WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Elmhurst football team outscored Carroll University 25-13 in the second half to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit and defeat the Pioneers 32-30.
 
Carroll had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but Carson Roseleip missed an 18-yard field goal wide to the right to help the Bluejays preserve the two-point victory.
 
Elmhurst (1-2, 1-1 CCIW) fell behind quickly as Carroll took the opening kickoff and scored four plays later after Alex Kujawa hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Michael Johnson.
 
After a missed field goal and turning the ball over on downs, The Bluejays' offense got rolling early in the second quarter. Elmhurst marched 50 yards in six plays, capped off by a two-yard touchdown plunge from Treston Womack.
 
Carroll grabbed a 10-point lead before the half as Roseleip booted a 27-yard field goal and Austin Eichstaedt grabbed a three-yard scoring reception from Johnson.
 
Trailing by 10 at halftime, Elmhurst's defense and special teams came up with big plays to spark the Bluejays. After a 42-yard punt pinned Carroll deep in their own territory, Nick Marino blocked a Roseleip punt and recovered the ball in the end zone to bring Elmhurst to within three points at 17-14.
 
Midway through the third quarter, Sean Jay picked off a Johnson pass at the Carroll 45-yard line and returned the interception down to the Carroll four-yard line. Womack plunged into the end zone on the very next play to give Elmhurst its first lead of the contest at 21-17.

Carroll answered back, driving 70 yards in eight plays and regaining the lead on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Treylon Anderson to Kujawa. Jay blocked Carroll's PAT attempt to keep the score at 23-21 in favor of Carroll.
 
Elmhurst's offense responded with an eight-play, 72-yard scoring drive capped off by an 18-yard touchdown run from Jake Tahaney. Electing to go for two after the touchdown, Justin Parbs took a handoff and then connected with Tahaney for the two-point conversion to put Elmhurst up 29-23.
 
Carroll reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Anderson escaped pressure on a third down and connected with Gabriel Yager for a 22-yard touchdown to put Carroll up 30-29.

Elmhurst promptly responded with an eight-play, 72-yard drive highlighted by a 45-yard run from Womack. The Bluejays faced a fourth-and-goal from the Carroll one-yard line and settled for a 19-yard field goal from Matt Burns to take a 32-30 lead with just over four minutes remaining.
 
Carroll marched downfield on its ensuing possession, driving to the one-yard line with less than a minute to play. Facing a third-and-goal from the Elmhurst one-yard line, Anderson's pass sailed incomplete in the end zone. After an Elmhurst timeout, Roseleip missed the potential game-winning field goal with 19 seconds remaining, allowing the Bluejays to run out the clock and pick up the victory.
 
Elmhurst finished the contest with 321 yards of total offense. The Bluejays had a strong showing on the ground, carrying 46 times for 237 yards, an average of 5.2 yards per rush. The Bluejays passed for 84 yards in the win. Carroll totaled 333 yards of offense in the contest, passing for 230 while being limited to just 103 yards on the ground. Elmhurst's defense forced three turnovers in the contest.
 
Womack had a career day on the ground, rushing for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 23 carries. Womack averaged 5.3 yards per carry. Brock Bethke added 74  yards on 13 carries for Tahaney rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. All three players, averaged over five yards per carry.
 
Tahaney completed 9-of-19 passes for 84 yards. Casey Dobczyk hauled in five passes for 24 yards.
 
Isaac Allen led Carroll on the ground with 50 yards on 12 carries. Johnson and Anderson finished a combined 21-of-32 for 230 yards and four touchdowns for the Pioneers. Kujawa was the top target for Carroll, catching eight passes for 115 yards and a pair of scores.
 
Elmhurst's defense finished with six sacks in the contest. Bryce Gable led Elmhurst's defense with 10 tackles, including one tackle for loss. Jay added eight stops, recorded an interception, recovered a fumble and blocked a kick. Luke Coon totaled six tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Tristen James, Brett Stegmueller, Mason Branson, Lavor Little and Andrew Mink all finished with sacks for the Bluejays.
 
Elmhurst hosts Carthage College at Langhorst Field next Saturday, October 5, as part of the College's annual homecoming weekend.