BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Carroll University football earned a statement road win Saturday, rolling past Illinois Wesleyan 34-14 at Tucci Stadium behind a punishing rushing attack and a relentless defensive front.

The Pioneers (4-5, 4-4 CCIW) set the tone early after Amarrion Bridges intercepted a pass on IWU's opening drive and returned it 32 yards to midfield. Carroll capitalized with a seven-play, 53-yard march capped by Reed Breckheimer's 21-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead. IWU answered with a 51-yard strike from Chase Mackey to Michael Barnes Jr., but Carroll regained control just before halftime when Charlie King found Carson Crouch for a 10-yard score, sending the Pioneers into the break up 14-7.

Carroll dominated the third quarter, holding the ball for over 12 minutes and converting all six third-down attempts. Breckheimer's second touchdown, a 24-yard burst, finished a 10-play, 70-yard drive that pushed the lead to 21-7. The senior wasn't done, punching in his third score from five yards out early in the fourth to make it 28-7.

Illinois Wesleyan (4-5, 4-4) briefly closed the gap with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Deacy, but Carroll's defense stiffened, and kicker Matthew Swink sealed the win with field goals of 37 and 38 yards in the final minutes.

The Pioneers piled up 398 yards of total offense, including 238 on the ground. Breckheimer led the charge with 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries, while Mikey Coleman added 115 yards on 24 attempts. King managed the game efficiently, completing 19 of 30 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. Carroll converted 9 of 17 third downs, controlled possession for nearly 37 minutes, and scored on all three red-zone trips.

Defensively, Carroll was relentless, recording five sacks and seven tackles for loss. Luke Brosig spearheaded the effort with 2.5 sacks, while Braedon Curtin tallied 10 tackles and a pass breakup. The Pioneers also forced two interceptions and held IWU to just 11 rushing yards on 21 attempts.

Illinois Wesleyan finished with 301 total yards, most coming through the air as Mackey threw for 290 yards and two scores but was sacked five times.

The Pioneers will travel to Kenosha to face Carthage in 'The Battle For The Old Musket' in what is the final regular season game of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.