Box Score
As Head Coach Mike Conway says, "We're not here to think about the past, but focus on the future,"…
Those words couldn't have been more evident in Saturday's CCIW matchup with Millikin University in Decatur.
North Park was chasing a 42-year-old demon, having not won a game against the Big Blue since the 1971 season, a 20-17 victory. But the Vikings tamed their demons and pulled out an insurmountable victory with a 23-yard field goal from sophomore
Noah Moore that put NP over the top for a 35-32 decision.
Sophomore running back
D.J. Jones, as well as fellow sophomore
Dakota Conway and freshman quarterback
T.D. Conway were key in the game-winning drive as they kept it alive with a few solid plays. Jones finished with 128 yards on 22 carries, but his run of three yards on a first and goal at the Millikin 8, after T.D.'s pass to Dakota for a seven-yard completion, set up Moore's game-clinching boot with nine seconds left on the clock.
Coming into the contest, it was the 54th meeting between the schools with Millikin owning a 49-4 record. But North Park used the confidence of its strong freshman class and scored the most points against a Big Blue squad since the 1973 season (41 points). T.D. finished the game with 287 yards passing on 22 of 43 completions and two touchdowns. North Park took a commanding 26-7 lead on a pair of T.D. touchdown passes, including a 53-yard bomb to
Cody Hood in the second quarter, and touchdown runs from Jones and
Marquis Magwood, but Millikin came storming back with back-to-back scores to close within 26-21 with 3:31 left in the third quarter. A 56-yard run from Jones ended an 85-yard drive that put NP ahead 32-21, but another touchdown and field goal for MU knotted the score at 32-all.
North Park garnered 441 yards of total offense and gained 21 first downs to Millikin's 20. The Vikings were also a perfect 3 of 3 on fourth down conversions and finished four out of their five scoring chances in the red zone. Seniors
Tyler Krebs and
John Barnabee finished with four and three catches, respectively for a combined 65 yards to lead the receiving corps as well.
NP (3-6, 3-3) finishes the regular season Saturday when it hosts Wheaton College at 1 p.m.
