football
Ricky Esparza
49
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3-3 , 3-2
27
Millikin MIL 2-4 , 1-4
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
3-3 , 3-2
49
Final
27
Millikin MIL
2-4 , 1-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
IWU Ill. Wesleyan 14 21 0 14 49
MIL Millikin 0 7 13 7 27

Game Recap: Football | | Morgan Vogels

Big Blue Football Mounts Second-Half Surge in Loss to Illinois Wesleyan

The Millikin football team took the field on Saturday, October 18 much earlier than anticipated in an attempt to beat the forecasted thunderstorms. In their 10:30 am start against Illinois Wesleyan, the Big Blue started slow in the first half. 

The Titans scored twice in the first, first on a 19-yard pass from Dermot Smyth to Cooper King, then on a 5-yard pass to Kruzick. It took just one play in the second quarter for the Titans to score again, with Jimmy Deacy scoring on a 69-yard play. 

Smyth used his legs to tack on another seven with 6:48 to go in the half, then a five yard pass from Smyth to Will Nazha compounded the lead to put the Titans up 35 with 1:32 left to tick before the halftime break.

The Big Blue put together a touchdown drive starting on their own 25, highlighted by a 45-yard connection by Sylas Gomez and Kevin Louis, capping off the drive with a six-yard rushing touchdown by Gomez to give the Big Blue some momentum heading into the locker room.

The third quarter was all Big Blue, starting with a two-play drive that saw an incompletion to Kyle Corkill, then a 25-yard reception turned 75-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 13-35 after a missed PAT. 

The Big Blue executed an onside kick from Bryson Newport, recovered by Ryan Baskerville, to keep the Illinois Wesleyan offense off the field. 

Millikin capitalized on their drive starting at their own 46, with Louis catching another long ball and Gomez using his feet to bring the score to 20-35 with 10:22 to go in the third. 

After forcing an IWU 3-and-out, the Big Blue ate up the last 8:46 of the third quarter, converting two fourth downs on the drive. It was Gomez once again with the score, with the Big Blue scoring 27 unanswered points to bring the score to 27-35 in favor of the Titans. 

From there, it was all IWU. Smyth found Cooper in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown with 7:42 remaining, then again a minute later on a one-play drive with a 47-yard touchdown run by Tony Noto after a Millikin punt. 

Down three scores, the Big Blue still had 6:42 left on the game clock to work with, but an interception by Gomez gave the ball back to the Titans, and they never relinquished it back to the Big Blue. 

Gomez was 20-for-36 for 282 passing yards and a touchdown. He added 73 rushing yards on 15 attempts with three touchdowns. 

Louis was the leading receiver with nine receptions for 131 yards. Corkill reeled in two catches for 83 yards. 

Baskerville was the leading tackler with eight total tackles. Alex Araiza added six tackles.

With the 27-49 loss, the Big Blue fall to 2-4 overall, 1-4 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play. 

Millikin will hit the road on Saturday, October 25 for a 1:00 PM matchup with the Firebirds of Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. 

 
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