WAUKESHA, Wis. - A touchdown by junior Danny Kent (Addison, Ill.-Fenwick) with 20 seconds to play lifted the Illinois Wesleyan University football team to a 24-21 win at Carroll University Saturday afternoon, Nov. 9. With the win, IWU upped its record to 5-4 on the season and 5-3 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, while Carroll dipped to 4-5 (3-5 CCIW). 

Illinois Wesleyan dominated the game statistically, as the Titans outgained the Pioneers, 330-184. IWU churned out 166 yards rushing and finished with 164 passing yards. CU was held to 60 yards rushing, and 124 yards passing as the Pioneers converted 7-of-14 tosses.

The Green and White went 10-for-17 on third-down conversions and 1-of-1 on fourth down, while Carroll was 3-of-9 on third down. IWU finished with a 40:49 to 19:11 lead in time of possession. 

Sophomore Dermot Smyth (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) completed 20-of-27 passes for 164 yards, with seven different receivers hauling in receptions. Senior Myles Kee (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) was the top target with eight catches for 71 yards. 

Junior Jahari Scott (Lake Bluff, Ill.-Lake Forest) ran the ball 15 times for 94 yards, while Smyth finished with 21 rushing yards and two scores. Kent added 18 yards rushing and the game-winning TD.

Senior Cole Pradel (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego) led the Titans with seven stops. Seniors Sam Schott (West Lafayette, Ind.-West Lafayette) and Zach McNees (Hillsboro, Mo.-Hillsboro), along with sophomore John Gavin (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-Prospect) and fifth-year Joshua Klein (Glen Carbon, Ill.-Edwardsville), added four tackles apiece. McNees led the Titans with two tackles for loss, sharing a sack with senior Josh Hlavacek (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield North).

Illinois Wesleyan used a 16-play, 77-yard drive to score the game's first touchdown with 15 seconds left in the first quarter. Freshman Owen Owens (Mt. Zion, Ill.-Mt. Zion) ran the ball 27 yards down the Carroll sideline on fourth-and-seven to keep the Titan drive alive. A nine-yard grab by Kee gave IWU another fresh set of downs, before Kent hauled in a nine-yard pass to move the chains to the Carroll 12-yard line. Smyth carried the ball on the next three plays, eventually finding the endzone on a four-yard scamper.

The Pioneers leveled the score at seven all with a three-play drive that was capped by a 68-yard touchdown reception. 

Later in the second period, Hlavacek and McNees teamed up for a sack of 11 yards to leave the Pioneers with third and 19 from the Carroll five-yard line. Gavin met the third-down rushing attempt at the line of scrimmage and a CU punt gave IWU the ball back in plus-territory with 1:44 left in the half. 

Smyth found Kee for a 12-yard pickup on the third down of the drive. A penalty pushed IWU into the redzone, where senior Tre Moore (Cool Valley, Mo.-Ritenour) hauled in an eight-yard pass at the one-yard line. Smyth punched it in to give Illinois Wesleyan a 14-7, lead with 28 seconds on the clock, but Carroll responded with a 31-yard rushing touchdown to knot the score at 14 going into the break.

Receiving the kickoff to start the second half, Carroll took full advantage to garner its first lead of the day. The Pioneers went 70 yards in eight plays as a 22-yard rushing touchdown gave CU a 21-14 advantage into the fourth quarter.

After the Titan defense stymied the Pioneers for a three-and-out, Illinois Wesleyan went 46 yards in nearly five and a half minutes to cut into the deficit. Senior Jonas Capek (Berwyn, Ill.-Fenwick) hauled in a nine-yard catch and Scott went for 24 and eight yards on back-to-back carries to put the Titans on the edge of the redzone. Facing third down from the Carroll 19-yard line, a pass fell incomplete but sophomore Kaden Junge (Mattoon, Ill.-Mattoon) converted a 36-yard field goal to trim the CU lead to four, 21-14, early in the fourth.

Another timely three-and-out by the Titan defense saw the Pioneers lose yardage. A first down rush was halted in the backfield as McNees took down the ball carrier for a two-yard loss. Sophomore Joey DeMaio (Woodridge, Ill.-Lemont) followed with a pass breakup as Carroll punted the ball away with 7:17 to go.

A pair of catches by Kee, both for seven-yard gains, sandwiched back-to-back carries by Scott. Smyth then found Kee for a 33-yard gain to set up first-and-10 from the Carroll 11-yard line. The Green and White chipped away before Kent bulldozed his way into the endzone from the one-yard line. Junge split the uprights on the PAT to give IWU a 24-21 edge with 20 seconds left.

Back-to-back deep completions quickly got Carroll out to midfield, but Roti intercepted the Pioneers' hail mary attempt as time expired to seal the Titan victory.

The Titans wrap up the season at home next Saturday, Nov. 16, with a game against No. 1 ranked North Central College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tucci Stadium, with Illinois Wesleyan set to honor its senior class prior to the game.