ELMHURST, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University football team stymied Elmhurst College in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play at Langhorst Field Saturday afternoon, Oct. 19. The Titans cruised to a 43-0 shutout over the Bluejays, while also extending their win streak to four.

With the win, Illinois Wesleyan is now 4-2 on the season and 4-1 in CCIW. Elmhurst fell to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in league play.

IWU's defense held EC to just 145 yards of total offense, 41 on the ground and 104 through the air. Conversely, Illinois Wesleyan finished with 418 yards of offense. The Titans effort on third and fourth downs continued to be strong, as the Bluejays finished 1-of-12 on third and 1-of-4 on fourth down.

A balanced defensive effort saw the Titans rack up nine tackles for loss, four sacks, and two interceptions. Nico Gubenko (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton North HS) picked off the Bluejays QB twice, becoming the first Titan with two INTs in a game since Quintin Walters. Junior Emmett Zima (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South HS) and senior Dave Lux (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln-Way North HS) were credited with two tackles for loss a piece, while senior Jake Kapp (Wheaton, Ill.-Montini Catholic HS) notched a team-high seven tackles, including one TFL. Senior Mike Murphy (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg HS), Chance Hilliard (Marion, Ill.-Marion HS), and sophomore Thomas Mulhall (Homer Glen, Ill.-Lockport Township HS) all added one sack apiece, with Murphy's being good for a safety.

Playing in front of family and friends, senior Johnny Dicanio (Elmhurst, Ill.-York HS) finished 16-for-26 with 225 yards and two scores against his hometown team. The Elmhurst, Ill. native also scampered for a score.

Seven different players hauled in receptions, with senior Dean Zigulich (Riverside, Ill.-Riverside-Brookfield) nabbing a team-high five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. Fellow senior Jack Healy (Northfield, Ill.-Glenbrook South HS) caught Dicanio's other TD reception, finishing with three grabs for 27 yards.

The Titans churned out 188 rushing yards, led by the running back tandem of sophomore Hamid Bullie (Chicago, Ill.-Loyola Academy) and senior Ryan Paslay (Brighton, Ill.-Southwestern HS). Bullie rushed nine times for 56 yards, including a score, while Paslay added 14 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.

IWU opened up a 14-0 lead through 15 minutes as Dicanio found Healy for a 16-yard score and Bullie broke through for a six-yard touchdown on the ground.

A 21-yard field goal by freshman Andrew Stange (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich HS) was followed by a 32-yard touchdown grab by Zigulich to put Illinois Wesleyan up 24-0 into halftime.

Murphy's safety sack on the first possession of the second half pushed the Titans' lead to 26. Dicanio and Paslay ran for touchdowns of three and six yards, respectively, before Stange's second 21-yarder of the day closed out the scoring and the 43-0 IWU win.
 
With their two-game roadtrip behind them, the Titans return to Tucci Stadium for a CCIW contest against Washington University in St. Louis next Saturday, Oct. 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.