Big Blue’s Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short

            The Millikin football team rallied with three fourth quarter touchdowns, but the Big Blue's comeback attempt fell short falling 40-34 to Elmhurst on Oct. 23 at Frank M. Lindsay Field.  Millikin is now 3-4, 0-4 while Elmhurst improves to 5-2, 2-2.

            Elmhurst dominated much of the game and had built a 40-15 advantage with 13:41 left in the game.

            The Millikin offense, playing the game without three starters, found its rhythm in the fourth quarterback allowing the Big Blue to get back into the ball game.

            Millikin made it 40-21 with nine minutes left to play on a one yard run by quarterback Matt Holmes.  Holmes got the start against the Bluejays replacing an injured Luke Hockaday. 

            The Millikin defense then stepped up stopping the Bluejays on three plays and forcing a punt.

            Millikin took possession at the Elmhurst 44 yard line and quickly went to work.

Millikin capped off the drive on an 11 yard touchdown pass to Chris Hampton to make it

40-28.

            After a failed onside kick attempt by Millikin, the Big Blue defense held the Bluejays on four plays giving Millikin the football at its own 30 yard line with three minutes and 36 seconds left to play.

            Holmes then found Derrick Morgan on a six yard touchdown pass to make it 40-34 with just 1:17 left to play in the game.

            Millikin stopped Elmhurst on three straight plays, but without any Millikin timeouts left the Bluejays were able to run out the clock.

            Holmes was 19-38 passing for 262 yards and four touchdowns.  Holmes also rushed for 53 yards and one touchdown.  The Big Blue played without starting wide receiver Kody Smith and thousand yard rusher Dion Wilson.  Lahenson Merant led Millikin in rushing with 70 yards on 16 carries.  Morgan has six catches for 76 yards and one touchdown.  Hampton had three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.  Will Roth had three catches for 32 yards and one touchdown.  Erik Tobey had two catches for 46 yards including a 38 yard touchdown pass on a receiver screen pass that had Tobey zipping across the Bluejays defense breaking several tackles.

            In the end, Elmhurst's Joe Furco was too much for the Millikin defense throwing for 377 yards on 28-48 passing.  Bluejays tight end Ryan Bock had nine catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns including 170 receiving yards in the first half.  Rodney Payton had eight catches and 85 yards and one touchdown.  Chase Hamby also had a touchdown receiving for Elmhurst.  Scottie Williams rushed for 96 yards on 27 carries.

            Marquette Moore making his first start at linebacker for Millikin led the Big Blue in tackles with 11 including seven solo stops.  Josh Ingold had nine tackles.

            For Elmhurst Randy Wright had eight tackles as did Wayne Tuckson.

             Elmhurst had 512 yards in total offense while Millikin racked up 405 yards with both teams playing turnover free football.

            Millikin will travel to Illinois Wesleyan next Saturday while Elmhurst returns home to host North Central.