First Quarter Offensive Surge Guides Carthage Over Elmhurst 38-14

Oct 7, 2019 @ 5:52am

By Mike Swartz, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications

ELMHURST, Ill. — After both Colton Klein and Jovone Stricker set career marks at the half, the Carthage College football team would go on to defeat Elmhurst College 38-14 Saturday afternoon at Langhorst Field.

Kicking off to start the game, the Red Men (2-2, 2-1 CCIW) quickly secured the ball back, scoring on their first drive as Klein tossed a ball up to Bret Patton in the back corner of the end zone. After the Bluejays (1-3, 1-2 CCIW) evened the score at seven, Klein quickly marched the Carthage offense down the field, with Dana Fontenot punching the ball in to give the Red Men the lead.

Holding Elmhurst to one of their 10 punts on the day, the Red Men would score once again, this time on a short run by Payden Lingle. Carthage would score yet again as the first quarter neared its end, with Klein finding Stricker for his first touchdown on the season to make it a 28-7 game. The Red Men added three more as time expired in the first half on a 37-yard field goal by David Collins.

Carthage would hold their lead for the remainder of the contest, scoring once more in the third quarter on a short pass from Klein to Patrick Murphy, the quarterback’s third touchdown of the day.

The Red Men will return home to Art Keller Field next weekend, as they host Illinois Wesleyan for homecoming on Saturday, October 12 at 1 p.m.

Head Coach Dustin Hass

“This was a big time team win. On the road in the CCIW, and it was their homecoming game, but we came out and shut down the crowd right away and finished them off. We had great individual efforts by Colton Klein, Dana Fontenot, Jovone Stricker, and Payden Lingle. I can’t say enough about the job the offensive line did today opening holes and protecting the QB. After the first scoring drive, the defense was lights out. Simar and Ramirez were forces in the middle and the defense flew around making plays all day. Our team competed and earned us a great win.”

Quick Facts

This was Carthage’s 40th win over Elmhurst, a series that dates back to 1932, and the Red Men now hold a 40-27-1 record against the Bluejays and have won five straight.
The Red Men set a season-high for total offensive yards at the half with 335, and finished the game with 554.
Wide receiver Jovone Stricker set career-bests for receptions and yards at the half, finishing the game with 11 catches, 196 yards and one touchdown.
The senior’s 196 yards are the fourth-most in school history, and the most since 2012 when Pete Djurickovic amassed 208.
For the second week in a row, Colton Klein set a career-high in passing yards, throwing for 315 with a career-best three touchdowns.

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