LA CROSSE, Wis. – The No. 14-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University football team opens the 2019 season at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff from UWL's Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex 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 or by clicking here.

CHANGE THE RADIO DIAL: The IWU-UW-La Crosse game will be broadcast live on WEXG Radio 98.3 FM and on the internet at ClassicRock983.com. WEXG Radio is the new home of IWU football, with  Derek Bohlmann calling as the play-by-play.

LIFTING THE LID: IWU is 20-12 (.625) in opening-day games under Norm Eash, including 10 straight from 2008-18. The Titans streak was snapped with a 34-31 loss to UW-La Crosse at Tucci Stadium last season.

ON THE ROAD: Illinois Wesleyan has seen plenty of success away from Tucci Stadium under head coach Norm Eash. The Titans are 96-59-1 (.619) on the road under Eash all-time.

ALL-TIME AGAINST UWL: Saturday's clash will mark the fourth all-time meeting between Illinois Wesleyan and UW-La Crosse in the Titans 128-year history. IWU is 1-2 against UWL in the previous three meetings, including a 34-31 setback in its 2018 season opener at Tucci Stadium.

POLLING PLACE: The Titans check in at No. 14 nationally in the D3Football.com Poll, while UWL is slotted No. 23.
UW-La Crosse is one of three ranked opponents on IWU's schedule, joining CCIW foes No. 5 North Central and No. 20 Wheaton.

ALL-CCIW RETURNERS: The 2019 Illinois Wesleyan roster features seven players who have earned All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin accolades, the most the Titans have returned since 2013. The all-league picks include Brandon Bauer, Jake Buhe, Jack Healy, Trevor Koepke, Ryan Swift, Michael Norwood, and Zach Walsh.

YEAR 128: In its 128th season, IWU has an overall 1,048-game record of 593-413-42 (.586 winning percentage). Of the 1,048 games, head coach Norm Eash has been involved in 350 of them (314 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 seven coaches nationally in NCAA Division III with 200-or-more career wins. Eash, who has won 208 games as the head man at his alma mater, ranks seventh in the country among active head coaches. 

TITANS IN SEPTEMBER: The Titans are 71-23-1 (.753) in the Norm Eash coaching era in the month, including a 3-1 mark in 2018,  and is currently riding a three-game win streak in September.
The Titans had a 22-game September winning streak ended with the loss at Simpson in 2014. The last loss before that was on Sept. 15, 2007 to Mt. St. Joseph. IWU won 11 straight September games (all non-league) from 1995 (loss at Simpson) until 2001 (loss to Washington U.).

BEHIND ENEMY LINES: UW-La Crosse enters Saturday's clash with a 1-0 record after narrowing escaping opening week with a 21-14 overtime win over Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.), Sept. 7. The Eagles return 14 starters, including seven on each side of the ball. UWL was picked to finish second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) following a 7-3 record (5-2 WIAC) in 2018.
UW-La Crosse used the quarterback tandem of Evan Lewandowski and Jack Dwyer against CCM, as the duo combined to go 17-of-25 for 251 yards and three scores. Jake Simuncak was the UWL quarterback's most popular target, hauling in a game-high eight catches for 124 yards and a TD.
Defensively, the Eagles were led by Joey Bolda's nine tackles, including two TFL's, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup. Overall, the UWL defense combined for seven tackles for loss.

CCIW PRESEASON POLL: For the 10th consecutive season, the Illinois Wesleyan football team has been picked to finish third in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) football annual preseason coaches' poll, announced on Thursday, Aug. 8.
Illinois Wesleyan was third with 68 points and one first place vote following back-to-back co-conference titles in 2017 and 2018. The Titans have won nine titles under head coach Norm Eash, who begins his 33rd season in 2019 and is the longest-tenured active CCIW coach.
North Central was picked to win the league with 79 points and two first-place votes, while Wheaton was selected second (72 points, two first-place votes). WashU was predicted to finish fourth, with Carthage, Millikin, Augustana, Elmhurst, Carroll, and North Park rounded out the preseason poll.

ON THE HORIZON: After its trip to the Badger state, IWU heads to Wheaton, Ill. for its CCIW opener against No. 20 Wheaton Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff from McCully Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.