NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College football team saw its season come to a close with a 42-25 loss to MacMurray on Saturday.

The Knights set new season highs in points (25), first downs (25), total yards (460) and rushing yards (407), but were unable to keep the Highlanders from making too many big plays. 

MacMurray took a 14-0 lead on a pair of long touchdown runs (48 and 45 yards) by Chazz Middlebrook, but the Knights responded with a nine-play, 61-yard scoring drive capped by Ian Paulsen's one-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 14-7 late in the second quarter.

The biggest play of the game might have come right before the half, when Paulsen was intercepted on third down inside MacMurray territory, and the Highlanders' Byron Barnes returned the turnover 70 yards for a score to make it 21-7 at the break.

The Knights got the running game going in the third quarter, with Nate Stein and Josh Wong both breaking free for scores to cut the deficit to 28-19.

Trailing 35-19, Jacob Schmidt forced a fumble at the Highlander five yard line, and the Knights cashed that turnover in on the next play when Paulsen found Josh Schroeder in the end zone to cut the lead to 35-25.

Following a big defensive stop, the Knights were driving once again deep in MacMurray territory, but a field goal that would have made it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter went wide left, and Middlebrook tacked on a final score with 1:39 to get the final margin.

The Knights finished with 407 yards rushing in the game. Wong (140) and Stein (139) both went over 100 yards, while Paulsen finished with 99 yards on 27 carries to go with 53 yards passing.

Tom Keller led MLC with 12 tackles, while Tristan Pankow added ten tackles and one fumble recovery. Daniel Gensmer and Chris Dean added eight and seven tackles, respectively. 

The Knights finished the season 0-10 overall and 0-9 in conference play. MacMurray improved to 8-2 overall and 7-2 in UMAC play with the win.