WAUKESHA, Wis. - True character and leadership often come to the forefront when attempting to battle through adversity.
Kyle Burlingame, a senior 5-foot-11, 198-pound quarterback from Waukesha North High School, clearly exhibited those traits as the Carroll University football team lost to Carthage College 38-14 in a rainy, overcast College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Schneider Stadium on Saturday.
The frustrating homecoming performance was the fourth consecutive loss for the Pioneers, who dropped to 0-2 in conference and 0-4 overall.
Carthage, which improved to 2-1 in conference and 4-1 overall, outscored the Pioneers 28-7 in the first half - including 14 unanswered points in the decisive second quarter.
It was a challenging day for Burlingame, who completed 13 of 31 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions through the driving rain in leading Carroll, which had 11 first downs and 214 yards of total offense.
Burlingame, who remained under fire for the majority of the afternoon from the big, physical Carthage defense, endured six bruising sacks but showcased his mental toughness and durability by playing the entire four quarters.
"I was definitely very proud of how we fought each step of the way," Burlingame said. "We continued to play hard on every possession and refused to give up or do any finger pointing. Offensively, we're just hoping to learn from the experience and plan to work hard at executing at a higher level next time. 
"It was an awesome experience to play in front of the large supportive, homecoming crowd and with the 1976 CCIW championship team looking on."
The southpaw connected with senior wide receiver Brandon Ehrke (Deerfield, Wis.) on a 28-yard touchdown pass to tie the game 7-7 with 2:34 remaining in the first quarter.
Burlingame fired a high-lining pass toward the right side of the end zone to Ehrke, who gained separation on a defender and caught the ball in full stride to finish the play.
It appeared to be a momentum-shifting play but was short lived as Carthage junior wide receiver James Cobbs responded on the ensuing kickoff with a 97-yard return for a touchdown to regain the lead with 2:22 left in the quarter.
It proved to be the key turning point in the game, setting the stage for Carthage's dominant second quarter surge. The Red Men added 10 points in the third quarter to ensure the victory.
With the game out of reach, Carroll responded with a confidence-building 11-play, 74-yard drive capped on a 12-yard TD pass to Ehrke with 4:31 left in the fourth quarter.
"Brandon is a go-up-and-get-it type of guy so it was great to see him go hard after the ball and make a few big touchdown catches," Burlingame added. "At this point, we're still adjusting to the new offense but have a strong receiving corps that's helping with the progression. The talent is there, now we just have to execute and take better care of the ball.
"At the end of the game, we learned a lot about ourselves by putting together a nice drive. It showed that we weren't going to quit and what can be accomplished if we play up to our potential. We might not have gotten the victory today but there were still some positive things to build from in the weeks to come."
Ehrke finished with five catches for 88 yards for the Pioneers. Senior running back Bennett Kothe (Racine, Wis.) was the team's leading rusher with 14 carries for 61 yards.
Sophomore defensive back Linzy Hudson (Milwaukee, Wis.) had a team-high 12 tackles and sophomore linebacker Andrew Danculovich (Cudahy, Wis.) contributed 10 tackles for the Carroll defense. Sophomore defensive back Colin Shepley (Northfield, Minn.) recovered two fumbles.
Carroll head coach Mark Krzykowski was disppointed with the final outcome but emphasized that it wasn't the result of a lack of effort.
"We practice and play hard every single day so now its just a matter of fighting through it and putting all the pieces together," said Krzykowski, who was selected the Wisconsin Private College Coach of the Year in 2014. "Looking back on the game, we had some chances and forced a few turnovers. We just have to earn victories on each play, build on the successes and carry it over to the complete-game performance. 
"We had momentum in the first quarter but it shifted quickly on the kickoff return and changed the course of the game. The guys are hungry for success so it should really motivate them even more to want to right the ship. 
"I was very proud of how we approached it, worked as a family and continued to make progress."
Sophomore quarterback Kyle Friberg completed 9 of 10 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns for Carthage, which amassed 20 first downs and 372 total yards. Freshman running back Jamel Davis rushed 15 times for 58 yards and a touchdown.