The football occasion that nerds across Minnesota have long awaited finally arrived on Saturday: The Brain Bowl. Macalester College traveled to Carleton College to open both teams’ Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) schedules. Carleton — the 51-7 winner — took home the vaunted “Book of Knowledge,” in a matchup that was entertaining but never close.
The origins of this heady hardcover are foggy, so here’s a dip into the archives.
The Scots first met the Knights on the gridiron in 1898, but it wasn’t until almost a century later in 1988 that the phrase “Brain Bowl” first appeared in The Mac Weekly, coined to describe the two schools’ elite academics.
In 1998, Scots Head Coach Dennis Czech ’83 developed the Book of Knowledge. Rather than a literal book, it was a placard, presumably inspired by The Goat trophy that St. Olaf College and Carleton have fought over since the 1910s, among other MIAC prizes.
“This travelling trophy shall remain with the victor for a whole year, providing a physical embodiment of a success well-deserved,” Anne Poduska ’01 wrote in The Mac Weekly that year.
Despite their new motivation, Macalester lost the inaugural Book of Knowledge game 34-7. The next year, however, they captured the placard in a 27-26 shocker. The Scots won two games that season, and that victory marked their lone MIAC win.
“We lost to a team with 39 players who we haven’t lost to in 12 years,” Carleton Head Coach Bob Sullivan said in a quote reprinted in The Mac Weekly. “It’s about as low as you can go. There’s no excuse for it.”
Since the inception of the Book of Knowledge, Macalester’s fortunes against the Knights have improved. Before, the Scots were 5-38-1 against Carleton. Since, they’ve gone 7-18.
The Scots last secured the book in 2018, when they beat Carleton 48-38 to cap a three-game win streak against their Northfield rivals. The teams only met four times between then and Saturday’s matchup, the last time in 2022, when Carleton dismantled Macalester 56-27.
On Saturday, Macalester faced a similar script as they fell short of their eighth Book of Knowledge win. The 51-7 victory showcased the MIAC’s depth. Beneath the perennial national contenders like Saint John’s and Bethel University, there are squads like the Knights that can dominate rebuilding teams like the Scots.
Carleton’s quarterback, Jack Curtis, registered the third-most passing yards per game in the MIAC and averaged 21 yards and change on the ground per game last season. Carleton’s roster boasts deep veteran talent, and they competed with the No. 24-ranked University of Wisconsin Whitewater in their first game of the season despite a blowout loss.
In their game against Macalester, Carleton set the tone on their first drive. It began with what could’ve been a Scots sack but turned into a 15-yard defensive facemask penalty. Then, Curtis threw a 21-yard dime followed by a 39-yard touchdown pass. The Knights went 75 yards and scored in under a minute.
By the end of the first quarter, Carleton led 21-0. They had logged 154 receiving yards compared to Mac’s 10. The Scots managed to score at the start of the second quarter on a 32-yard go-ball from Jack Scully ’28 to Paxton Boyd ’28, but they struggled to keep the ball in Carleton territory for the rest of the game.
Carleton led 37-7 at halftime, putting the game well out of reach before they tacked on two final touchdowns.
Carleton’s Curtis had himself a career afternoon. He ended 25-for 34 for a career-high 478 yards, career second-highest six touchdowns, no interceptions and a 249.86 passer rating. He threw six passes that went for 30 or more yards, including a 62-yard heave that marks his career-longest.
Amid his stellar play, Curtis is fighting another battle off the field. He received a late-stage two “unfavorable” Hodgkins-Lymphoma diagnosis over the summer. He will play his senior season while undergoing chemotherapy. You can donate to his cause here.
Through the Scots’ struggles, their offensive line stood tall. Two games into this season, they’re one of three MIAC teams that have yet to give up a sack. Still, they allowed eight quarterback hurries, which hindered Scully in his fourth career start. The young quarterback ended the game 13-for-32 for 77 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His scrambling ability shone with 61 yards gained on the ground, including an 18-yard dash in the fourth quarter.
Tomorrow, the Scots will face the College of St. Scholastica. The Saints joined the MIAC in the 2021- 2022 school year, so they have a limited history against the Scots, but Macalester is 5-3 against them. Last year, they played them close twice but couldn’t pull out wins in either. The second game, a 44-41 overtime loss, marked Scully’s second career start and the best game of his career. If the Scots can get their aerial assault going, they have a chance to tally their second win of the season ahead of their home opener on Oct. 4.
