Wheaton Comeback Falls Short in 21-16 CCIW Loss to Augustana

(Wheaton, Illinois/Oct. 4, 1997) -- The Wheaton football team made a valiant comeback from a 21-0 deficit but its effort fell short in a 21-16 Homecoming loss, Saturday, Oct. 4, to Augustana (2-1; 1-0 CCIW). It was the first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin game for both teams.

Wheaton (0-3; 0-1 CCIW) recovered 2 onside kicks in the fourth quarter, and trailing 21-16 with 24 seconds left in the contest with the ball at the Augustana 2-yard line, Wheaton fumbled away its last chance on a fourth down play at the goal line. Wheaton totalled 4 turnovers for the day, with two leading directly to Augustana scores.

Wheaton is 0-3 at the start of its season for the first time since 1982. Wheaton plays next at Elmhurst College, Saturday, Oct. 11, at 1:30 PM, and the game will be broadcast live on WETN-88.1 FM.

Wheaton now has lost 4 games in the last 6 years to Augustana where it has fumbled away a winning chance at the goal line in the last few minutes of the game. It also happened in 1992, 1993, and 1994.

Augustana took a 7-0 lead on a 24-yard run by wingback Zack Bartels and John Phillips' extra point with 6:02 left in the first quarter, and made it 14-0 with 6:36 left in the second quarter on Jim Tumilty's 16-yard run around right end and Phillips kick.

Bartels' run capped a 15-play, 86-yard, game-opening drive, and Tumilty capped a 36-yard drive which followed a fumble recovery by defensive tackle Phil Netznick at the Wheaton 36-yard line. The lead remained 14-0 at halftime.

Augustana totalled 161 yards rushing and no passing yards in the first half, and Wheaton totalled just 35 offensive yards, 32 rushing, and lost the ball twice, once on an interception by cornerback Jim Sommerville and the other time on Netznick's recovery.

In the third quarter, Augustana made the score, 21-0, with 8:03 left when quarterback Joe Schmulbach scored from 1 yard out, capping a drive that began after defensive back Brad Hofmann recovered Wheaton receiver Ben Peays' fumble at the Wheaton 31.

Wheaton's senior placekicker Paul Boehms cut the lead to 21-3 with a 38-yard field goal with 5:57 left in the third quarter and is 4 of 4 this season. Boehms also averaged a stellar 43.7 yards on 6 punts in the game.

Senior defensive end Jeremiah Chaney recovered Bartels' fumble at the Wheaton 11-yard line with 6:42 left in the game, and junior quarterback Tim Hardy drove Wheaton 89 yards on 13 plays, ending the drive with a 10-yard touchdown strike to Ben Peays. Boehms' extra point made the score, 21-10, with 4:11 left.

Boehms executed a perfect onside kick with sophomore defensive back John Peays recovering the loose ball at the Augustana 39, and sophomore fullback Jeff Ford rumbled 39 yards with a Hardy touchdown pass with 3:48 left, cutting the lead to 21-16.

Again Boehms executed the onside kick with precision, and freshman defensive back Jeremy Amos recovered at the Augustana 46. Hardy gained 20 yards down to the Augustana 10 on the third play of the drive, and after moving the ball to the 2-yard line, Wheaton failed to score on second and third down plays.

On fourth down with 24 seconds remaining, Hardy kept the ball and was stopped at the goal line, fumbled, and linebacker Jim King returned the ball 65 yards to the Wheaton 34-yard line with 4 seconds left.

Wheaton totalled 261 yards in the game, 171 passing, and Augustana rushed for 295 yards and attempted just one pass. Hardy completed 15 of 29 passes, including 7 of his last 10, for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Wheaton's leading rusher was Jeff Ford with 12 carries for 49 yards. Wheaton totalled 226 yards of offense in the second half, including 168 passing.

Augustana's leading rushers were fullback Ben Nelson with 19 carries for 68 yards, and Schmulbach with 67 yards on 20 carries.

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