WAUKESHA, Wis. - Difficult matchups can often help to bring out the best in a hungry, determined team looking to earn respect.
The Carroll University football team demonstrated that as it lost to No. 19-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University 28-13 in a hard-fought College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Schneider Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Carroll trailed 14-7 at halftime before being outscored 14-6 over the course of the final 30 minutes, including seven unanswered points in what proved to be a crucial, game-changing third quarter.
It was the second home-field conference loss for the Pioneers, who dropped to 1-2 in the highly contested league standings and 2-2 overall.
Senior quarterback Colton Bahling (Belvidere, Ill.) completed 17 of 29 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown in leading Carroll, which had 18 first downs and 287 yards of total offense.
Junior quarterback Brandon Bauer completed 23 of 34 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown for defending league co-champion Illinois Wesleyan, which improved to 3-0 in league and 3-1 overall.
Senior running back Morgan Alexander rushed 23 times for 107 yards and a touchdown for the Titans, who amassed 20 first downs and 428 yards of total offense.
Carroll showcased its progress by responding with the opening points of the contest as Bahling scored on a 2-yard run to cap an impressive 12-play, 65-yard drive with 7:55 remaining in the first quarter.
"Going against the No. 19-ranked team in the nation in NCAA Division III was a difficult challenge so to be able to come out and score on the opening drive gave us a lot of confidence and a big energy boost," Bahling said. "Unfortunately, as the game went on we shot ourselves in the foot at times and struggled to make the most of some good opportunities.
"Offensively, we showed that we could move the ball downfield and defensively we stepped up and made some big stops. If we clean up some of the mental mistakes, it should lead to a lot of success in the games to come. Whether its the first drive of the game or the last, we just want to go out there and show that we can compete with anyone. If we continue to do that, good things will happen."
Illinois Wesleyan tied the game on its first drive as Bauer connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass with Bryce Dooley with 4:23 left in the opening quarter.
Bauer, who also rushed 12 times for 43 yards, scored what proved to be the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run to extend the lead to 14-7 with 11:22 left in the first half.
The Titans took advantage of good field position as Alexander eventually scored on a 5-yard run to increase the margin to 21-7 with 6:20 remaining in the third quarter.
Ill. Wesleyan's final TD came as Bauer scored on a key 4-yard run to cap a time consuming 91-yard drive with 14:55 left in the final quarter.
Freshman running back Preston Bell (Scottlandville, La.) had 10 carries for 83 yards for the Pioneers, who committed 11 penalties for 68 yards in the physical battle. Senior wide receiver Parker Zitzke (Waukesha, Wis.) had a team-high nine catches for 94 yards and a touchdown - highlighted by a 5-yard TD catch to finish a confidence-building eight-play, 75-yard drive with 11:06 remaining in the game.
"We came in with the mentality that we were going to get the victory and played like it on the opening drive of the game," Zitzke said. "At this point, the most important thing we have to learn is how to consistently finish drives, sustain the momentum and end games on a strong note. We had a really good week of practice so I attribute that preparation to how we came out in the first quarter. If we can perform like we did to begin the game, we're going to walk off the field with a lot of victories in the future."
Senior linebacker Andrew Danculovich (Cudahy, Wis.) registered a team-high 11 tackles for the Carroll defense. Senior free safety Cameron Cassaro (Rockford, Ill.) followed with eight tackles and senior linebacker Luke Wood (Potterville, Mich.) had seven tackles with senior corner back Linzy Hudson (Milwaukee, Wis.) and senior defensive back Billy Krawczyk (Lockport, Ill.) each contributing six tackles for the Pioneers.
Cassaro and Krawczyk each had an interception and sophomore defensive lineman Holden Whybark (Racine, Wis.) added a sack.
"Obviously, there are no moral victories but the defense fought hard, forced a couple of turnovers and played with heart until the end," Krawczyk said. "Even though we were trailing at halftime, we didn't get down and sulk about it. We came out ready to go, played with a lot of intensity and showed our true character in how we competed the rest of the way."
Carroll head coach Mark Krzykowski was ecstatic about his team's grit and determination.
"I'm so proud of every last one of the guys and how they performed," said Krzykowski, whose team erased the memory of last year's stinging 30-0 loss to the Titans. "We don't believe in moral victories but do believe in giving an outstanding effort from start to finish. Today, that's exactly what we delivered out there. Give credit to our opponent but this Pioneer football team showed what its capable of when they play up to their potential.
"That said, we just need to do it consistently. I believe in the players, the system and our approach. If we continue to work hard good things will come our way. It's all about growth, taking positive steps and moving forward. Hopefully, we will come away from this exciting game with confidence and use it as we prepare for the weeks to come."