BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University football team looks for its third straight victory when it travels to Kenosha, Wis. to take on Carthage College Saturday, Oct. 12. The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tilt is scheduled to kickoff at 1 p.m. from Art Keller Field.
IWU enters the matchup with 2-2 record (2-1 CCIW) following back-to-back home wins. Most recently, the Titans rolled past Carroll 42-14 on Homecoming, Oct. 5. Meanwhile, Carthage got back on track with a 38-14 win at Elmhurst, Oct. 5, and now sits at 2-2 overall and 2-1 in CCIW games this season.
Links on how to follow along with Saturday's game can be found on the football schedule page of IWUsports.com.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAY IS SPECIAL: Illinois Wesleyan has benefited from two big-time plays on special teams the past two games. Robert Neidballa returned a Christoper Kosinski punt block for a touchdown, Sept. 28, and Dean Zigulich housed a kickoff 96-yards, Oct. 5.
The Titans are one of four schools in the country to have returned a blocked punt and a kickoff for touchdowns this year. Along with IWU, Springfield, Buena Vista, and Washington & Jefferson have accomplished the feat.
TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE: Senior utility man Dean Zigulich took a Carroll kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, Oct. 5, the third-longest return in IWU history and the fifth-longest in NCAA Division III this season.
Zigulich's big return was the first kickoff returned for a touchdown by an Illinois Wesleyan player since September 24, 2016 when Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore went 88 yards against North Park.
TURNING UP THE RUSHING DEFENSE: Illinois Wesleyan's rushing defense stifled Carroll, Oct. 5, as the Titans held the Pioneers to -5 rushing yards on the day. Not only did the IWU defense hold Carroll to the 17th-fewest rushing yards in an NCAA Division III game this season, but Illinois Wesleyan also gave up its fewest rushing yards since the 2009 season. That year, the Titans held North Park to -19 rushing yards on 36 attempts in Chicago, Nov. 14.
SACK LUNCH: Junior defensive lineman Mike Murphy has been a force in the trenches for the Titans. Murphy has eight sacks on the year, and averages 1.75 QB takedowns a game, tying for the best of any player in the country.
Against Augustana, Sept. 28, as the Orland Park, Ill. native matched a career-high with three sacks, tying for fourth-most in IWU single-game history. He followed it up with two sacks against Carroll, Oct. 5.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Titans hold a 96-61-1 record away from Tucci Stadium under veteran head coach Norm Eash. Illinois Wesleyan is 0-2 on the road this year, with both losses coming to top-25 teams. IWU, which is 0-2 on the road this season, is in search of its first road win since a 40-13 season finale win at North Park, Nov. 10, 2018.
TITANS IN OCTOBER: The Titans have compiled a 94-49 (.657) record in the month of October under Norm Eash.
Illinois Wesleyan is currently on a 13-game win streak in the month of October, which dates back to a 42-6 win over Augustana, Oct. 8, 2017. IWU's last loss in the month came on its 2016 Homecoming at the hands of Wheaton, 28-24, Oct. 1.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the more disciplined teams in the country so far this season, ranking eighth in the nation and first in the conference with just 14 penalties. IWU averages just 3.5 flags per game, the sixth-fewest in the nation.
IWU PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Chosen by Titan coaches to honor top players in the week's game and practices. The "Titan Award" honors a player for work ethic, loyalty and spirit.
Offense: Brandon Bauer, Jake Buhe, Bryce Dooley
Defense: Francis Urbanski
Special Teams: Dean Zigulich
Scout Offense: Brennan Weir / Kevin Murphy
Scout Defense: Mark Fassler / Kelvin Asamoah
Titan Award: Sam Soto
BEHIND ENEMY LINES: The Red Men are out to a 2-2 start to the year, including a 2-1 ledger in league play. Following a slim 20-19 loss to UW-Oshkosh in its opener, Carthage bounced back with a 36-7 win over Carroll, Sept. 21. Following a 21-10 home setback at the hands of WashU, Sept. 28, the Red Men knocked off Elmhurst, 38-14, last week, Oct. 5.
Offensively Carthage is fairly balanced, as it averages 141.8 yards on the ground and 183.3 through the air. Dana Fontenot is the team's top back, averaging 78.3 rushing yards a game. For the season, Fontenot has carried it 76 times for 313 yards and three scores. At quarterback, Colton Klein is 60-for-98 for 668 yards and six touchdowns. Jovone Stricker and Bret Patton of been the top two targets for Carthage this season. Stricker leads the team in receptions (21) and yards (280), while Patton has a team-high three TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jacob Simar has been a force in the trenches. Simar has 23 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, and a team-best four sacks to his credit. Bobby Baker and Jeremiah Baker rank first and second on the team, respectively, in tackles with 30 and 25, while they have each also intercepted two passes this season.
200-WIN CLUB: Thirty three-year veteran Norm Eash is one of just eight coaches nationally in NCAA Division III with 200-or-more career wins. Eash, who has won 209 games as the head man at his alma mater, ranks seventh in the country among active head coaches.
Redlands Head Coach and 1980 Illinois Wesleyan alumnus Mike Maynard joined Eash in the 200-win club with a 27-19 victory over Linfield, Sept. 21.
YEAR 128: In its 128th season, IWU has an overall 1,052-game record of 595-415-42 (.585 winning percentage). Of the 1,052 games, head coach Norm Eash has been involved in 354 of them (318 as a coach, 36 as a player from 1971-74).
Illinois Wesleyan's 35-27 win at Albion on Sept. 13, 2014 was the 1,000th game in Illinois Wesleyan football history.
ON THE HORIZON: The Titans remain on the road next weekend, Oct. 19, when IWU travels to Elmhurst College for CCIW battle with the Bluejays. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
