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Pioneers win emotional season opener

Third-quarter comeback powers Carroll to thrilling 44-34 road victory over Lakeland

Box Score PLYMOUTH, Wis. - Junior quarterback Michael Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis.) completed 17 of 27 passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Carroll University football team to a 44-34 victory over Lakeland University in a season-opening nonconference shootout between longtime rivals at John Taylor Memorial Field on Saturday afternoon.
It was an emotional first victory of the season for Carroll following the late-week announcement that head coach Mark Krzykowski would be stepping down after nine years at the helm at the conclusion of the 2019 season to become the school's Assistant Athletic Director.
Trailing 27-16 at halftime, the Pioneers showcased their composure and resilience by outscoring Lakeland 28-7 in the character-building second half - including a 21-7 margin during what became a statement-making, decisive third quarter.
Isaac Allen (Monroe, Wis.), a 5-foot-10, 185-pound junior running back who rushed 14 times for a team-high 98 yards with two touchdowns and averaged 7.1 yards per carry, scored the winning TD on a critical 48-yard run up the middle as Carroll erased a four-point deficit to reclaim a 37-34 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
It proved to be the backbreaker as the Lakeland offense came up empty on their final four drives of the physical, hard-hitting contest.
The Pioneers put the game out of reach as Johnson connected with junior wide receiver Tyler Elmer (Monroe, Wis.) on a 61-yard touchdown pass with 6:05 remaining.
On the critical third-down-and five conversion, Johnson took the snap out of shotgun formation, rolled to his right, evaded a potential sack and fired a pin-point pass to Elmer on the right side line.
Moments later, Elmer made the catch and immediately sprinted down field untouched into the end zone.
The high-powered, balanced Carroll spread offense, under fourth-year offensive coordinator Tony Aker, amassed 23 first downs and 454 yards of total offense in the season debut - 158 yards coming via its punishing ground attack.
Sophomore wide receiver Alex Kujawa (Oshkosh, Wis.) finished with a team-best eight catches for 112 yards - highlighted by TD catches of 6, 11 and 33 yards for the Pioneers, who converted on 4 of 4 red-zone opportunities. Senior tight end David Meza (Berlin, Wis.) followed with three catches for 92 yards and Elmer added three receptions for 72 yards.
Junior linebacker Justin Kontny (Milwaukee, Wis.) registered a team-high 18 tackles, including 12 solo tackles, to lead Carroll's aggressive 4-2-5 defensive set.
Charl'Tez Nunnery completed 10 of 20 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns for Lakeland, which had 16 first downs and 553 total yards - including 342 yards on the ground. Larry Rivers rushed 26 times for a game-high 276 yards and two TDs for the Muskies.
Stay up to date on Carroll football this season by going online to www.gopios.com, or by following the Pioneers on Facebook (Carroll University Athletics), Twitter (@pio_athletics), and Instagram (@pio_athletics).
 
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Players Mentioned

Isaac Allen

#24 Isaac Allen

RB
5' 10"
Junior
Tyler Elmer

#10 Tyler Elmer

WR
6' 1"
Junior
Michael Johnson

#6 Michael Johnson

QB
6' 3"
Junior
Justin Kontny

#8 Justin Kontny

LB
6' 0"
Junior
Alex Kujawa

#5 Alex Kujawa

WR
5' 9"
Sophomore
David Meza

#4 David Meza

TE
6' 5"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Isaac Allen

#24 Isaac Allen

5' 10"
Junior
RB
Tyler Elmer

#10 Tyler Elmer

6' 1"
Junior
WR
Michael Johnson

#6 Michael Johnson

6' 3"
Junior
QB
Justin Kontny

#8 Justin Kontny

6' 0"
Junior
LB
Alex Kujawa

#5 Alex Kujawa

5' 9"
Sophomore
WR
David Meza

#4 David Meza

6' 5"
Senior
TE