ELMHURST, Ill. – On the final fall afternoon of the 2022 season, the Elmhurst University football team fell to the Illinois Wesleyan Titans 21-17 at Langhorst Field.

The Bluejays scored the first 14 points of the game in the first half to build a lead and were able to take a seven-point advantage into halftime, but the Titans (6-4, 5-4 CCIW) managed to score 14 unanswered points to upend Elmhurst on senior day.

Elmhurst finished the 2022 season with a 0-10 overall record, and an 0-9 mark in CCIW play, while Illinois Wesleyan improved to 6-4 overall and 5-4 in the CCIW following Saturday's victory.

For the Bluejays, freshman quarterback Andrey Acosta tossed a career-high 276 yards on 17 completions, also connecting for a passing touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Max McCarville grabbed seven receptions for 134 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown reception early in the first quarter.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Bryce Gable recorded 14 tackles (12 solo) and a sack, while his fellow classmate Jake Masco recorded three tackles for loss in the contest. Senior punter Ryan Brenner also made an impact in the game, booting a 72-yard punt to pin the Titans on their own one-yard line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Bluejays started the game hot, marching down the field with Acosta connecting with McCarville on a 50-yard catch and run to put Elmhurst up 7-0 early. Elmhurst continued to put the pressure on Illinois-Wesleyan early, with Masco leading the way with a team-high 5.5 first-half tackles.

Illinois Wesleyan was able to pin the Bluejays on their own one-yard line with a 38-yard punt, but junior kicker/punter Ryan Brenner responded on the next drive by booming a 72-yard punt to flip field position and pin the Titans on their own one-yard line. In the final minutes of the first period, Presley was able to fight through the line close to the goal-line and convert a ten-yard touchdown run, putting Elmhurst up 14-0 through the first quarter.

The defensive battle continued in the second quarter, with the Bluejays and Titans trading possesions before Illinois Wesleyan broke through thanks to a six-yard touchdown reception from Hamilton. The Titans were threatening to tie the score in the waning seconds of the first-half, but the Bluejays were able to force a field-goal attempt that soared wide left, keeping the Bluejays on top by a score of 14-7 through two quarters.

Coming out of the half, both teams were unable to gain any momentum on the offensive side of the ball, as both defenses were rock solid throughout the third quarter. With the Titans driving to begin the fourth quarter, Illinois Wesleyan was able to take their first lead of the game with 11:35 to go in the contest thanks to a one-yard touchdown run.

The Bluejays responded on the next drive with a 35-yard field goal by Sandro Quintanila, moving the score to 21-17 with 7:29 to go in the game. Elmhurst was able to come up with a huge third-down stop, forcing the Titans to punt the ball away and opening the door for the Bluejays with 2:23 left in the game. Elmhurst was able to force another punt to get the ball back with under a minute to go, and converted a beautiful deep ball down the home sideline on fourth down to keep the drive going. The Bluejays had their backs to the wall with the clock running to zero, a final heave towards the endzone fell incomplete to give the Titans the narrow four point victory.

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