Box Score
The Illinois College football team lost its final game of the season to Carroll University on Saturday in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The 23-21 loss cost the Blueboys a shot at their first-ever Midwest Conference title.
Carroll's Lamont Williams ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns, Kyle Burlingame threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Matt Sklander, and Sean Kivlin kicked three field goals for the Pioneers, who sent the Blueboys to their second straight loss.
The Blueboys would have earned a share of their first Midwest Conference title with a win, and the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament, as Lake Forest College topped St. Norbert College, 31-3, earlier in the day.
"The kids played hard and I'm so proud of how they fought. We made some mistakes we couldn't overcome, but we battled hard," said Illinois College head football coach
Garrett Campbell. "This group of seniors is a special group of young men and have raised the level of Blueboy football, on and off the field."
Cecil Brimmage got things started for the Blueboys on Saturday, scoring on a 5-yard run early in the first quarter. Kivlin was successful on field goal attempts of 21 and 26 yards, respectively, to cut the Blueboys' lead to 7-6 at halftime.
Lamont Williams put the hosts ahead for good, however, as he scored on a 60-yard run early in the third quarter. Kivlin followed with a 29-yard field goal, but the Blueboys answered quickly with a 25-yard touchdown pass from
Michael Bates to
Bryce Heaton.
Carroll came back with the touchdown pass from Burlingame to Sklander to make it a nine-point lead late in the third quarter. Bates and Heaton hooked up again on another 25-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes remaining in the game, but Carroll recovered the ensuing kickoff, got one more first down, and ran out the clock.
Bates threw for 193 yards on 18-of-26 accuracy, while adding 48 yards rushing.
Cecil Brimmage gained 98 yards on 13 carries.
Josh Gentile,
Wes Graham and Heaton had six receptions each. Gentile led the way with 95 yards, Heaton had 82 and Graham had 46.
Kurt Frischman and
Carter Cox tallied 12 and 13 tackles, respectively. Frischman and
James Dambacher had one sack apiece.
The Blueboys finished the season at 8-2 overall and 7-2 in Midwest Conference play.
