The 15-0 score against the Scots at the first quarter mark didn’t bring down the crowd’s spirit. The Mac community had come out in full force for the football team’s first MIAC game against the St. Olaf College Oles.
A few feet in front of me, JP Kerrigan ’28, Joaquin Aguillon ’28, Eric Wentz ’26 and Sanjeet Devidayal ’26 (left to right in photo above) came to the game prepared.
The quartet painted ‘MAC!’ across their chests, the kind of fraternal abandon one doesn’t always see in the Mac bleachers. They were eager to cheer, and happy to supply me with quotes as the first quarter ended.
“I bleed Scots blue” Kerrigan (the group’s ‘M’) proudly reported.
Aguillon, ‘A’, told me “I will die in the stands for the Scots.”
This wasn’t Mac’s highest profile game of the day: men’s soccer had played earlier, and with a weekly chance at featuring in national rankings, they’re a team to watch.
Coming into the first game of the MIAC season 0-2, Macalester’s football team doesn’t have the same clear line to victory ahead of them.
Still, the stands were full. Athletics Director Donnie Brooks is proud of Macalester’s turn out to games, “The great thing about a Macalester game is the mix of both community, families, and friends … I think of a lot of these games, particularly the football contests, it feels like a big family reunion.”
As the sun set and the Scots took to the field to face a strong St. Olaf College side, the glow of the twilight sky seemed to take on St. Olaf’s gold more than Macalester’s orange.
Although two touchdowns in succession put the Scots down 15-0, the Scots defended their turf throughout the 2nd quarter and had chances themselves, but were unable to gain any footing on the scoreboard.
The shirtless quartet were still standing staunchly for the team.
“This is Minnesota’s team!” Wentz (letter ‘C’) said.
The group’s exclamation point, Devidayal, concluded the statements with, “I wouldn’t miss this for the birth of my child.”
The stands seemed to be only getting more and more packed as halftime arrived.
President Suzanne Rivera brought out her iconic t-shirt cannon. Macalester’s new mascot, Coo, had just been introduced to the Macalester community, and people lined up for photos.
What Coo brings in style, they perhaps miss in athleticism. Athletic Assistant Myka Pawley ’25 reported an unsuccessful attempt at tossing a football over to Coo, “I threw a football at the cow and like, bro didn’t even, like, put his arms up, and it just hit him straight in the face.”
Perhaps Coo had indulged in one too many of the MacALEster beers being given away by M-Club, a celebration of Macalester’s sesquicentennial through a commemorative brew. With food trucks and a beer garden, the stadium and surroundings were packed.
Crowds like this can invigorate players. College is some first-year players’ first time playing without a parent in the crowds. Knowing that friends and visiting family are there for you is a special feeling.
Head Coach Phil Nicolaides attributes the Macalester community’s support to the team being a good part of the Macalester community outside of games, “I think that’s really the only way you’re going to generate support is if you treat people the right way. And again, [if] you’re a good human being.”
Nicolaides cares deeply about the character of the team and the recruiting process reflects that. “We always talk about how football ability is only really part of our evaluation,” he said. “We want to figure out who guys are off the football field.”
Off the field, everyone involved in the program who I’ve spoken with has praised the current senior class’s leadership of the rest of the team, and Nicolaides is excited for new members of the team to have these role models.
Off the field, the team holds an acronym close to their chest: ‘TIGERS,’ for ‘This Is Gonna End Really Soon.’ They love this sport, and know they won’t be playing forever. They treasure each step on the field.
Off the field, Nicolaides already feels the end drawing near on a season that’s just begun. He wants to do these seniors justice.
On the field, 11 minutes of the third quarter were eaten up by the Scots’ grueling drive towards a touchdown. Moving 81 yards in 21 plays, the crowd itched for the team to put points on the board as they reached first and goal at the one-yard line.
The ball seemed to be stuck in a one yard line purgatory. Quarterback Jude Wallin ’26 threw himself at a wall of defenders twice, but it wouldn’t move.
A quick-developing play and decisive pass from the Scots got the ball into waiting receiver Mac Mullen’s ’25 hands. The crowd stood, overready for a touchdown that could bring the game to within one possession. The pass, however, was dropped. They sat down again.
A timeout before the 4th down with two yards to go. Devidayal put his shirt back on. ‘MAC!’ had become ‘MAC.’
Devidayal left. Maybe his first child was being born, and he’d rethought his priorities. An incompletion on fourth down. Aguillon gave me a succinct final quote as he too walked out: “We suck.” The Oles scored twice more in the 4th quarter, jumping their lead to 29-0.
But Aguillon missed one of Nicolaides’ favorite plays of the night. With the result already clear, and 5 minutes left on the clock, Gabe Kasper ’25 got his hands on the ball.
“You know, we were gonna lose the game no matter what,” Nicolaides said. “And he caught the ball, and instead of running out of bounds … he put his head down, and he tried to truck his way into the end zone. Didn’t end up getting in. But that fight, that scrappiness, that grit, that was just so inspiring for me.”
While disappointed by the loss, Nicolaides has hope.
“You’re always going to come in after games as a coach,” he said, “and put the film on and go, we could have done this a little bit better, we could have done that a little bit better. And if you come in and you throw the film on and you’re worried about how hard your guys are playing, or the effort, the physicality, that’s a big concern, and a concern that I’ve had in the past here.”
But that isn’t a concern he has for this team: “And so this is, this is the first year where I think we’re [bringing energy] across the board. We have guys out there just battling and playing so hard and throwing their bodies around. And so I think the identity of our program is shifting, and that’s been really refreshing and really great to see.
“I think as coaches now, we just have to take that energy and put them in better positions to be successful,” he said.
“I think they,” Nicolaides summarized the team, “they want to be great.” The players, too, are here for this team.
“It’s always nice to have football around,” wide receiver Daniel Powell ’27 told me, “It’s the best sport in the world.”
