ELMHURST, Ill. - The Elmhurst College football team dropped to 4-5 overall and 1-5 in CCIW play following a heartbreaking 36-34 loss to Millikin University in triple overtime.

Millikin (6-3, 3-3 in CCIW play) rallied from a 21-7 fourth quarter deficit to send the game to overtime. The Big Blue stopped the Bluejays on a two-point conversion in the third overtime to earn the victory.

Elmhurst led 21-7 after three quarters after scoring three touchdowns in the first half. The Bluejays got on the scoreboard in the first quarter when Jimmy Jenkins capped a 72-yard scoring drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. 

Millikin evened the score on its next possession when quarterback Luke Hockaday broke off a 59-yard touchdown run.

The Bluejays responded right back with a five-play, 61-yard scoring drive capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Joe Furco to Rodney Payton.

Elmhurst took advantage of good field position late in the second quarter to grab a 21-7 lead. Nick Herrera capped the drive when he broke through a hole and scored on a 40-yard touchdown run. 

The score remained 21-7 Elmhurst until early in the fourth quarter when Millikin cut into the Bluejays' lead. Chris Hampton caught a short slant pass from Hockaday and raced 56 yards to the end zone to bring the Big Blue to within a score. 

After an Elmhurst punt late in the fourth quarter, the Big Blue took over at their own 20-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-10 from their own 37-yard line, Hockaday found Will Roth open for a 31-yard reception to keep the drive alive. Hockaday capped the 80-yard scoring drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Hampton.

Elmhurst tried a long 60-yard field goal attempt with the wind at the end of regulation, but the kick fell short and the game headed into overtime.

In the first overtime, the Bluejay defense shut out Millikin and Elmhurst had a chance to score the victory on offense. Tyler Lomnicki's field goal attempt was blocked by Millikin to force a second overtime. 

Elmhurst was on offense first in the second OT, and the Bluejays wasted little time scoring. After a nine-yard completion to Herrera, Furco used a play fake and found Sean Seroka wide open for a 16-yard touchdown. 

Millikin drove inside the Elmhurst five-yard line on its offensive possession in the second OT. The Bluejays turned the Big Blue away on the first three downs, but Hockaday hit Derrick Morgan for the game-tying touchdown on fourth-and-goal.

In the third overtime, Millikin scored first with Dion Wilson scoring on a two-yard plunge. Forced to go for the two point conversion in the third overtime, Hockaday hooked up with Hampton to give the Big Blue a 36-28 lead.

A pass interference penalty on Millikin allowed the Bluejays to move inside the Big Blue's 10-yard line. Furco hit Mitch Holmer from eight yards out to pull Elmhurst to within two points. Furco tried to hit Holmer on the two-point conversion, but the Bluejays were ruled to be out of bounds, giving Millikin the two-point victory.

Elmhurst finished with 282 yards of total offense while the Big Blue rang up 463 yards. Furco completed 21-of-30 pass attempts for 213 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. Payton was the Bluejays' top receiver, catching four passes for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Elmhurst's defense was led by Randy Wright's 17 tackles. Wright also forced a fumble and recorded a QB sack. Ben Lockton totaled 11 stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss while Jon Janus finished with 10 tackles. 

Elmhurst closes out the 2009 season by traveling to North Central College on Saturday, November 14.