Millikin Overpowers Hope College

The Millikin football team went to 2-0 on the season with a 49-20 win over Hope College last Saturday at Frank M. Lindsay Field.

Millikin jumped on Hope early building a 21-0 lead by early in the second quarter.

Millikin’s first score came after Hope had a high snap on their first punt attempt of the day resulting the Big Blue getting the ball at the Hope five yard line.  On the Big Blue’s first play
Millikin went to its trick play bag with running back Tyler Roush (Decatur, Maroa Forsyth H.S.) hitting quarterback Matt Holmes (Wheeling, H.S.) on a five yard touchdown pass.

Millikin scored on its next possession on a one yard run by Sean Dunning (Decatur, St. Teresa H.S.) to make it 14-0.

Millikin’s Marquette Moore (Mt. Vernon, H.S.) then intercepted a Hope pass on their next possession setting up the Big Blue for a seven play scoring driving covering 60 yards that ended on a Holmes two yard run.

After a Hope touchdown, Dunning scored on a 75 yard run.

A Christian Silva (Effingham, H.S.) interception set up another Millikin score with Holmes going in on a one yard run to make it 35-6 at the half.

Millikin converted on its first possession of the third quarter when Dunning scored on an 18 yard run.  It was 42-6 Millikin after three quarters.

Backup quarterback Nick Pippin (Bourbonnais, Bradley Bourbonnais H.S.) hit on his first career touchdown pass to Avery Aina (Champaign, Centennial H.S.) from nine yards out to make it 49-6 early in the fourth quarter.

Dunning rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns on the day to lead the Millikin attack.  Holmes was 10-14 passing for 168 yards and rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
Jake Palmer (Villa Grove, H.S.) was Millikin’s top receiver with three catches for 61 yards.  Sophomore Justin Brooks (Bloomington, H.S.) rushed for 78 yards.

In addition to his interception, Moore lead the Big Blue defense with 14 tackles.  Darrell Mitchell (Mt. Vernon, H.S.) and Jacob Alvis (Mt. Vernon, H.S.) each had eight.  Andy Roth (Naperville, Joliet Catholic H.S.) and Laterell Moore (E. St. Louis, H.S.) also had interceptions for the Big Blue.

Millikin will host Aurora University Saturday, September 22 at 1 p.m.