WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University football team wins its first CCIW opener since 2017, by defeating the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan by a score of 34-33. The Titans missed the game-winning field goal wide right as time expired. Sophomore wide receiver Austin Eichstaedt caught a career-high 12 passes for 229 yards and two scores in the win.
 
The Pioneers (2-0, 1-0 CCIW) post their first victory against the Titans since 1989, snapping a six-game losing streak. Carroll totaled 451 yards of offense compared to the Titans' 464. Quarterback Michael Johnson threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns on 27-37 passing to lead the offense. The Carroll defense recorded 76 tackles, including 12 total from senior linebacker Justin Kontny, with 1.5 tackles for loss. The Pioneers' offense was clicking on all levels, scoring on all but three possessions, and converting 8-13 times on third down.
"To get a victory against a team who won the conference a few years ago, is outstanding," said Johnson in the win. 1,462 fans packed Schneider Stadium to watch the Pioneers play at home for the first time since 2019. "It's so fun to play here…it's the reason why I came back to play football here."
 
"They never gave up, and they made big plays when they counted" Said Head Coach Mike Budziszewski, after recording his first CCIW win a week after his first career win. The Pios gave up 234 yards rushing but came up with two huge defensive stands late in the fourth quarter to force the long field goal.
 
The Titans jumped out to a quick lead on a drive down the field capped off by a 31-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field. Carroll responded with a 7-play, 74-yard drive with an Eichstaedt touchdown catch for 47 yards. The Titan rushing attack marched down the field on a 10-play drive to take a 13-7 lead with 4:38 remaining in the first quarter.
 
After a turnover on downs at the Wesleyan 47-yard line, the Titans scored two plays later to take a 19-7 lead. Johnson led the Pios down the field on their next possession and connected with Nick Leganioli for a two-yard score. After another Titan rushing touchdown, Johnson found a wide-open Isaac Allen for a 27-yard score to bring the game to 21-25 with 1:52 remaining in the first half. Nick Mantas and Holden Whybark held the line on a third and three to force a Titans punt before halftime.
 
The Pioneers received the second-half kickoff that led to a 41-yard field goal from Jacob Laurent off a 12-play, 4:52 drive. Illinois Wesleyan brought the football to the Carroll 32-yard line before a fumble by the running back, recovered by Brenden Hauge, gave Carroll the ball back with 6:05 left in the third quarter. Carroll flipped the field and capped off the drive with a Laurent field goal from 30 yards out.
 
The Titans scored again four minutes later and converted the two-point conversion to take a 33-27 lead early in the fourth quarter. Johnson found Eichstaedt open in the end zone down the right sideline for the receiver's second score of the game to take the lead by one. On a third and eight on the Carroll 40-yard line, Damon Loker shot through the line and sacked IWU's Shindler for a loss of eight, and forced a punt.
 
After a Carroll punt, IWU had the ball back with 3:08 on the clock. With 0:03 left on the game clock, the Titans lined up for the field goal on the left hash and missed the field goal wide right to end the game.
 
Carroll leaves for the first CCIW road game of the season next Saturday when the Pios take on the Millikin Big Blue in coach Budziszewski's first game back to Decatur. The Pioneers last fell to the Big Blue at Schneider Stadium by a score of 7-30.