ELMHURST, Ill. — The Elmhurst University football team fell to Augustana College, 58-14, on Saturday afternoon at Langhorst Field as the Bluejays celebrated Homecoming.
Augustana (2-2, 1-1 CCIW) jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter before Elmhurst (1-3, 0-2) responded with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter.
Elmhurst's defense got the Blue and White on the board first when
Jace Zeffiro intercepted Augustana quarterback David Finfer and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown with 14:44 remaining in the second quarter.
The Bluejays then used a short field to add another score.
Justin Carlson connected with
Antonio Russell for a 24-yard touchdown with 12:17 left in the half, cutting the deficit to 17-14.
Augustana answered with two touchdowns before halftime to take a 31-14 lead into the break.
The Vikings added three touchdowns in the third quarter and another in the fourth to pull away.
Carlson completed 17-of-30 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown, while
Giovanni DiBene completed 3-of-4 passes for 24 yards.
Colby Mortenson led the Bluejays through the air with nine receptions for 91 yards, while Russell added five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Jonathan Billions led Elmhurst's rushing attack with 29 yards on 11 carries. The Bluejays finished with 215 yards of total offense.
Defensively,
Jaden Genova led Elmhurst with nine tackles, including one tackle for loss. Zeffiro finished with six tackles and two interceptions, while
Deontae Dixon II,
Ethan Mathew,
Jayvon King, and
Javier Young each recorded five tackles.
Augustana was led by running back Ben Ludlum, who rushed for 231 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries. The Vikings totaled 538 yards of offense.
Up Next: The Blue and White return to action on Saturday, Oct. 10 when they travel to Kenosha, Wis. to take on the Carthage College Firebirds. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Art Keller Field.
