ELMHURST, Ill. - The Elmhurst University football team fell by a score of 45-14 to the Carroll University Pioneers Saturday afternoon at Langhorst Field.

Elmhurst dropped to 2-5 overall and 2-4 in CCIW action with the defeat, while Carroll improved to 4-3 and 3-3 in conference play with the road win.

Elmhurst hung in with the Pioneers in the first half, holding Carroll to 17 points, but a 28-point burst in the second half proved to be too large of a hill to climb for the Bluejays.

Both teams nearly split the possesion time on offense, with Carroll holding the slight edge, but an efficient line of 14-23 for 196 yards and two touchdowns from the Pios' quarterback Charlie King helped the visitors to 389 yards of total offense.

For the Jays, Taveon Porter had a strong day on the ground with 12 rushes for 107 yards, while Darius Lane and Jacob Cockrell each recorded a rushing touchdown in the contest. 

Defensivley, Elmhurst totaled seven tackles-for-loss in the game, the most in a game in the 2024 season for the Bluejays. Etor Agbenya and Malakai Correa each recorded 2.5 tackles-for-loss, with Correa recording a sack, while Chris Reaves and Justin Harris tallying one each.

Jeffrey Leighliter had a bounce-back week, recording an interception and a pass break up, while Jace Zeffiro led Elmhurst with 14 total tackles. Talyn West and Charles Scott each also had double-digit tackles with 12 and 10, respectively. 

The Pios started hot with an opening-drive touchdown, but both teams traded punts all the way to the end of the first quarter where Leighliter made a diving play to intercept the ball in the end zone and give Elmhurst the ball after a 17 play, 77-yard drive from Carroll.

Shortly after, Carroll would add another touchdown and capitalize on an Elmhurst fumble to tally another three points, moving the score to 17-0 in favor of the visitors at halftime.

Shortly after halftime, Carroll would extend the lead to 31-0 before a 66-yard run from Porter set up a three-yard touchdown run from Lane, moving the score to 31-7. 

In the fourth, Carroll would score a punt return touchdown and another rushing touchdown, but Elmhurst would respond with a long drive that ended in a rushing touchdown from Cockrell, moving the score to 45-14 where it would end for the game for Carroll.

UP NEXT

Elmhurst begins a two-week road stretch next Saturday, Nove,ber 2, at #25 Wheaton College beginning at 12:00 pm. 

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