BLOOMINGTON, Ill - Week eight of the Division III football season will see the Illinois Wesleyan football team travel to Naperville, Ill. for a clash with No. 1 ranked North Central College Saturday, Oct. 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. under the lights at Benedetti Wehrli Stadium.
The Titans head into the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin bout with a 2-4 overall record, including a 2-3 league mark, after defeating Millikin University, 14-0, Oct. 16. Meanwhile, the top-ranked Cardinals sit at 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the CCIW. Most recently, NCC picked up its 11th straight conference win, dating back to 2019, with a 77-7 runaway victory over Elmhurst University, Oct. 16.
Fans can tune into a road broadcast with Eric Stock calling the action on the field alongside Joel Swanson. Live stats will also be available for the contest, while NCC will also provide a live stream of the game. Links can be found on the football schedule page of iwusports.com.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!: With its 14-0 win over Millikin, Oct. 16, the Titans recorded their first shutout of the Big Blue since 2008. MU had been averaging 28.7 points per game prior to the tilt with the Titans.
It also marked the second straight season in which IWU has recorded a shutout victory, having blanked Augustana, 12-0, March 27, 2021.

BALL HAWKS PART II: For the second time this season, Illinois Wesleyan recorded multiple interceptions in a game - this time with a pair of freshmen snagging the first INTs of their careers. Michael Alvarado got things rolling with a pick in the second quarter as Millikin was nearing the red zone, while Frank Roti sealed the shutout with an interception with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
    Additionally, Alvarado's INT was the first by a Titan freshman since Trevor Staley picked off the Simspon Storm in game two of IWU's 2015 season, Sept. 19.

TITANS AGAINST NO. 1: The Titans have never squared off with a D3football.com No. 1 ranked team since the poll began in 2003.

IWU VS. REIGNING CHAMPS: The last time Illinois Wesleyan battled the reigning NCAA Division III National Champion came in 1987, when first-year head coach Norm Eash led his squad against four-time national champion Augustana. IWU dropped the game to Augie, 52-3, in Eash's first season at the helm of his alma mater.

CLASHES WITH THE CARDINALS: Illinois Wesleyan and North Central have met on the gridiron 70 times ahead of Saturday's showdown, with the Titans owning a 37-30-3 edge in the all-time tally. NCC has had the upperhand as of late however, winning the past 10 matchups.
    IWU owns a 24-15-1 lead when taking on NCC in Bloomington, but holds a 13-15-2 record against the Cardinals in Naperville, Ill.

LAST WIN OVER THE CARDINALS: Illinois Wesleyan's last win over North Central came via a 28-22 overtime thriller on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2009. It was just the second OT game in IWU history.
    North Central had the ball first in overtime but missed a 42-yard field goal on fourth down. On the Titans' possession, which consisted of five plays, Kraig Ladd hit Michael Sloboda with his first catch of the day for a 10-yard score to give IWU the 28-22 win.

TITANS IN OCTOBER: The Titans have compiled a 98-51 (.658) record in the month of October under Norm Eash. More recently, in the past five seasons, IWU is 21-3 in October.

YEAR 130: In its 130th season, IWU has an overall 1,067-game record of 604-421-42 (.586 winning percentage). Of the 1,066 games, head coach Norm Eash has been involved in 369 of them (333 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. The Titans notched the 600th win in program history with a 12-0 shutout of Augustana last season (March 27, 2021).

EXPERIENCED O-LINE: Illinois Wesleyan is slated to start five seniors across the offensive line in Jake Buhe, Nicholas Cyze, Jacob Finfer, AJ Lust, and Jake Tencza. One of the most experienced offensive line units in the country, the group has combined for 77 starts in 29 games.

BETTER WITH AGE: In his third season with the Titans, senior running back Hamid Bullie has proven to get better with age. Bullie, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in IWU's season opener against Franklin, Sept. 4, is averaging 163.5 yards per game in 2021. As a sophomore, Bullie totalled 659 yards on 144 carries, good for 4.6 yards per rush and 65.9 yards per game. This season, he is blowing those numbers out of the water. The Chicago native has 647 yards on 119 carries through six games.

200-WIN CLUB: Thirty five-year veteran Norm Eash is one of just nine coaches nationally in NCAA Division III with 200-or-more career wins. Eash, who has won 217 games as the head man at his alma mater, ranks sixth in the country among active head coaches.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan returns to Tucci Stadium for a Halloween weekend matchup with North Park University Saturday, Oct. 30. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.