Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
GB Kruzick catch
Kodiak Creative
65
Winner Wheaton (IL) WHE 3-2 , 3-1
21
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2-3 , 2-2
Winner
Wheaton (IL) WHE
3-2 , 3-1
65
Final
21
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
2-3 , 2-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WHE Wheaton (IL) 7 29 20 9 65
IWU Ill. Wesleyan 0 7 7 7 21

Game Recap: Football |

Football Falls to No. 19 Wheaton on Homecoming

Titans slip to 2-3 overall

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A short-handed Illinois Wesleyan University football team stumbled in a Homecoming battle with 19th-ranked Wheaton College Saturday, Oct. 11, in front of a packed crowd at Tucci Stadium. The Titans (2-3, 2-2 CCIW) slipped under .500 with the 65-21 setback, while the Thunder went to 3-2 (3-1 CCIW) with the win.

Junior Jimmy Deacy (Chicago, Ill.-Mount Carmel) and sophomore GB Kruzick (Morton, Ill.-Morton) led the IWU offense that finished with 382 yards. Deacy hauled in eight catches for 111 yards, while Kruzick's career effort featured five grabs and a career-high 113 receiving yards alongside a touchdown. Sophomore Will Nazha (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) added 79 yards receiving on seven catches in addition to 19 rushing yards. Nazha tallied a total of 181 all-purpose yards as he added 83 yards on kick returns.

Junior Dermot Smyth (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) completed 22-of-48 passes with a touchdown and two rushing scores, while running for a team-high 30 yards on the day.

Defensively, junior co-captains Joey DeMaio (Woodridge, Ill.-Lemont Township) and Matt Hansen (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) accrued 10 and seven tackles, respectively. Hansen added 1.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, while junior Nathan Frank (Hoffman Estates, Ill.-Hoffman Estates) added an interception alongside six stops.

The Titan offense was stymied by late downs, as Illinois Wesleyan converted just one third-down in 13 tries. The Thunder went 6-for-11 on third down en route to outgaining IWU, 533-382. 

With the Thunder offense off to a strong start on its second possession of the game, sophomore Conner Wagner (Morton, Ill.-Morton) put pressure on the Wheaton QB to hurry a pass that was ultimately picked off in front of the visitor's sideline.

Illinois Wesleyan could not capitalize on the takeaway as a three-and-out gave the ball right back to Wheaton. 

Trailing 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Green and White saw the deficit grow to 21-0 as the clock ticked toward four minutes. Illinois Wesleyan struck for a one-yard rushing touchdown by Smyth to close out a six-play, 76-yard drive with 1:56 left in the half.

A 33-yard diving catch by Kruzick pushed the Titans across midfield. Deacy hauled in back-to-back receptions, the second of which was good for 30 yards. Deacy, who caught the ball near the 10-yard line, was called down shy of the goal line. Smyth punched it in to pull the home team within two scores, 21-7, but Wheaton returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards for a score. 

Wheaton tacked on two scores in the final two minutes of the half to carry a 36-7 advantage into the break. 

Receiving the ball out of the break, Illinois Wesleyan's scoring hopes were stymied by a fumble near midfield. Wheaton made the Titans pay for the miscue two plays later as a 49-yard touchdown run saw the Thunder's lead grow to 43-7, before tacking on an 11-yard TD pass to boost the lead to a 49-7 advantage.

Illinois Wesleyan halted the scoring run with a quick four-play, 71-yard drive. Needing just 2:17 of game time, Smyth connected with Kruzick for a 32-yard score to cut the deficit to 49-14.

Later in the period, Smyth found sophomore Cooper King (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township), who used a block by sophomore Mac Brennan (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community), to pick up 24 yards on the catch to put IWU in the red zone to end the third quarter. A seven-yard catch from sophomore Tony Noto (Mokena, Ill.-Lincoln-Way Central) set up Smyth for a two-yard rushing touchdown, making it 56-20. 

Wheaton would add a 37-yard field goal and one final touchdown as Illinois Wesleyan fell, 65-21.

The Titans make the short jaunt to Decatur, Ill. Saturday, Oct. 18, for a night game with Millikin University. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version