amuda, q
22
Elmhurst ELM 1-9 , 0-9
29
Winner Millikin MIL 3-7 , 2-7
Elmhurst ELM
1-9 , 0-9
22
Final
29
Millikin MIL
3-7 , 2-7
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ELM Elmhurst 14 0 0 8 22
MIL Millikin 7 15 0 7 29

Game Recap: Football | | Morgan Vogels

Football Closes out Season with Late-Game Win over Elmhurst

The Big Blue football team took the field in Decatur, Ill. for the final time in the 2025 campaign on Saturday, November 15 when they matched up with the 1-8 Bluejays of Elmhurst University. Celebrating the seniors and the Football Alumni Advisory Board Excellence in Life honorees, the Big Blue pulled off some late game magic to defeat Elmhurst 29-22.

Millikin marched 55 yards down the field on their very first drive, capping it off with a Sylas Gomez 19-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead.

Elmhurst answered, with Jeffery Elms breaking away for a 39-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1 to tie the score at 7-7. On the ensuing kickoff, Shamar Ray broke away for a 90-yard return, but the score was called back by a holding penalty. 

Elmhurst took the lead on their next drive heading into the second quarter when Andrey Acosta connected with David Monteilh for a 14-yard score. 

The Big Blue tied the score on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Gomez to Matthew Thurman. After forcing a turnover on downs, Gomez ran it in for another score with 3:42 left to go in the first half. A bad snap forced the Big Blue to go for two, with Joe Brummer finding Max Monroe to give Millikin a 22-14 lead. 

After a scoreless third quarter, Elmhurst scored with 4:00 remaining on the clock on an Acosta 33-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful two-point attempt to tie the score. 

With Ethan Dattilio at quarterback, a 40-yard completion to Xavier Thomas put the Big Blue on the one-yard line with nearly a minute left to tick. Bryson Boes punched it in on the next play for a touchdown score, and Bryson Newport's successful extra point attempt Millikin a 29-22 advantage. 

A sack by Qowiyu Amuda in Elmhurst's final drive thwarted the Bluejays attempts to tie the score, and on the final play, Jaymeson Connell broke up a pass attempt in the end zone to seal the win. 

Gomez went 10-for-13 for 91 yards and a touchdown. Boes was the leading rusher with 95 yards on 25 carries. Thomas led the way in the receiving corp with 58 yards on three touchdowns. 

Alex Araiza and Ryan Baskerville each tallied six tackles. Amuda, Zech Miller, and Bryson Johnson each got to Acosta once to tally sacks for the Big Blue. With the Big Blue Snack Wrap Sack promotion, fans can get a free snack wrap at participating local Decatur Area McDonalds on Sunday, November 16 with any purchase in the McDonalds app. 

With the 29-22, the Big Blue end the 2025 season at 3-7 in head coach Billy Riebock's first season at the helm of the Millikin football program. 

The Big Blue honored seniors Blake Allison, Amuda, Araiza, Boes, Aiden Etchason, CJ Forney, Monroe, Ixavion Moore,  Caleb Patton, and Sean Steele and the Excellence in Life award winners, Scott Flora (Class of 1978, Excellence in Healthcare), Sammy Goe (Class of 1979, Excellence in Business), Charles Edward Stanley (Class of 1980, Excellence in Military Service and Courage), Dr. Thomas Mahoney (Class of 1990, Excellence in Education), and Chase Gruening (Class of 2011, Emerging Leader in Insurance).
Print Friendly Version