The Beloit College football program honored its nine seniors including managers Delilah Paniagua and Owen Clexton and players Robert Franklin, Jonathan Lombardo, Dallas McKinney, Corey McNeal, Silas Say, Josh Shapiro and Genesis Solomon before the team's season finale at Strong Stadium Saturday afternoon. On a cold, blustery day at Strong, the Buccaneers fell to Illinois College 21-3. 

The defenses held the opposing offenses off the board through the first quarter. With the Blue Boys receiving the opening kickoff, they marched into the red zone but the Beloit defense stiffened forcing a turnover on downs. 

The squads traded punts before IC secured fantastic field position on a blocked punt. Beloit defense was pinned at their own 25 but forced a four-and-out and another Blue Boy turnover on downs. That was the best field position of the quarter for either squad. 

IC put together an 11-play, 90-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock on their first possession of the second quarter to break the stalemate. On fourth and one, one of the Blue Boy backs found the edge and got to the sideline sprinting up the field to find pay dirt. The extra point made it 7-0 IC. 

The next two drives were short with an interception for IC that was quickly negated by a fantastic defensive play for the Bucs. Kyle Spring-McCottry found his way into the backfield meeting the IC back behind the line of scrimmage and punching at the ball jarring it loose. Tre'Von Colvin pounced on the loose ball bringing the Bucs' offense back onto the field at their own 27 but they were stalled and forced to punt. 

Coming out of the half with the score still 7-0 in favor of IC, the Bucs captured great field position from the opening kick. A 22-yard return for AJ Fitzpatrick was supplemented by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike that gave Beloit the ball at the IC 45. Forcing a fourth and four in the drive, Jacob Shafer found Fitzpatrick for a 19-yard gain and a first down. On the next play, Shafer went back to the air finding Bryan Casado for a 12-yard strike to give the Bucs first and goal on the eight. The Blue Boy defense stiffened forcing Beloit to opt for the field goal which Rafael Cervantes Jr. put through the uprights to narrow the gap to 7-3. 

The Bucs offense was unable to gain much momentum the rest of the way as Illinois College added 14 points in the fourth for the final. 

Shafer was 13-31 for 108 yards. Say was tapped for the carry 20 times, a team-high. Fitzpatrick was Shafer's favorite target with six receptions for 50 yards. 

Defensively, EK Davis and Christopher Croft Jr. each tallied eight tackles. Eli Allen bolstered the defense  with a tackle for a loss and a sack. Josh Shapiro and Jeffrey Beard also teamed up for a sack in the game.