GALESBURG, Illinois – A touchdown late in the second quarter ignited a big run by Illinois College that the Prairie Fire couldn't slow down in a 57-14 Midwest Conference South Division loss on Saturday afternoon.

Knox (2-6, 0-4 MWC South) slowed the IC's high scoring spread offense in the first half.  The Blueboys entered the game averaging 499 yards and 40 points.  But it was a defensive play that resulted in IC's first touchdown of the game.

Knox moved the football 21 yards to its own 40 yard line on the opening drive.  On first down and 10, IC defensive back Darius Jones picked off a pass from first-year quarterback Matt Mc Caffrey (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) and ran it back 43-yards for the score about five minutes into the contest.

Mc Caffrey and Knox bounced back quickly with a 28-yard touchdown pass to junior Ilir Emini (Yorkville, IL, Yorkville) at the 5:54 mark of the first quarter.  First-year Drake Sykes (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) connected on the kick for the extra point to tie the game, 7-7.

The Prairie Fire defense, meanwhile, forced Illinois College to punt the ball away following its first three offensive possessions.

The Blueboys (6-2, 4-0 MWC South) forced a fumble that set them up at the Knox 14 yard line with 7:17 remaining in the second quarter.  IC quarterback Michael Bates ran into the end zone seven seconds later to put his team back on top 14-7.

The Prairie Fire began their next drive on the IC 40 yard line after a 29-yard kick-off return by first-year Michael Moss (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) and a personal foul penalty that added 15 yards to the run.  Knox was unable to convert on a fourth down and 10 play and Illinois College got the ball back on their own 33 yard line.

IC went 67 yards on four pass plays, the last one a 25-yard completion from Bates to Logan Uyetake followed by a two-point conversion and extended the lead to 22-7 with 4:57 left in the first half.

Knox made it a one possession game when Mc Caffrey capped a six play, 61-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Emini.  Sykes kicked through the extra point to cut the deficit to 22-14 with 2:32 to play in the second quarter.

The Prairie Fire tried an onside kick, but the Blueboys recovered it and started the drive on the Knox 39 yard line.  IC made Knox pay, taking only 40 seconds to score on a 16-yard pass from Bates to Bryce Heaton on the third play of the possession to go up 29-14 with 1:47 remaining in the half.

The touchdown kicked off a run of 35 unanswered points by the Blueboys.

The Prairie Fire held the edge in total yards at the break: 181 to 160. The difference was points off turnovers, 14-0 in favor of IC.

Illinois College pushed the advantage to 36-19 on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Bates to Heaton exactly two minutes into the third quarter.

The Blueboys led 43-14 at the end of the third quarter and scored two more touchdowns in the fourth.

IC churned out 330 yards of offense in the second half and wound up with 490, including 327 through the air. Knox totaled 266 yards – 200 passing and 66 running the football.
Emini led the Prairie Fire offense with seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.  Junior Mathew Hemmingsen added seven catches for 62 yards.

Mc Caffrey completed 18-of-39 yards for 200 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Seniors Will Ruzicka (St. Louis, MO, St. Mary's) and Chaz Benton (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg), and first-year Trent Wooten (Paxton, IL, Paxton-Buckley-Loda) shared team-high honors for Knox with five tackles each.  Ruzicka broke up two passes and Wooten broke up one to go with a sack.

The win is IC's fifth in a row and ninth straight against the Prairie Fire.

Knox takes on long-time rival Monmouth College next Saturday, November 8 in the annual Bronze Turkey game.  The game will be played at Monmouth's April Zorn Memorial Stadium and kicks off at 1:00 p.m.