Scots fall to IC Blueboys in Saturday’s conference upset
Izzy Gimm - Website and Social Media Manager
The Monmouth College football team scored on their first two drives against Illinois College (IC), but they were held to just three points in the second half in a 17-20 loss in Jacksonville last Saturday. The Scots moved easily down the field on their first drive. McKade Brooks (Astoria, IL) ran for 34 yards on two plays and a holding penalty on the Blueboys, resulting in a fourth down for the Scots. Carter Boyer (Carthage, IL) completed a pass down to the five and scored on a third and goal run from the six. Cody Szelc (Riverview, FL) scored the extra point for a 7-3 Scots lead. IC scored on a four-play drive to get back on top 7-10, but Monmouth's offense got back to work after a touchback.
As the second quarter began, Boyer found Nate Thornton (Peoria, IL) for a 13-yard touchdown as the Scots got back on top 14-10. The Scots stopped IC on 4th-and-goal and took over on the Monmouth two-yard line. A roughing the punter penalty extended the Scots drive, but IC got an interception on their own 45 to end the drive. They kicked a field goal to cut the Scots lead to 14-13 and neither team scored the rest of the half.
Monmouth began with the ball at the start of the third quarter. Nate Wrublik (Lemont, IL) ran for 11 yards and a pass interference penalty gave Monmouth a first down inside the ten-yard line. The Scots went backwards, and Szelc kicked a 26-yard field goal for a 17-13 lead. IC then scored a touchdown and took a three-point lead with 5:37 to play in the third quarter. Monmouth defense answered the call and again stopped the Blueboys on fourth down inside the five as Anthony Cikauskas (Oswego, IL) and Jermaih Glenn-Louis Charles (Bloomington, IL) combined on a sack.
In the fourth quarter, Monmouth was unable to answer good plays made by IC and came up short without scoring at all. “Tough loss for the Scots for sure. We could have finished the game, we had multiple opportunities but were rolling into the next game focusing on making it to the playoffs,” says senior safety and team captain Nick Harris (Winter Haven, FL). “We're still together as a team and trying to keep each other thinking positive.” The final score of the game was 17-20 with the IC Blueboys coming out on top for the first time in seven years; Monmouth has won 25 out of the last 30 games against Illinois College. The Scots will play Grinnell College next Saturday at homecoming.