The Millikin football team went to 2-0 on the season with a 31-21 home victory over Hope College at Lindsay Field on Sept. 18.

            Millikin used two big plays in the third quarter to break the game open and secure the Big Blue victory.

            Millikin opened the scoring on its first drive on a four yard touchdown pass from Luke Hockaday to Chris Hampton.  The Chris Hunt extra point made it 7-0 Millikin.

            Hope answered back on its next drive scoring on a nine yard run by Tim Elzinga to tie the game. 

            Millikin took a 10-7 advantage in the second quarter on a 36 yard field goal by Hunt, but the Flying Dutchman would again answer the Big Blue score with a touchdown of its own.  Hope made it 14-10 on a 12 yards pass from Chris Feys and Jared Hudson.

            Millikin would take the lead for good on its final drive of the first half.  Millikin scored on a four play drive covering 77 yards in just one minute and 18 seconds to make it 17-14 with 1:13 left in the half.  The score was another touchdown pass from Hockaday to Hampton this time covering 13 yards.

            Millikin took control of the game early in the third quarter scoring twice within the first five minutes of the quarter.  Hockaday hit a wide open Derrick Morgan on a 37 yard pass play to make it 24-14.   

            After stopping Hope on its next possession, Millikin then extended its advantage with a 71 yard touchdown run by Dion Wilson.

            Hope answered on its next possession on a Feys to Hudson 13 yard pass play to make it 31-21.

            Wilson rushed for 146 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown.  Hockaday had a solid day passing going 19-31 for 219 yards and three touchdowns.  Will Roth was the Big Blue's leading receiver with five catches for 51 yards.  Hampton had four catches for 36 yards and two touchdowns.

            Hope's Tim Elzinga rushed for 108 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown.  Feys was 19-41 for 241 yards with three interceptions.  Kyle Dietrich had seven catches for 106 yards to lead the Dutchman receivers.

            Darrell Mitchell had two interceptions for the Big Blue with one pass break-up and four tackles.  Freshman defensive end John Bouquet had the other Millikin interception.  Nick Kronmiller was Millikin's top tackler with eight.

            Zach Jones was Hope's top tackler with nine.  Jordan Morse had eight tackles including a sack.

            Millikin hosts Greenville College on Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. to conclude its non-conference schedule.