WHEATON, Ill. – Carroll University football showed resilience and delivered two explosive touchdowns, but the Pioneers couldn't overcome a fast start by #17 Wheaton in a 61-13 defeat Saturday at McCully Stadium.

The Thunder (2-1, 2-0 CCIW) jumped out to a 20-0 first-quarter lead and extended it to 30-0 by halftime, capitalizing on short fields and a balanced offensive attack. Carroll (0-3, 0-2) struggled to sustain drives early but came out of the locker room determined to respond.

The spark came from the defense when senior defensive back Mychale Gary intercepted a pass at the Wheaton 39-yard line on the opening series of the second half. Two plays later, quarterback Elisha Nieves found Carson Crouch for a 30-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 30-7 and giving the Pioneers momentum.

Wheaton answered with two more scores in the third quarter, but Carroll kept battling. In the fourth, Charlie King connected with Mikey Coleman on a short pass that turned into an 83-yard touchdown sprint, the longest play of the season for Carroll. Coleman finished with 159 all-purpose yards (69 rushing, 90 receiving), while Crouch added 33 yards and a score.

Defensively, Evan Griffiths led the Pioneers with 11 tackles and a forced fumble, while Gary's interception was a key highlight. Drake Emanuel (nine tackles) and Amarrion Bridges (seven tackles) also anchored the defense against a Wheaton offense that rolled up 638 total yards.

Carroll finished with 242 yards of offense (97 rushing, 145 passing) and converted 3-of-16 third downs. Despite the final score, the Pioneers showed grit with two long scoring plays and improved execution after halftime.

Carroll stays on the road next weekend as they face another CCIW foe in Millikin as they travel to Decatur, Ill. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.