BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University football team welcomes Carroll University to Tucci Stadium Saturday, Oct. 5, for Homecoming. Kickoff of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tilt is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Links on how to follow along with Saturday's game can be found on the football schedule page of IWUsports.com.

HALFTIME HAPPENINGS: Halftime of Saturday's Homecoming game will see Illinois Wesleyan honor numerous people, including longtime and recently retired Sports Information Director Stew Salowitz and the 2019 NCAA Division III Men's Golf National Championship team. Salowitz served as IWU's Sports Information Director for more than 30-years prior to his August retirement, while the Titan men's golf team captured the 2019 NCAA Division III title last year. Additionally, the Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned and this year's Alumni Awardwinners will be recognized.

SOPHOMORE SPECIAL: Sophomores Christopher Kosinski and Robert Neidballa teamed up for a momentum-shifting specials teams play on Augustana's first play of the third quarter, Sept. 28. After the IWU defense forced a three-and-out, Kosinski blocked the ensuing punt and Neidballa scooped it up for the 20-yard score. Illinois Wesleyan is one of 20 teams nationally to return a blocked punt for a touchdown this season.
Neidballa was named CCIW Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. It was the first weekly CCIW award of his career, while it was the third time this season a Titan was named the league's player of the week.

SACK LUNCH: Junior defensive lineman Mike Murphy was a force in the trenches against Augustana, Sept. 28, as the Orland Park, Ill. native matched a career-high with three sacks. Murphy's trio of sacks rank tied for fourth-most in IWU single-game history. He also added a pair of quarterback hurries.
Murphy currently ranks fifth in the nation and leads all CCIW players with five sacks. No other player in the league has more than 2.5.

CLASHES WITH CARROLL: The Titans and Pioneers have squared off on the gridiron 42 times since the series began in 1935. Illinois Wesleyan heads into Saturday's showdown with a 25-17 lead in the all-time series and winners of five straight against Carroll.
The series, which began with a 12-6 IWU win in 1935, took place each season from 1955 to 1991. Following a 25-year hiatus the series picked back up when Carroll rejoined the CCIW in 2016.

HOSTING THE PIONEERS: Illinois Wesleyan owns a 14-7 record against Carroll in Bloomington all-time. The last time the Titans and Pioneers faced off at Tucci Stadium, IWU cruised to a 30-0 Homecoming victory, Oct. 14, 2017.

HOMECOMING: In the last 54 years, Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 34-20 record in its Homecoming games. The Titans have come out victorious in each of their past two Homecoming matchups (2017 vs. Carroll - W, 30-0 & 2018 vs. Carthage - WOT, 44-34).
IWU has hosted Carroll for its annual Homecoming five times in the past 54 years. The Titans are 3-2 in those five tilts.

DOUBLE-DIGIT STOPS x4: Four Titans finished with double-digit tackles in Illinois Wesleyan's win over Augustana, Sept. 28. Keenan Scott and Ryan Swift tied for the team lead with 13 stops apiece, while Dave Lux and Francis Urbanski added 11 tackles each. Swift, Lux, and Urbanski all set career-bests in the Titans' win over the Vikings.
Moreover, it was the first time IWU had four players with 10-or-more tackles in a game since Nov. 10, 2012 when the Titans accomplished the feat against Elmhurst. Chris Simms led the way with a game-high 13 tackles and Tim Hollowed tallied 11. Kyle Pfister and Mike Kraft registered 10 each.

TITANS IN OCTOBER: The Titans have compiled a 93-49 (.654) record in the month of October under Norm Eash.
Illinois Wesleyan is currently on a 12-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 second in the nation and first in the conference with just nine penalties. IWU averages just 3.0 flags per game, the fourth-fewest in the nation.

HOME COOKING: The Titans are 113-46 (.711) at home since Norm Eash became head coach in 1987. IWU has won 12 of its past 14 home games dating back to the 2016 season.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES: Carroll enters the weekend with a 1-2 overall record and is still in search of its first CCIW win of the season, sitting at 0-2. The Pioneers opened the season with a 44-34 win at Lakeland before falling to Carthage (36-7) and Elmhurst (32-30) in back-to-back weeks.
Carroll averages 27.0 points a contest and 309.0 yards per game, with 217.7 coming through the air. Junior quarterback Michael Johnson is 44-for-69 on the season for 550 yards and six scores, while Isaac Allen has rushed for a team-best 163 yards through three games.
Defensively, the Pioneers are giving up 34 points per game. Justin Kontny has a team-leading 39 tackles, including five TFLs.

YEAR 128: In its 128th season, IWU has an overall 1,051-game record of 594-415-42 (.585 winning percentage). Of the 1,050 games, head coach Norm Eash has been involved in 353 of them (317 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.

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.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans hit the road Saturday, Oct. 12, for a CCIW road game at Carthage College. Kickoff from Kenosha, Wis. is scheduled for 1 p.m.