Box Score

This wasn't what North Park was looking for as it returned home to face College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opponent Illinois Wesleyan University Saturday.

Two weeks after completing one of its most dominating football performances in recent memory, the Vikings suffered a 44-7 loss to the Titans before a near sellout crowd at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.

North Park had the momentum in its favor at the start as the Vikings took a 7-0 lead when senior Douglas Ivy recovered a fumble and returned it 86 yards for a score with just over six minutes left in the first quarter. But NP's offense sputtered thereafter unfortunately and the Vikings couldn't get much started.

Junior quarterback Jon Williams made his season debut at the position and led NP's offense with 76 yards rushing on 17 carries as the Vikings amassed 140 yards on the ground to IWU's 136. Defensively, Jordan Bevilacqua finished with nine tackles, four solo, while Kyle Leibforth had eight tackles.

North Park (1-4, 0-2) returns to action next Saturday when it hosts North Central College for Homecoming beginning at 1 p.m.