BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play rolls on for the Illinois Wesleyan University football team with a trip to St. Louis, Mo. Saturday, Oct. 4, for a battle with the Bears of WashU. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Francis Olympic Field.
    The Titans travel across state lines for the second straight weekend following a convincing, 34-10, win at Carthage College, Sept. 27. IWU enters the week with a 2-1 overall record including an unblemished 2-0 league mark. The Bears (2-1, 1-1 CCIW) are eyeing a bounce back following their first loss of the year. WashU was overwhelmed by top-ranked North Central College, 44-14, in St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 27.
    Fans can tune into a radio broadcast with Eric Stock calling the action on the field alongside Joel Swanson, while live stats and a broadcast will also be available. Links can be found on the football schedule page of iwusports.com.

WITH A WIN...: With its 34-10 win at Carthage, Sept. 27, Illinois Wesleyan ran its league record to 2-0 for the second straight year. Now, IWU looks to post its first 3-0 start to CCIW play since 2018. That season, Illinois Wesleyan defeated Wheaton (24-14), Augustana (41-24), and Carroll (28-13). The Titans went on to win their first seven CCIW games before finishing 8-1 in league play.

QB1 EARNS CCIW HONORS: Junior quarterback Dermot Smyth picked up the second weekly CCIW honor of his career, Sept. 29, as he was named the league's offensive player of the week. Smyth put up a combined 322 yards of total offense in IWU's win at Carthage, Sept. 27. The Chicago native threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns, while tying for the team lead with 93 rushing yards and a TD.

BATTLING THE BEARS: Illinois Wesleyan and WashU will battle on the gridiron for the 24th time since the series began back in 1899 and the final as conference foes. The Titans narrowly trail the Bears, 13-10, in the series. Despite dropping the latest four chapters in the storied rivalry, IWU has won seven of the last 13 meetings. On the flip side, the Bears held the upperhand in the early years of the series as WashU won six of the first seven games between the two.
Last season, WashU spoiled the Titans comeback efforts, 33-23, on Homecoming Oct. 5, 2024. WashU charged ahead 20-2 in the game, before a pair of touchdowns by IWU made it a two-score game, 33-23, into the final quarter. The Green and White's comeback stalled there as Illinois Wesleyan was limited to just 66 yards of offense over the last 15 minutes of game play.

RISING IN THE RANKINGS: Under the lead of defensive coordinator Mike Murray, the IWU defense is establishing itself as one of the best in the CCIW through three games. Illinois Wesleyan is ranked in the top-three in the conference in nine categories.
 

TITANS IN OCTOBER: The Titans have compiled a 104-60 (.644) record in the month of October since 1987. More recently, in the past eight seasons, IWU is 28-13 in October and went 1-3 in the month in 2024. The lone win came  by way of a 51-8 victory over Millikin.

DISCIPLINED: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the more disciplined teams around Division III this season. The Titans 12 penalties this season are the 21st-fewest across the country, while IWU is also top-30 in fewest penalty yards (91 yards - 15th) and fewest penalties per game (4.00 - 29th).

A PAIR OF PICKS: Matt Hansen and Sebastian Thomas notched interceptions in Illinois Wesleyan's win at Carthage, Sept. 27, marking the first INTs of their careers. It was the first time the Green and White has had multiple interceptions since securing three picks against Millikin Oct. 19, 2024. In that decisive win for the Titans, Ryan Saxe, Frank Roti, and Paul Zunkel hauled in interceptions.

TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD: IWU has struggled away from home in recent years, as it has posted a 7-17 record on the road over the past five full seasons. The program's last winning record away from Tucci came during 2018, when it posted a 5-0 mark as part of an 8-2 overall record. This year, the Green and White is 1-0.

RIDE ON: The Titans return to Tucci Stadium for Homecoming against 14th-ranked Wheaton College Saturday, Oct. 11.