WAUKESHA, Wis. - The tough, frustrating season continued for the Carroll University football team as it lost to Illinois Wesleyan 62-10 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Schneider Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was the fourth straight conference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 0-4 in the league standings and 0-6 overall.
Illinois Wesleyan outscored the Pioneers 34-10 in the first half, including 13 points in what became a decisive first quarter.
Leading 7-3 in the opening quarter, the Titans responded with a critical, three-play, 54-yard drive capped on a 34-yard pass from freshman quarterback Brandon Bauer to senior wide receiver Austin Wagner with 1:44 remaining.
It proved to be a key turning point as Illinois Wesleyan carried the momentum over into the second quarter, outscoring the Pioneers by a 21-7 margin.
The Titans scored 14 unanswered points in both the third and fourth quarters to seal the convincing road victory.
Carroll appeared poised for a big day, generating a time-consuming 15-play, 57-yard drive during its opening possession - capped on a 29-yard field goal by senior kicker Taylor Plehn (Pewaukee, Wis.) with 6:51 remaining but couldn't sustain the success.
The Pioneers' final points of the contest came as senior southpaw quarterback Kyle Burlingame (Waukesha, Wis.) connected with senior wide receiver Brandon Ehrke (Deerfield, Wis.) on a 29-yard pass to cap a 75-yard drive with 5:33 left in the second quarter.
On the play, Burlingame delivered a high, floating pass to Ehrke, who made the catch in full stride in the right corner of the end zone.
Burlingame completed 15 of 26 passes for 148 yards for Carroll, which was limited to just 10 first downs and 168 yards of total offense.
It was the seventh touchdown of the season for Ehrke, who remains the Pioneers' top receiving threat with 22 catches for 387 yards.
Senior defensive lineman Peter Menges (Manitowoc, Wis.) contributed a team-high 10 tackles, junior free safety Dillon O' Donoghue (Mundelein, Ill.) followed with nine tackles and junior linebacker Andrew Danculovich (Cudahy, Wis.) had seven tackles for the Pioneers.
Despite the disappointing outcome, Carroll head coach Mark Krzykowski reiterated that his team has continued to work hard through the adversity.
"I'm proud of how the guys have handled the situation and continue to work hard through it," said Krzykowski, whose team has been forced to compete without 10 players as the result of season-ending injuries. "At this point, we have to take our victories one day at a time, one practice at a time and one play at a time. When we make a great play, we have to be committed to making another one and consistently attempt to build on the success. It's just a matter of doing the right, fundamental things and putting ourselves in a position to make plays. As that takes place, good things will start to happen.
"We really believe that we're going out there and working hard to make strides in the right direction. It's important to note that the guys are finishing strong in every game, workout and practice in order to improve each week. It's been frustrating but like a true family they have continued to support one another."
Bauer completed 16 of 19 passes for 210 yards and four touchdowns for Illinois Wesleyan, which improved to 3-2 in conference and 4-2 overall. Senior running back Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore rushed 26 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns for the Titans, who amassed 29 first downs and 491 total yards.