Sophomore quarterback Levi Moore threw for a career-high 219 passing yards in the loss. (Anna Calvo | Contributing Photographer)

With 20 seconds left in the WashU football team’s matchup against Wheaton College, sophomore kicker Jacob Weinstein lined up for an on-side kick. If the Bears, who were trailing 27-20, recovered the ball, it would give WashU a chance to complete a huge comeback against their rival.

Weinstein’s kick had a good bounce. For a moment, it looked like the ball could go in WashU’s favor, but the football bounced in the hands of a Wheaton defender, who dove on it and recovered the kick for the Thunder. Ballgame. 

Bears football lost 27-20 to No. 25 Wheaton on Saturday, Oct. 26. They entered the fourth quarter down 27-3, nearly riding a wave of late momentum to mount a stunning comeback. With Wheaton’s victory, the Thunder took sole possession of second place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). WashU, on the other hand, fell to Wheaton for the fifth-straight season. 

“We weren’t good enough in the moment,” head coach Aaron Keen said. “We’ve just got to find a way to rebound.” 

The Bears started the game with momentum, despite being without senior quarterback Clark Stephens for a second-straight game due to injury. On the opening drive, sophomore linebacker Joy Chane sacked Wheaton quarterback Mark Forcucci on third down, setting up an early three-and-out. WashU drove down the field but settled for a field goal, unable to convert a red zone opportunity in the opening minutes. 

On the next Wheaton drive, junior defensive back Ryan Schmadtke recovered a fumble, setting up a Bears possession in their own territory. But after a holding penalty set WashU back 10 yards, sophomore quarterback Levi Moore’s pass was intercepted. 

Moore was picked off once in the game, as was senior receiver Taidhgin Trost on a flea-flicker try later in the game. WashU struggled with turnovers and penalties throughout the game, especially in the first half. 

“It’s the beauty of the sport, and it’s a hard thing in the sport that you play just once a week,” Keen said. “We’re pouring our heart and soul into this game, and we didn’t necessarily come out and play perfect football.” 

WashU prevented Wheaton from scoring after Moore’s interception, and at the beginning of the second quarter, senior defensive back Zachary Ginsburg intercepted a Wheaton pass. However, after a stop, the Thunder found the end zone on a fourth down play on their next drive. After another defensive stop and a blocked WashU punt, Forcucci ran into the end zone for a second Wheaton touchdown, bringing the score to 14-3 late in the second quarter. 

Turnovers continued to plague the WashU offense throughout the game. In the third quarter, a Wheaton defender stripped the ball from senior running back Ken Hamilton, setting up a Thunder possession in WashU territory. Wheaton’s Forcucci found senior receiver Ben Bonga for an immediate Wheaton touchdown, extending the Thunder advantage to three scores. 

Junior Caiden Hill intercepted a Wheaton attempt later in the quarter, but the Thunder held WashU to just one yard on the ensuing drive. Wheaton converted on their next drive, bringing the score to 27-3.   

Senior Kenvorris Campbell’s 58-yard touchdown run gave the Bears momentum in the fourth quarter, but the comeback attempt fell short. (Anna Calvo | Contributing Photographer)

In the fourth quarter, senior running back Kenvorris Campbell put WashU back in the game with a 58-yard run for a touchdown. Building on the drive, Trost rushed for a two-point conversion on a reverse, making the score 27-11.

WashU’s offense continued to drive down the field in the fourth quarter thanks to sophomore wide receiver Makael Carter, who had a total of 87 yards in the contest. Levi Moore passed the ball to Carter for a 24-yard reception, putting the Bears in a 27-17 game. However, WashU was unable to convert a two-point attempt, keeping the deficit at two possessions. Still, the comeback was on. A year after losing on a 36-35 walk-off Hail Mary to Wheaton, WashU was aiming to return the favor to the Thunder. 

After Carter’s touchdown, the Bears were in position to get the ball back with over three minutes left. On third down, Forcucci fired a deep ball to Bonga that was incomplete. But, to the ire of the WashU sideline and supporters, the referee threw a late flag on the play, penalizing Hill for pass interference. The penalty forced WashU to burn their timeouts, and while they held Wheaton scoreless, it killed the momentum that the Bears had garnered.

“We’re down two scores, and that would have been a huge play to get a stop there,” Keen said. “The bottom line is, they saw something they called, and we’ve got to deal with it.” 

With less than a minute to go, the Bears had one last shot in the dark. On third down, Moore found Carter for a 38-yard reception — the longest pass of Moore’s collegiate career. Moore and Carter connected for a 19-yard pass later in the drive. On a fourth down attempt with just 30 seconds to go, however, Moore’s pass barely missed an open Carter. WashU settled for a field goal from sophomore kicker Ross Muchnick, making it a one-score game and setting up Weinstein’s onside kick attempt. Wheaton recovered the ball and won the game. 

The Bears finished 27-20 against Wheaton and are tied with North Park University for third place in the CCIW. With the loss, WashU’s playoff chances are bleak. The Bears will need to beat Millikin University in St. Louis next Saturday, Nov. 2. Then, third place will be decided when WashU and North Park face off in Chicago on Nov. 9. The winner of that game will likely decide which CCIW team makes the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl, played annually between the top team who misses the NCAA tournament from the CCIW and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. 

Though only two CCIW teams have made the NCAA tournament in the past few years, the Bears are hoping that this year, after the playoff field was expanded from 32 to 40 teams, they still have a shot at their first playoff bid since 2016. It won’t be easy for WashU to make the tournament, but Keen believes that there’s still an outside chance. 

“It’s probably an uphill battle, but we’re not dead yet,” Keen said. “We’ve got to go finish with three strong performances.”