Monmouth took control of first place in the Midwest Conference South Division in a battle of divisional unbeatens Saturday with a 30-3 win over Lake Forest and then clinched the division later in the afternoon when Knox fell at Cornell, giving Monmouth any potential tiebreaker over Lake Forest.
 
The Foresters kept the Scots – who had piled up 289 yards of offense by halftime – out of the end zone until the 10:05 mark of the second quarter when Hayden Nelson threw his first of two TDs, hitting Wesley Anderson for a two-yard score. DeAndre Wright's five-yard run with 3:05 left in the half capped a two-play, 26-yard drive set up by Nathan Graham's 33-yard punt return. Nelson then hit Jacolby Maxwell for a TD late in the third period to give the Scots a 20-0 lead.
 
Monmouth opened the fourth quarter with a Joey Biel 34-yard field goal, a possession before Nelson was on the receiving end of a two-yard TD pass from Seth Foster. The Scots' bid for their fifth shutout of the season was spoiled when the Foresters kicked a 30-yard field goal with 2:12 left in the game.
 
The Scots outgained the Foresters 474-125, holding Lake Forest to 16 yards rushing. Monmouth defensive end Thomas Lesniewski recorded two sacks, to come within one sack of breaking the Scots' career sack record.
 
Monmouth travels to Galesburg next Saturday to meet Knox in the annual Turkey Bowl. The Scots own a 69-50-10 lead in the series and have won the last 19 meetings.