Box Score Illinois Wesleyan 30, Elmhurst 26 - Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan Titans limited the Elmhurst Bluejays to 15 yards rushing and overcame six turnovers to down Elmhurst, 30-26, at IWU Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 16.

The Titans improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Bluejays are 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the league.

Senior quarterback Brien Rooney completed 15 of 22 passes for 169 yards and survived four interceptions while leading the game with 127 rushing yards on 24 carries. IWU amassed 238 yards on the ground for a total of 407 yards.

Elmhurst had 251 passing yards and 266 for the game.

The Titans got on the board first with 9:59 to play in the first quarter on a 16-yard run from senior Bo Lanter and freshman Tim Hollowed added the extra point kick to make it 7-0. 

Rooney scored the first of his two running TDs with 12:24 to go in the half on a three-yard run but the extra point kick failed and IWU led 13-0.

The Jays scored on a 15-yard pass play from Peter Rantis to Scottie Williams with 7:39 to go in the third quarter but J.R. Dalicandro's kick was blocked and it was 13-6. 

Elmhurst scored again with 6:42 to go in the third on a 22 yard pass from Rantis to Ryan Bock but again the kick was blocked and IWU led 13-12.

With 4:13 to play in the third, IWU went ahead 20-12 when Rooney ran in from nine yards out and Hollowed added the kick and the Titans extended their lead to 23-12 after Hollowed made his first collegiate field goal from 34 yards out. 

The Bluejays got within three with 10:25 to play in the game when Joe St. Peter hauled in a 35 yard pass from Joe Furco and Sean Seroka caught a two-point conversion pass from Furco. 

With 5:56, Joey Driver made a spectacular grab on a 13 yard pass from Rooney and Hollowed's kick made it 30-20. The Bluejays tacked on another touchdown with 3:47 to play when Rodney Payton caught a 15 yard pass from Furco, but again Dalicandro's kick was no good and the final score was 30-26. 

Senior Eli Williams ran for 25 yards on seven carries and caught seven balls for 65 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury. Lanter finished with 83 yards on 14 carries.

For the Bluejays, Williams finished with 39 yards on 14 carries and Furco threw for 195 yards and two TDs, going 19 of 32. Rantis completed three of seven for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively for the Titans, junior linebacker Michael Whittington and junior cornerback Erich Bushong each had eight tackles and junior linebacker Ryan Gresko had seven. Bushong, junior #P.J. Cummings and junior Scott Wenzel# all had interceptions and the Titans got five quarterback sacks accounting for 29 yards of loss, with one each from Gresko, Whittington and senior Max Brooks and two from junior Chris Rice.

IWU plays at North Central at 2 p.m. next Saturday.