Thanks to Virginia Smith for the pictures

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park University football team lost this year's homecoming game to the Carroll University Pioneers on Saturday by a score of 34-26, despite a Herculean fourth quarter comeback effort. 

The first half of the game was dominated by Carroll, who blanked North Park while putting up 27 points of their own.

After a quiet third quarter that didn't see either team score, the fun started for North Park when WR Mike Oray made a spectacular one-handed grab in the endzone to put the Vikings on the board. Carroll responded shortly thereafter with a touchdown of their own, but their foot came off the gas while North Park was gearing up to empty the tank.

One of many connections between QB Matt Eck and WR A.J. Harris resulted in a 64-yard bomb that gave the Vikings their second touchdown of the night with just over 10 minutes to go in the game. A clutch interception from DB Juan Nieves on the ensuing drive set up another North Park score—a 4-yard punch in from RB Tritian Zornes—to bring the tally to 19-34

With North Park having just two timeouts remaining, and Carroll receiving possession of the ball with about three minutes to go, hope looked lost for the Vikings. The defense would not budge though, piecing together enough stops to hold Carroll to a field goal attempt that they wound up missing. With 1:23 remaining, the Eck and Harris connection continued with two more completions to move the Vikings downfield before a 27-yarder to WR Jakob Dreksler brought the Vikings within eight of Carroll. 

^Long completion - Eck to Harris

^Eck to Dreksler, TD

Pressure rained down on K Carson Blatchford as he lined up for a kick that could decide North Park's fate, and he delivered with a perfect onside kick that bounced into the hands of CB Jason Adkinson—who contributed greatly to the Vikings defensive effort with three pass breakups before his monumental onside recovery. 

^Blatchford onside, recovered by Adkinson

With less than a minute to convert on the storybook comeback, the Vikings came up just short of victory. A high snap resulted in a turnover with 10 seconds to go, and Carroll—learning from their past mistake—ran out the clock to go home with a win. Despite the result, the Vikings put on an absolute show for their homecoming crowd that the fans are sure to remember.

Quick Hits:

• NPU finished the game with 527 yards to Carroll's 463, and the Vikings won the turnover margin as well
• A.J. Harris had 11 catches for 245 yards, the third-highest total in Vikings history
• Matt Eck—who didn't enter the game until just before halftime—went 26-for-51 through the air for 426 yards, three TDs, and no INTs

What's Next?

The Vikings look to build off their gutsy performance next weekend against the Carthage Firebirds. The away game is set for October 16th at 1:00 P.M.