Go here for complete bracket.
Updated Titan Game Notes, IWU vs. Wabash NCAA Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - In the NCAA Division III football playoffs for the first time since 1996, Illinois Wesleyan will host Wabash at IWU Stadium in the first round at noon Saturday, November 21.
Tickets, all general admission, are $8 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens. Children under age 2 will be admitted free. No regular season passes or IWU student ID passes will be honored for this game.
The winner of Saturday's game will face the winner of the game between 10-0 Wisconsin-Whitewater and Lakeland (6-4).
The Titans (9-1 overall) are in the playoffs as a result of winning the 2009 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football championship with a 6-1 record and earning the league's automatic qualifer. IWU shared the title with North Central (8-2, 6-1 CCIW) but had the tiebreaker as a result of their win over the Cardinals.
WABASH: The
Little Giants are also 9-1 and finished 6-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference. They are making their third straight NCAA appearance and their sixth overall. Wabash leads the series against IWU, 5-1, but the teams have not met on the gridiron since 1983.
Wabash averages 39.2 points while allowing only 12.1 per game. Quarterback Matt Hudson has thrown for 24 touchdowns, completing 68 percent of his passes (154 for 228) for 2248 yards. Two receivers have accounted for more than 650 receiving yards each - Kody Lamond (974 yards, 14 TDs) and Wes Chamblee (697, six TDs) - and Tommy Mambourg is their top rushing threat with 720 yards on 158 carries.
Spencer Whitehead, the Little Giants' kicker, has made 48 of 52 extra point tries and six of 11 field goal attempts with a long of 37 against Washington U.
On defense, Wabash is led by CJ Gum with 73 total tackles. Bryan Watson has 56 tackles and five sacks and Matt Kraft has 54 tackles and an interception. Addrian Frederick has eight interceptions to go along with his 33 tackles while Jake Martin has picked off four passes and has 51 tackles.
CCIW CHAMPIONSHIPS: It is the Titans' 14th CCIW football title — others were in 2007 (shared with North Central), 2001 (shared with Augustana), 2000 (shared with Millikin), 1996, 1994 (shared with Augustana), 1992, 1980 (shared with Elmhurst), 1977 (shared with Millikin), 1974 (shared with Millikin), 1965, 1964, 1951, and 1948.
9 WINS: Illinois Wesleyan has had nine wins in a football season three other times — most recently in 2000 (9-1), in 1996 (10-1) and in 1992 (10-1). The school record for wins in a season is 10…Until 2000, CCIW teams only played nine regular season games.
PREVIOUS NCAA PLAYOFFS: Illinois Wesleyan has a 2-2 record in the NCAA Division III football playoffs, 1-0 at home and 1-2 on the road.
1992: The Titans were 1-1 in 1992 NCAA playoff action, topping Aurora, 21-12, at home before falling to Mount Union, 49-27. Quarterback Tom Monken was brilliant in the two games, completing 38 of 57 passes for 474 yards, but Mount Union quarterback Jim Ballard set an NCAA record with 17 consecutive completions in the first half en route to a 26 of 33 day with 454 yards and five touchdowns. That yardage total was a record for an IWU opponent.
1996: IWU was also 1-1 in the 1996 playoffs, downing Albion on the road (23-20) before falling again to Mount Union (49-14), who went on to become Division III national champions. Titan end Steve Peterson's block of a potential game-tying 19- yard field goal with 1:22 left saved IWU's win at Albion. Mount Union stormed to 35 second quarter points behind quarterback Bill Borchert, who threw for 228 yards and rushed for 97 more.
