Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
The Millikin football team staged a stunning 35-31 come from behind victory over #13 Wheaton College in front of a large Homecoming crowd at Frank M. Lindsay Field in Decatur, Illinois on October 7. The victory breaks Millikin's 16 game losing streak against the Thunder. Millikin is now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Wheaton goes to 4-2, 2-2.
Trailing 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter, Millikin outscored Wheaton 21-7 to pull off the victory. Millikin opened its fourth quarter comeback taking advantage of a Wheaton turnover. Wheaton had a snap sailed high over the quarterback's head and the Big Blue's Graham Failor recovered the loose ball at the Thunder five-yard line.
The Big Blue scored two plays later when quarterback Nicco Stepina connected with Jordan Smith on a one-yard touchdown pass. The score made it a 24-21 Wheaton lead.
After the Millikin defense stopped Wheaton on downs, the Big Blue engineered a six-play 80-yard scoring drive to pull ahead 28-24. Freshman Jazontae Howard scored on a 28-yard run to put the Big Blue in front.
Wheaton answered with its own 14-play drive to regain the lead on a two-yard pass from Curtis McWilliams to Phillip Nichol with 1:58 left in the game.
Millikin then drove 83 yards in 10 plays in one minute and 25 seconds to pull out the victory. Stepina scored the game winner on a two-yard run. Big plays on the drive included an 18-yard completion to Howard, a 15-yard completion to freshman Patrick Cooper and a 29-yard pass play to Smith to get to the Thunder four-yard line.
Millikin freshman Israel Smith sealed the victory with an interception on Wheaton's final offensive play.
Millikin's first touchdown came in the first quarter on a nine-yard pass to Cooper.
Stepina scored on a 25-yard run in the third quarter.
Stepina finished 26-28-1 for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed 15 times for 52 yards and two scores. Playing without Gerald Perry and with Smith hobbling for much of the game, Millikin's freshman receivers shined bright. Tyrice Hines had seven catches for 70 yards. Joe Coates finished with six catches for 51 yards. Cooper had five catches for 51 yards.
Howard led the Big Blue rushers with eight carries for 82 yards.
McWilliams was 25-42-1 for 264 yards and four touchdowns for Wheaton. Nichols led the Thunder receivers with eight catches for 94 yards and three touchdowns. Sola Olateju had18 carries for 121 yards rushing.
Nikia Averitte led the Big Blue with 10 tackles. Matt Brown added nine. Adonis Williamson had six tackles, a forced fumble, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. LaShon Johnson had six stops with a forced fumble and one pass break-up.
Millikin gained 438 yards in total offense with 271 yards passing and 167 yards rushing. Wheaton had 409 yards of offense with 264 in passing and 145 on the ground.