Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College football team achieved a 24-0 victory against Cornell in a Midwest Conference matchup on Saturday at Van Metre Field at Ash Park in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. The game was played under cold and rainy conditions.

With this win, Illinois College improved its season record to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Cornell now stands at 3-6 overall and 3-5 within the league.

Illinois College scored first with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tyson Elliott to Timothy Middleton, II as the first quarter ended. Zack Banovz followed with a successful two-point conversion, putting Illinois College ahead 8-0.

The score remained unchanged until the end of the first half when Toby McTamney kicked a 37-yard field goal, increasing the lead to 11-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Lleyton Miller added another touchdown with a 36-yard run. After an extra point by McTamney, Illinois College led 18-0. The defense sealed the shutout late in the fourth quarter when Clayton Denardo intercepted a pass near Cornell’s goal line and returned it for a touchdown.

Defensively, Illinois College held Cornell to just 162 yards of total offense. Daniel Guzevich recorded six tackles while Drake Stuart contributed five stops. Malik Byndom made two interceptions during the game.

On offense, quarterback Tyson Elliott completed 20 of his 26 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown despite challenging weather conditions. Lleyton Miller led rushing efforts with 99 yards on eleven carries and one touchdown; overall, Illinois College rushed for 169 yards.

According to team records, "The Blueboys have now won 22 of their past 26 regular-season conference games… IC has also won 27 of its last 33 games overall."

Illinois College will conclude its regular season with an away game against Beloit next Saturday at noon.