ELMHURST, Ill. - The Elmhurst football team entered the fourth quarter tied with 19th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan before a fourth quarter surge lifted the Titans to a 49-28 victory.
Trailing 28-14 at the half, Elmhurst (3-4, 0-4 CCIW) scored 14 straight points in the third quarter to pull even with Illinois Wesleyan (7-0, 4-0 CCIW) entering the fourth quarter. A pair of touchdowns from Artie Checchin and a defensive touchdown helped the Titans pull away in the fourth quarter for the victory.
Elmhurst jumped on the scoreboard first, capitalizing on an Illinois Wesleyan turnover. Andy Warsen picked off Titans' QB Jack Warner and brought the ball out to the IWU 47-yard line. Elmhurst drove 47 yards in seven plays with Connor Brewer capping the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.
The Bluejays' lead was short lived as the Titans answered back immediately. Facing a third-down from their own 28-yard line, Warner connected with Checchin for a 72-yard touchdown strike to even the score at 7-7.
The Titans padded their lead late in the opening quarter, capping a 40-yar drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore.
The Bluejays responded with a 65-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession. Facing a fourth-and-one from the Titans' 34-yard line, quarterback Orlando Hernandez broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.
The Titans surged back in front with a one-yard plunge from Shoemaker-Gilmore to cap a six-play, 64-yard scoring drive. Illinois Wesleyan added a late touchdown just before the half, finishing off a 65-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Dominic Comfort. The drive was aided by a personal foul penalty at the end of a second-down run that helped the Titans pick up a first down.
Trailing by 14 to start the second half, Elmhurst's offense added its third touchdown of the game midway through the quarter. Brewer closed out a seven-play, 62-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run to pull the Bluejays to within seven points.
After Elmhurst's defense forced the Titans into a three-and-out, Connor Higgins punt attempt was blown down by the wind and downed after traveling just three yards, giving the Bluejays the ball at the Titans' 24-yard line. Elmhurst needed just five plays to pull even asGarrett Claxon scored on a 10-yard rush to even the score at 28-28.
Illinois Wesleyan took control early in the fourth quarter. The Titans capped a five-play, 75-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown run from Cecchin on a reverse.
Elmhurst was driving across midfield on its next possession, when the Titans' Kevin Slawkowski jarred the ball loose on a hit and recovered. Elmhurst argued that it was an incomplete pass, but after conferring the officials awarded the ball to the Titans. Illinois Wesleyan cashed in on the turnover immediately as Warner connected with Checchin down the middle for a 45-yard touchdown pass to make the score 42-28.
A botched handoff in the end zone resulted in Illinois Wesleyan recovering the loose ball for a touchdown, accounting for the games' final score with less than five minutes remaining.
Elmhurst scored 28 points in the loss, the most Illinois Wesleyan has allowed all season long. The Bluejays finished the contest with 290 yards of offense while the Titans rolled up 468 yards. Elmhurst did the majority of its damage on the ground, rushing for 179 yards while throwing for 111.
Making his first collegiate start at quarterback, Hernandez turned in a strong performance, leading the Bluejays on the ground with 94 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He completed 12-of-22 passes for 111 yards and an interception. Brewer added 81 rushing yards for the Bluejays on 20 carries and found the end zone twice. Claxon was the Bluejays' top receiver, catching four passes for 43 yards.
Illinois Wesleyan rushed for 224 yards while passing for 244 in the win. Shoemaker-Gilmore led the ground assault with 137 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Warner completed just 9-of-19 attempts, but connected on several big plays to finish with 244 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Checchin caught only three passes, but totaled 162 yards on the three receptions and took two to the end zone.
Sean Wetherell led Elmhurst's defense, totaling 13 tackles, including 10 solo, in the loss. He added 2.5 tackles for loss as well. Warsen also reached double figures in tackles for the Bluejays, totaling 10 stops (seven solo) and an interception in the loss.