Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College football team secured a 31-0 victory over Ripon in a Midwest Conference game at Hopp Stadium on Saturday. The Blueboys limited Ripon to 122 yards of total offense, holding them to just seven first downs and 46 passing yards.

With this win, Illinois College improved its record to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Ripon fell to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference.

Defensively, Drake Stuart led Illinois College with seven tackles, including a tackle for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, an interception, and a pass breakup. Carson Rakers contributed five tackles and a tackle for loss, while Landon Grapperhaus and Chase Pacatte each added four tackles and a tackle for loss.

Quarterback Tyson Elliott completed 15 of 29 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Leonard caught five passes for 102 yards, and Lleyton Miller led the running game with 51 yards on 12 carries.

Illinois College scored first when Elliott connected with Zac Laird for a two-yard touchdown. Tanner Spencer added another score with a two-yard run in the second quarter. Before halftime, Miller scored on a 28-yard run, giving the Blueboys a 21-0 lead at the break.

In the third quarter, Toby McTamney made a 39-yard field goal and converted all four point-after attempts. The defense capped the scoring with Xavier Koch returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown.

According to the team, "The Blueboys have now won 20 of their past 24 regular-season games… IC has also won 25 of its last 31 games overall… the shutout was the second in the past four games for IC's defense."

The Blueboys will return home to England Stadium for their final home game of the season against Grinnell on Saturday for Senior Day, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m.