Macalester College football broke through the rain clouds after a 0-10 season last year and got its first win on Sept. 6 against Grinnell College.

Sophomore wide receiver Paxton Boyd had two touchdowns to help secure the win.

"First win for me since senior year of high school, so I kind of forgot how that felt," Boyd said.

Boyd connected twice with his roommate and quarterback, Jack Scully. The two battled through a winless rookie season together.

"It feels really great to finally get a win, especially after not getting one last year. Definitely a little bit of eudaimonia," Scully said.

Eudaimonia is a word derived from ancient Greek meaning "human flourishing and deep fulfillment." 

It's a big word to describe a big win. You would expect nothing less from high scholar student athletes, which is something the Scots pride themselves on. It's also rooted in the history of a rivalry they have coming up next, on Saturday.

"We're playing Carleton [College], who we haven't played in three years, and we're playing for the 'Book of Knowledge,'" Boyd said.

Macalester last won the "Book of Knowledge" trophy in 2018. Carleton, another high academic liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, has held bragging rights since then.

Head coach Phil Nicolaides says they have more than just the talent to keep winning.

"All the adversity we hit last year felt like it kept bringing us closer and closer together, and so culturally, I feel like we're the strongest we've ever been," Nicolaides said.