WHEATON, Ill. – The Carthage College football team held Wheaton to a season-low 17 points Saturday in the 2015 regular season finale but it wasn't enough as #3 Wheaton College escaped with a 17-3 win at McCully Stadium.
 
The loss wraps-up the Red Men's season at 5-5, just missing out on the upset against undefeated Wheaton, who took the out-right College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title with a 10-0 season.
 
Wheaton dominated most of the offensive statistics through the game, holding Carthage to season lows on offense with 48 yards rushing and 108 yards passing for only 156 total yards of offense.  Wheaton moved the ball consistently for much of the game with 155 yards on the ground and 240 yards through the air.  Additionally, Wheaton made Carthage pay for their inability to move the ball with the Thunder earning a 20-8 advantage in first downs.
 
After two three-and-outs to being the game from the Carthage offense, the defense stepped up to end what looked to be successful drive for the Wheaton offense, forcing a missed 44-yard field goal attempt on the Thunder's first drive, followed by an interception deep in Carthage territory by linebacker Nick Ganzke.
 
On the Red Men's third possession of the game the offense began to move the ball well, putting together a long 14 play, 43 yard drive that took up nearly seven minutes of game clock to flip the field in Carthage's favor.  The drive eventually stalled in the Wheaton red zone and a Lance Unland 23 yard field goal gave the Red Men the first points of the game and a 3-0 lead.
 
The 3-0 lead was taken into the half as Carthage overcame the threat of two possessions that started inside the one-yard line in the Red Men's end. 
 
After Wheaton took the opening possession in the second half down and tie the game at 3-3 on a 26 yard field goal, it looked as though the Wheaton offense was finally clicking and going to take their first lead of the game, but a blocked 43 yard field goal attempt by senior linebacker Rocco Zaccaro preserved the tie late in the third quarter.
 
Carthage had the first opportunity to break the tie in the fourth quarter but a late throw from Ethan Olles to James Cobbs III forced a third and long for the Red Men.  Two plays later Wheaton returned the favor with a blocked field goal of their own as the Thunder forced great penetration into the Red Men backfield to deflect a 43 yard attempt.
 
 Wheaton took advantage on the ensuing drive as quarterback Johnny Peltz made two huge throws to give the Thunder their first lead of the game.  First, facing fourth and four from the Red Men's 29 yard line, Peltz hit wide receiver Trey Hanley on a nine-yard slant to keep the drive alive from the Carthage 20 as Hanley got a step inside of the Carthage defender.  On the very next play Peltz found a wide open Zach Lindquist for the go-ahead touchdown.  The point after touchdown would extend the Thunder lead to 10-3 with 8:38 remaining.
 
On Carthage's next drive, on a third down and five play near midfield, Olles hit Marquis Hines Jr. for 15 yard pass into Wheaton territory.  Three plays later Olles, looking for Cobbs, threw it into a quartet of Thunder defenders who knocked the pass into the air for an easy interception. 
 
It looked as though the Red Men were going to take the ball back on Wheaton's first play as the ball came loose, however Wheaton's running back was ruled down by contact before the fumble by the officials.  Five plays later Wheaton cast the final stone, scoring on a 24 yard run to the right side for a 17-3 lead.
 
Defensively, freshman cornerback Connor Calvert shined making a career high ten tackles in the game, nine of which were solo tackles.  In his final game, Terrance Allen finished tied for second on the team with Shawntrel Garner with five tackles.  Allen and Cedrick Fry each had a sack as well in the game.
 
Tommy Bazarek led all Red Men with 55 yards receiving on a game-high five receptions.  Passing, Olles went 13-of-30 for 108 yards with the late interception.  Lafayette McGary led the struggling Red Men rushing offense with 29 yards on the ground on ten carries Saturday.
 
The Red Men will head into the offseason having won three of their last four games and finishing .500 for the first time since the 2011 season.  Additionally, the Red Men finish the season at 4-3 in the CCIW, giving the Red Men their best conference finish since 2009.