Greenbrier HS) would give the visitors some momentum, connecting for a 71 yard touchdown. A missed Maroons field goal concluded the first half, setting the score at 14-10 U-Chicago entering the third quarter. 

Ripon again faced a setback after the halftime break, as the Maroons combined short rushes down the field into an nine play touchdown drive. However, the Red Hawks would respond immediately, as Erik Woodward (Juda, Wis., Broadhead-Juda HS) blocked the extra point attempt, picked up the ball and returned it for a 2-point Ripon defensive PAT. Both teams would hold at the 20-12 separation for the rest of the quarter, as both programs struggled to mount any meaningful offense until the final drive of the third. U-Chicago would convert a field goal after being kept from the end zone inside the Ripon 10 yard line, putting the score at 23-12 in the early minutes of the fourth. The final quarter would not go the Red Hawks way, with the Maroons scoring two more touchdowns across the closing minutes, running both in. The final whistle sounded on a 37-12 Ripon defeat, moving the Red Hawks to 3-2 in conference, while U-Chicago stands undefeated at 5-0 in MWC competition. 

The Red Hawks return to action at home next Saturday, Oct 25, against Illinois College. The Blueboys enter the game 3-2 this season and 2-2 in conference at the time of writing, dropping games to U-Chicago and Monmouth while beating Lake Forest and Lawrence.