ELMHURST, Ill. - Senior southpaw quarterback Kyle Burlingame (Waukesha, Wis.) completed 22 of 29 passes for 336 yards and five touchdowns but the Carroll University football team lost to Elmhurst College 45-34 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Langhorst Field on Saturday afternoon.
It was the third consecutive conference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 0-3 in the league standings and 0-5 overall.
Elmhurst outscored the Pioneers 31-21 in the first half, including a key, momentum-building 21-7 margin in the first quarter.
It was a season-best performance for Burlingame, who connected on touchdown passes of 2, 9, 22, 47 and 63 yards.
The Pioneers trimmed the deficit to 24-21 late in the second quarter, responding with a confidence-building 11-play, 75-yard drive.
The drive was capped on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Burlingame to sophomore wide receiver Parker Zitzke (Waukesha, Wis.) with 4:13 remaining.
Burlingame, who completed 10 of 13 passes for 190 yards in the first half, took a snap out of the pistol formation, quickly dropped back and fired a pass to a wide-open Zitzke just over goal line.
The momentum was short lived as Elmhurst answered on its ensuing possession with an efficient 11-play, 71-yard drive highlighted by a 30-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Orlando Hernandez to sophomore wide receiver Austin McKellar with 46 seconds left.
It proved to be the turning point as Elmhurst carried the momentum over into the second half, outscoring the Pioneers 14-13.
Despite the frustrating loss, the Pioneers continued to make progress by generating 23 first downs and 427 yards of total offense en route to a season-high point total.
Senior wide receiver Brandon Ehrke (Deerfield, Wis.) had five catches for 87 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to pace the Pioneers' receiving corps. Senior Tyler Enright (Oconomowoc, Wis.) followed with two catches for 80 yards and a touchdown with Zitzke adding eight catches for 49 yards and a TD.
Senior running back Bennett Kothe (Racine, Wis.) was the team's leading rusher with 11 carries for 56 yards and also scored on a 47-yard screen pass in the second quarter for the Pioneers.
Hernandez completed 16 of 24 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns for Elmhurst, which improved to 3-1 in conference and 4-2 overall with the homecoming victory. Hernandez also rushed 12 times for 124 yards and a touchdown.
The Bluejays amassed 30 first downs and 607 yards of total offense, establishing a school record for yards in a single game - 326 yard coming on the ground.
Senior defensive back Aaron Mushall (Sussex, Wis.) and sophomore defensive end Peter Kunesh (Manitowoc, Wis.) each had eight tackles for the Carroll defense.