Millikin Rolls Over Aurora

          The Millikin football team defeated Aurora University 44-20 on Sept. 22 at Frank M. Lindsay Field in front of a large Fall Family Weekend crowd.

          Millikin scored the game's first 14 points with two first quarter touchdowns.  The Big Blue scored on its first possession when Matt Holmes hit Sean Dunning on a 14 yard pass to make it 7-0. 

          Erik Tobey's 92 yard punt return made it 14-0 Millikin.

          Aurora pulled within seven in the first quarter's final minute on a 36 yard pass from Jimmy Bevell to Michael Beasley Hart.

          Millikin made it 21-7 with 32 seconds left in the half when Holmes hit Alex Chiligiris on a three yard pass play.

          Millikin put the game away with three touchdowns in the third quarter.

          A Dunning one yard run opened the third quarter scoring.  Big Blue linebacker Marquette Moore recovered an Aurora fumble and raced 66 yards for a touchdown to make it 35-7 Millikin.  The Big Blue's third touchdown of the quarter was set up by an Adam Rosner fumble recovery.  A five yard touchdown pass from Holmes to Dunning made it 42-7.

          Millikin would add two points in the fourth quarter when Christian Silva returned a blocked extra point for a defensive conversion.  Darrell Mitchell had the block for the Big Blue.

          Dunning finished the day with 95 yards rushing.  Holmes rushed for 64 yards and was 10-16-1 passing for 137 yards and three touchdowns.  Justin Brooks rushed for 90 yards.

          Brandon Trujillo had 137 yards rushing for Aurora.  Bevell was 15-28 passing for 151 yards with three scores.

          Mitchell was Millikin's top tackler with 10 including one tackle for a loss.

Moore had nine tackles as did Jake Hazelton.

          Brandon Haase led the Spartan defense with nine tackles.

          Millikin opens CCIW play on Sept. 29 at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Ill. with a 6 p.m. kickoff.