Christian Silva Scores for Millikin

DECATUR -- Milikin University's football team defeated Aurora University 44-20 Saturday at Frank M. Lindsay Field in front of a large Fall Family Weekend crowd.

Millikin scored the game's first 14 points with two first quarter touchdowns. The Big Blue scored on its first possession when Matt Holmes hit Sean Dunning on a 14 yard pass. Erik Tobey's 93 yard punt return made it 14-0. Tobey established a new Millikin record for longest punt return for a touchdown.

Millikin made it 21-7 with 32 seconds left in the half when Holmes hit Alex Chiligiris on a three yard pass play. Millikin put the game away with three touchdowns in the third quarter. A Dunning one yard run opened the third quarter. Big Blue linebacker Marquette Moore recovered an Aurora fumble and raced 66 yards for a touchdown to make it 35-7. The Big  Blue's third touchdown of the quarter was set up by an Adam Rosner fumble recovery. A five yard touchdown pass from Holmes to Dunning made it 42-7.

Millikin added two points in the fourth quarter when Effingham High School graduate Christian Silva returned a blocked extra point for a defensive conversion. Darrell Mitchell had the block for the Big Blue.

Dunning finished the day with 95 yards rushing. Holmes rushed for 46 yards and was 10 of 16 passing for 137 yards ad three touchdowns. Justin Brooks rushed for 90 yards.