SAINT PAUL, MINN.—The Bucket is coming home!

The Hamline University football team snapped a two-game drought in the annual Paint Bucket Game with a 38-27 victory over Macalester at Klas Field on Saturday afternoon. Charlie Wilson, who recorded eight catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns, now has a single-season school record 1,127 receiving yards in 2023. That's not all, Wilson also broke the career receptions school record with 181.

The Pipers improve to 3-5, 1-5 MIAC, while Macalester falls to 2-6, 0-6 MIAC. Hamline has won eight of the last 12 Bucket Games, and their first since 2019.
 

M ?? | The ?? is coming home! Pipers take down Macalester 38-27! ?? pic.twitter.com/RQalNYIPf0

— Hamline Athletics (@HUPipers) October 28, 2023

Hamline 38, Macalester 27

Macalester capitalized on their first possession, as Scots quarterback Michael Nadeau capped a nine-play 72 yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Michael Poker, followed by a successful two-point conversion that made it 8-0 with 5:39 left in the first quarter.

Macalester got the ball right back off Issam Rafidi's recovered fumble on the ensuing kickoff. The miscue put the Scots on the Hamline 42-yard line, and drove the ball down to the 14 before Rahim Avery intercepted Nadeau's pass in the end zone for a touchback. The Pipers made that turnover count, as they turned it into three points courtesy of Durham Welch's 20-yard field goal that cut Macalester's lead to 8-3 after the first quarter.

The Hamline defense opened the second quarter with a three-and-out, before their offense would capitalize on the next drive. Macalester's 15-yard pass interference penalty put the Pipers within striking distance, and would answer the bell when quarterback Alejandro Villanueva found Charlie Wilson for a 33-yard score that gave them their first lead at 10-8 with 10:16 remaining in the second frame. 

The Scots regained the lead at 14-10 on the next drive, where Nadeau completed 3-for-3 passes for 61 yards before Logan Pumpel plunged his way over the goal line for a two-yard touchdown run with 6:41 on the clock.

Villanueva took over on the next drive with 30 yards rushing, and a 20-yard strike to Wilson. This included a 22-yard touchdown run that gave Hamline the lead at 17-14 with 3:17 remaining in the first half. The Scots tied the game at 17-17 when Shomrik Mondal capped a 12-play drive with a 20-yard field goal with 00:29 on the clock. 

Nadeau's 31-yard connection with Nick Bice, and Logan Pampel's 13 yards rushing highlighted Macalester in the third quarter's opening drive. This included a one-yard plunge from Pampel that gave the Scots a 24-17 lead with 12:42 left.

Vasko's 30 yards on two carries, as well as a pair of 14 and 20-yard passes from Villanueva to Wilson set up Hamline on Macalester's three-yard line. Villanueva would convert on a 3rd down and 1, when he found the end zone on a one-yard run that tied things up at 24-24. 

Macalester would burn six minutes off the clock, and take the ball down to Hamline's three-yard line, but only three points came of it. Mondal notched his second field goal of the game, this time from 13 yards out with 2:44 left in the third to give Macalester a 27-24 lead. 

The fourth quarter resulted in 14 unanswered points for Hamline. Peter Coleman's 38-yard flee-flicker to Charlie Wilson gave Hamline a 31-27 lead with 13:01 left, before Villanueva's eight-yard scamper with 5:26 on the clock pushed the margin to 38-27.

Wilson caught eight passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns for the Pipers. Villanueva was two dimensional as he completed 14-of-21 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown, and led the ground game with 75 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries.

Croix Zacharias and Dominic Sandoval each had seven tackles for the Hamline defense, while Caleb Lueders had a pair of pass break ups. Macalester had the slight edge in total offense 431-430.

Welch converted 1-of-1 field goals, and 5-of-5 extra points.

Hamline will travel to St. Scholastica on Saturday, November 4 for a 1 p.m. game.