#18-ranked Thunder football team overpowers Millikin, 61-14

Wheaton, Ill. - #18-Wheaton hosted the Millikin Big Blue football team on Saturday, looking to continue its six-game winning streak against the program. The Thunder did just that, winning 61-14 behind a 27-point first quarter. Wheaton improved to 7-1 in conference play (7-2 overall), while the Big Blue fell to 1-7 in CCIW play (2-7 overall).

The scoring began on the first drive of the game for the Thunder, who moved the ball down to the Millikin 21 with a balanced mix of rushing and passing. On a quick counter, Matt Crider took the handoff, found the hole his offensive line created, made one move to his right past the safety, and sprinted into the end zone for Wheaton's first score with 11:24 remaining in the first quarter.

After forcing a three-and-out, Wheaton's offense retook the field. It took just two plays for the Thunder to score, with Mark Forcucci finding Ben Juska for a gain of 24 before connecting with Thomas Greupner (PICTURED LEFT) on a 45-yard go route to finish the drive with 8:39 remaining in the opening quarter.

Another defensive stop gave Wheaton the ball back. After driving into the red zone, the Thunder reached the Millikin four-yard line following a pass interference penalty. The offense lined up in a strong right I-formation with Riley Howard and offensive lineman Aidan Kingsbury in the fullback spots. On the snap, Howard broke right, drawing the secondary, while Forcucci handed off to Kingsbury on a fullback dive. The senior used all 6'8" and 312 pounds of himself to power into the end zone for his first career touchdown on senior day. Kingsbury's touchdown extended the Wheaton lead to 21-0 with 3:57 left in the first quarter.

The next drive began at the Millikin 28-yard line after a punt blocked and recovered by Ayden Doran (PICTURED RIGHT). Facing third-and-nine after a short gain and an incompletion, Wheaton lined up Malachi Jones in the backfield. He ran a streak route, blowing past a mismatched linebacker for a 27-yard touchdown catch. The Thunder missed the two-point attempt but extended their lead to 27-0 with 35 seconds left in the opening period.

Millikin's offense never got the ball back, as AJ Pace forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. The fumbe was recovered by Tiger Cannon, and two plays later, Forcucci connected with senior Whit Jewett for an 11-yard touchdown to extend the hosts' lead to 34-0 with 14:55 left in the second quarter.

After both teams traded punts, Wheaton started a drive at its own nine-yard line. A 40-yard slant-and-run from Titherington and a 45-yard touchdown catch by Crider pushed the lead to 41-0. Millikin finally got on the board with a 15-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 left in the half.

Millikin opened the second half with possession but turned the ball over on downs. On Forcucci's final drive of the game, Wheaton rushed for 53 yards, capped by a 28-yard touchdown run from Crider, his third score of the day.

Wheaton's final two touchdowns came from Seamus O'Connell, a seven-yard pass to Greupner and a three-yard rush, to seal the 61-14 victory.

The Thunder offense totaled 523 yards, with 313 through the air and 210 on the ground, converting all four red zone opportunities. Forcucci threw for 272 yards on 15-of-23 passing (65%) with four touchdowns, marking his fourth game this season with four or more passing scores. Crider rushed for 82 yards on 10 attempts and added one 45-yard touchdown catch, giving him three total touchdowns for the second straight game. Gabriele added 49 yards on 10 carries, and Jones contributed 31 yards on four attempts along with his 27-yard receiving touchdown. Through the air, Greupner recorded four receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Titherington caught three passes for 64 yards, and Jewett had two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Luca Torti, Zeke Harris, Peter Johanik (PICTURED LEFT), and Maxton Leathers each tallied five tackles. Johanik led the team with two tackles for loss, moving him tied for first place on Wheaton's all-time list with 50.5 for his career. Harris, Leathers, Colin Moore, Rex Kroger, and Jordan Johnson each added one TFL, while Johanik also recorded the game's lone sack.

Wheaton concludes the regular season on the road against the North Park University Vikings at 12:00 p.m.Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#43

Tiger Cannon

DB

5' 9"

Graduate Student

#22

Ayden Doran

LB

5' 8"

Junior

#5

Mark Forcucci

QB

6' 0"

Senior

#10

Thomas Greupner

WR

6' 0"

Senior

#12

Zeke Harris

LB

6' 2"

Sophomore

#44

Riley Howard

TE

5' 9"

Senior

#3

Whit Jewett

WR

6' 0"

Senior

#54

Peter Johanik

DL

6' 1"

Senior

#46

Jordan Johnson

DL

5' 10"

Junior

#19

Malachi Jones

RB

5' 8"

Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#43

Tiger Cannon

5' 9"

Graduate Student

DB

#22

Ayden Doran

5' 8"

Junior

LB

#5

Mark Forcucci

6' 0"

Senior

QB

#10

Thomas Greupner

6' 0"

Senior

WR

#12

Zeke Harris

6' 2"

Sophomore

LB

#44

Riley Howard

5' 9"

Senior

TE

#3

Whit Jewett

6' 0"

Senior

WR

#54

Peter Johanik

6' 1"

Senior

DL

#46

Jordan Johnson

5' 10"

Junior

DL

#19

Malachi Jones

5' 8"

Sophomore

RB

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