BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University football team used a dominating effort in all three phases to crush Carthage College, 55-0, Saturday, Oct. 22. The win, which boosted IWU to 5-2 on the season and 4-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, marked the Titans' largest margin of victory since the 1996 season. Carthage dropped to 2-5 (2-4 CCIW) with the setback.

The Titans put up a season-high 462 yards of total offense in the rout of the Firebirds, paced by an efficient passing game. Sophomore quarterback Jay Lemenager (Clifton, Ill.-Clifton) completed 17-for-23 passing attempts for 241 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes, while also running for a TD. Sophomore Ryan Saxe (Palatine, Ill.-Fremd) went 3-for-3 for 39 yards and a score. Freshman Zach Hinds (Riverton, Ill.-Riverton) completed one pass for 12 yards, marking the first completion of his career and the first catch in sophomore Jack Friedewald's (Rochester, Ill.-Rochester) career.

Senior Charlie Hamilton (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart-Griffin) hauled in a game-high nine catches for 106 yards and three scores. Hamilton's three TDs tied a career-high, previously set against Carthage, while he notched the seventh 100-yard receiving game of his career. Also putting up a monster day was senior Payton Gerberding (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara), who posted a career-high 126 receiving yards. Gerberding caught two touchdown passes, including a 79-yard strike.

IWU added 170 rushing yards, which saw junior Seth Albin (Midlothian, Ill.-Oak Forest) and Saxe tie for the team lead with 56 yards rushing. 

Defensively, the Titans were dominant as they limited Carthage to 239 yards of total offense. Sophomores Frank Roti (Orland Hills, Ill.-Andrew) and Artist Benjamin (Wilmette, Ill.-Loyola Academy) tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece, while both came up with interceptions on the day. Roti added 1.5 tackles for loss and a 35-yard pick-six. 

In all, IWU collected 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, and three interceptions. Sophomore Josh Hlavacek (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield North) was the team leader with 1.5 sacks, including a strip-sack, while sophomore Owen Phaby (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) topped the team with two TFLs. 

On the special teams front, Illinois Wesleyan blocked two punts and averaged 21 yards per kickoff return. Hlavacek and freshman Nick Edelen (Orland Park, Ill.-Sandburg) got their hands on Carthage punts, while senior Andrew Stange (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich) went 7-for-7 in PATs and added 18-yard and 19-yard field goals. 

Illinois Wesleyan wasted little time, taking control from the opening drive. A big play by Hamilton led to a 25-yard field goal by Stange, putting IWU on top 3-0.

The Titans followed up their opening drive with a strong stance by the defense, which ultimately saw Hlavacek block Carthage's punt and set up IWU with a short field. Lemanager and the Green and White used a pair of pass interference calls to capitalize on the opportunity as the sophomore QB finished the drive off with a three-yard rushing touchdown.

Ahead 10-0 following a missed 22-yard field goal by the Firebirds, the Titans aired it out for a 79-yard touchdown pass. Lemenager hit Gerberding in stride for the seniors first touchdown catch of the season to extend IWU's lead to 17-0 with 11:33 to go in the second quarter.

The Green and White piled it on over the final 10 minutes of the half, as Saxe hit Hamilton for a 20-yard touchdown and Lemenager went back to Gerberding for a 35-yard TD to break open a 31-0 advantage.

A strip sack by Hlavacek, which was recovered by sophomore Zach McNees (Hillsboro, Mo.-Hillsboro), set Illinois Wesleyan up in the red zone with a full slate of timeouts and under two minutes to go in the half. The takeaway made way for Hamilton's second touchdown of the day, upping the home team's lead to 38-0 into halftime. 

The defense kept rolling in the second half, as Roti came up with his second pick six in as many weeks. The Orland Hills, Ill. native picked the pass at the Carthage 35-yard line and took it to the house to extend Illinois Wesleyan's stronghold, 45-0. 

A nine-play, 48-yard drive culminated in Lemenager's fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon, a four-yard completion to Hamilton before Stange split the uprights from 19 yards out to finish off the 55-0 victory.

The Green and White will hit the road for its next contest, making the trip to Rock Island, Ill. to tangle with Augustana in another CCIW showdown. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. inside of Charles D. Lindberg Stadium.