Game Notes vs. Millikin

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll University is excited to welcome alumni back to campus for this week's Homecoming celebration, with Saturday's football game against Millikin University being a staple of the weekend. Both teams enter the game searching for their first conference victory of the season.

"We knew going into the season that our first three games were going to be really difficult. We had a big win up at Stout to start the year, but didn't play up to expectations against WashU in St. Louis, then we played a top 20 team in Wheaton last week," Carroll Head Football Coach Mike Budziszewski said. "We knew those three games were going to be tough, and now we need to get back on the winning track and get some swagger back on this team this week by going out and playing a better game of complimentary football as a team."

The Pios lost to 19th-ranked Wheaton last week by a score of 22-10 in a game that saw the two teams tied with a few minutes left in the third quarter. Despite the loss, Carroll did some good things that can be taken from that game, including limiting Wheaton to less than 50 rushing yards for the first time since 2017.

"I'm very proud of how our guys played last week. Our defense played very well, but I'd like to get a little more pressure on the quarterback," Budziszewski said. "We moved the ball well offensively and had some big plays, but we need to be more consistent and pick up more first downs."

Carroll (1-2, 0-2 CCIW) is coming off a game that saw them gain 128 rushing yards on 31 carries (4.1 ypc). Sophomore Marcus Johnson led the way with 83 yards on eight carries (10.4 ypc), which included a long of 57. Johnson leads the team with 134 yards on the season, which ranks eighth in the CCIW. Mikey Coleman is second on the team with 68 yards, which ranks 21st in the conference. Carroll is averaging 83.7 rushing yards per game entering this weekend. They will be facing a Millikin team that has allowed an average of 151.7 rushing yards per game.

"Our running back group is ultra talented, and when we run the ball as consistently as we do, we're going to wear the opposing defense down. Marcus did a great job of taking advantage of a seam that he saw and breaking a couple tackles last week," Budziszewski said. "When we run hard and our o-line continues to block well up front, we're going to have some of those big runs. I'm really proud of that group, as well as the blocking by the line, receivers, and tight ends to create those seams for the backs to hit."

This weekend's game will mark the 48th time Carroll has met Millikin on the gridiron, in a series that dates back to the 1942 season. Carroll has won the last two meetings, including last year's 41-0 victory, which marked the Pioneers' first shutout in 18 games.

Millikin (0-3, 0-2 CCIW) have lost 13 consecutive games, dating back to the 2022 season finale. The Big Blue are averaging 13.7 points per game, which ranks ninth in the CCIW, while also ranking ninth in total offense (207.0 ypg) and rushing (42.3 ypg) and sixth in passing (164.7 ypg). Quarterback Aidan Lombardo is fifth in the conference with 173 passing yards per game, while Don Starling is 13th in receiving with 45 yards per contest.

Defensively, Millikin has made some big plays during their first three games, forcing six turnovers, including four fumble recoveries. They are allowing an average of 38 points per game.

"Millikin is an athletic football team, so we'll need to take advantage of some of the things they give us," Budziszewski said. "They have created a good number of turnovers already, so we need to make sure we take care of the football and get on them early."

The Pioneers will counter Millikin's offense with a defense that is allowing 24.3 points per game on the year. Carroll also ranks fifth in the CCIW in total defense (347.0 ypg), while ranking sixth against the pass (246.7 ypg) and fourth against the run (100.3 ypg). Carroll's six sacks are the fifth-most of any CCIW team this season. Linebackers Damon Loker and Will Campbell rank first and fourth in the conference, respectively, in tackles, while Defensive Lineman Abe Stockwell is fifth in the league in sacks (2).

"It's always exciting to play at Schneider Stadium whether it's Homecoming or not," Budziszewski said. "Our guys are going to be excited to go out there in front of a great atmosphere and try to get a win."

Saturday's game will kickoff at 2 p.m., and can be seen live at https://gopios.com/watch/?Live=299&type=Live.