Kevin Krows/Millikin University
19
Millikin MILLIKIN 2-3 , 1-2
35
Winner Wheaton (IL) WHEATON 6-0 , 4-0
Millikin MILLIKIN
2-3 , 1-2
19
Final
35
Wheaton (IL) WHEATON
6-0 , 4-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MILLIKIN Millikin 0 13 0 6 19
WHEATON Wheaton (IL) 14 7 0 14 35

Game Recap: Football |

Big Blue Football Downed by #6 Wheaton

        Millikin football lost a hard fought battle to sixth ranked Wheaton College 35-19 on October 8 in Wheaton, Illinois.
         The Big Blue battled back from being down by 14 points and were within two points of an upset until late in the fourth quarter.
         Wheaton jumped out to an early lead with two first quarter touchdowns.  Thunder quarterback Andrew Bowers threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Pace and a six-yard touchdown pass to Chase White.
         After a rocky start, the Big Blue settled down in the second quarter on both sides of the football and made its way back into the game.  Millikin opened the scoring on a 12-yard pass from Nicco Stepina to Jordan Smith. 
         The Millikin special teams made a big play when Demetreeus Loper blocked a Wheaton punt setting up the Big Blue deep in Thunder territory.  Millikin converted the opportunity when Stepina connected with David Jackson on a 14-yard touchdown pass.  A bad snap on the extra point kept Millikin one point down at 14-13.
         Wheaton scored on its final possession of the second quarter on a Bowers to Zach Lindquist 18-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-13 at the half.
         The Big Blue defense put the clamps on the Thunder offense in the second half.  Millikin allowed the Thunder to move the football, but kept Wheaton out of the end zone until the games final minutes.
         Millikin pulled to within two points with 12:33 left in the game when Stepina and Jackson hooked up again on a 12-yard touchdown pass.  The Big Blue's two-point conversion was no good making it a 21-19 game.
         Wheaton scored an insurance touchdown with 3:14 left when Bowers hit Trey Hanley on a 23-yard touchdown pass.
         Wheaton scored the games final points on a 12-yard interception return by Eric Stevenson.
         Stepina finished the game 12-37-2 for 227 yards and three touchdowns.  Jackson was Millikin's top receiver with seven catches for 89 yards.  Gerald Perry had eight catches for 80 yards.  Kyle McMahon was Millikin's top rusher with 55 yards.
         Nikia Averitte had eight tackles including two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble for the Big Blue defense.  Lashon Johnson also had eight tackles.
Freshman linebacker Matt Brown has seven tackles including three tackles for a loss.  Quintaz Wright had six tackles with 2.5 tackles for a loss.
         Bowers led the Wheaton offense going 19-33 passing for 280 yards and four touchdowns.  Sola Olateju rushed 18 times for 98 yards.
         Wheaton improves to 6-0, 4-0 while Millikin goes to 2-3, 1-2.
         The Big Blue return home on October 15 for a 6 p.m. kickoff against Augustana College.
 
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