BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Elmhurst football fell on the road in its CCIW opener, dropping a 42-6 decision to Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington.

The Bluejays struck first with an interception return for a touchdown, but the Titans responded with six unanswered scores to take control of the game.

Elmhurst opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Malakai Correa picked off a pass and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown at the 12:12 mark. The extra point attempt was no good, but Elmhurst grabbed an early 6-0 lead. Illinois Wesleyan answered in the second quarter with three straight touchdown drives. A 15-play, 97-yard march ended with a five-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 54-yard scoring strike. The Titans added another score just before halftime with a 14-yard touchdown pass in the closing minutes of the half to carry a 21-6 advantage into the break.

IWU kept the momentum in the third quarter, adding three more touchdowns through the air. A 47-yard connection extended the lead early in the period, followed by an eight-yard strike midway through the quarter. The Titans closed the third with a two-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds, building the margin to 42-6. Elmhurst was unable to cut into the deficit in the fourth quarter, as the Illinois Wesleyan defense held firm to close out the contest.

John Odom led the Bluejay offense by completing 16-of-31 passes for 146 yards. Seth Desmore paced the receiving corps with five catches for 60 yards, while Preston Simard added three receptions for 33 yards. Jeffery Elms handled the bulk of the ground game with 12 carries for 44 yards. Defensively, Correa provided the highlight with his interception return for a touchdown, while Ryan Burton led the team with seven tackles.

With the setback, Elmhurst moved to 1-1 on the season and 0-1 in CCIW play.