Box Score

DECATUR, Ill. - The Elmhurst College football team upped its record to 5-2 on the season by knocking off Millikin University 40-34. After opening up a 25-point second half lead, the Bluejays survived a fourth quarter rally from the Big Blue to earn the victory.

Elmhurst (2-2 CCIW) raced out to a 40-15 lead early in the fourth quarter, but three straight touchdowns from Millikin (3-4, 0-4 CCIW) brought the Big Blue back into the contest. 

Elmhurst took the opening kickoff and drove to the Millikin 9-yard line before settling for a J.R. Dalicandro 26-yard field goal. 

Millikin took its only lead of the game with two minutes left in the opening quarter. The Big Blue took advantage of a 35-yard punt return from Chris Hampton and drove 51 yards for the go-ahead score. Matt Holmes capped the scoring drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Will Roth.

Millikin's lead was short-lived as Elmhurst needed just six plays to move 80 yards and retake the lead. After sparking the drive with a 56-yard pass to Ryan Bock, Joe Furco capped the drive with a six-yard TD toss to Bock to give Elmhurst a 9-7 lead.

Midway through the second quarter, Furco hit Bock for a 56-yard scoring strike to give the Bluejays a 16-7 lead. After a Millikin punt, Elmhurst went to work starting from their own 39-yard line. The Bluejays needed just five plays to move 61 yards and find the end zone. Furco found a hole in the Millikin defense and scored on a 17-yard quarterback keeper to give Elmhurst a 23-7 advantage. 

Millikin took the opening kick of the second half and marched 80 yards to slice into the Elmhurst lead when Holmes capped the drive with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Erik Tobey

The Bluejays answered right back as Furco led a nine-play, 59-yard scoring drive capped by a three-yard touchdown toss to Rodney Payton. 

After a 28-yard field goal from Trevor Spaulding gave Elmhurst a 33-15 lead, Furco put Elmhurst up 40-15 after hitting Chase Hamby with a 10-yard touchdown pass. 

With Elmhurst's second unit in on defense, Millikin drove 74 yards and scored on a one-yard keeper from Holmes to make the score 40-21. 

After an Elmhurst punt, Holmes led a seven-play, 44-yard drive to pull the Big Blue to within 12 points at 40-28. Holmes found Hampton for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 4:26 left to play.

Millikin's onside kick attempt failed to go the required 10 yards and the Bluejays took over at the Millikin 36-yard line. The Bluejays turned the ball over on downs leading to a 9-play, 70-yard scoring drive for the Big Blue. Holmes connected with Derrick Morgan from six-yards out to pull Millikin to within six points. 

Ryan Maguire grabbed Millikin's onside kick attempt and the Bluejays were able to run out the game's final 2:19 to earn the victory. 

Elmhurst totaled 518 yards of total offense while Millikin totaled 405 yards. The Bluejays torched the Big Blue through the air, passing for 402 yards

Furco tossed four touchdowns and rushed for a fifth while totaling 394 yards of total offense. He completed 28-of-48 pass attempts for 377 yards, the seventh-highest single-game total in Elmhurst history. Bock caught a season-high nine passes for 189 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Bock's 189 receiving yards ranks as the fifth-highest single-game total in Elmhurst history. Scottie Williams carried 27 times for a team-leading 96 yards.

Millikin was led on the ground by Lahensen Merant's 70 yards on 16 carries. Holmes finished 19-of-38 for 262 yards and four touchdowns. 

Randy Wright and Wayne Tuckson totaled eight tackles apiece to lead the Elmhurst defense. 

Elmhurst hosts North Central College on Saturday, November 30.