BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Returning to the road as College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play continues, the Illinois Wesleyan University football team travels to Charles D. Lindberg Stadium for a bout with Augustana College Saturday afternoon, Nov. 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Rock Island, Ill.
Illinois Wesleyan and Augie enter the weekend tied at 4-2 in the CCIW standings alongside WashU. The Titans, 4-3 overall, have won back-to-back games most recently rolling past North Park University, 49-27, Oct. 25. The Vikings saw a four-game win streak snapped by No. 1 North Central College, 76-14, in Naperville, Ill., Oct. 25. Augie carries a 5-2 overall mark into the weekend.
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.
BIG MAC: Illinois Wesleyan's first score in what proved to be a busy day for the Titan offense was a memorable one as Dermot Smyth threw a touchdown pass to sophomore offensive lineman Mac Brennan. Spinning around, Smyth found a wide open Brennan behind the line of scrimmage and the big-man showed off his footwork for a 14-yard score down the NPU sideline. Brennan's score is believed to be the first by an IWU offensive lineman since at least 1990.
TRICK-OR-TREAT... WHY NOT BOTH?: In his first year at the helm of the Titans, head coach Jared Williamson has not been shy in late down situations and has rolled out numerous fake punt schemes. The latest in his bag of tricks saw sophomore punter Matt Worthington sling a 27-yard dime to freshman tight end Luke Vetter to convert on fourth-and-one from Illinois Wesleyan's own 23-yard line in the third quarter. Worthington's pass is the longest by a non-quarterback for IWU since running back Anthony Marre delivered a 34-yard touchdown pass to QB Sage Shindler in a 52-3 win over Elmhurst Oct. 2, 2021.
CAN'T CATCH KENT: Leading the ground game against North Park, Oct. 25, senior running back Danny Kent carried the ball 18 times for 93 yards and two scores. Kent's rushing yard total tied for the most by a Titan this season, while it came in impressive fashion. Over the course of his 18 carries, Kent was not once taken down behind the line of scrimmage. It marked the third time this season that IWU has seen its leading rusher finish without any negative plays. Malik Gray accomplished the feat against Elmhurst, Sept. 20, and Dermot Smyth later did so at WashU, Oct. 4.
ANOTHER HOUSE CALL FOR WILL: Sophomore Will Nazha hauled in the first weekly CCIW award of his career, Oct. 27. The honor came days after the second kickoff return for a touchdown of Nazha's career.
Nazha, the CCIW's leader in all-purpose yards, turned in a strong all-around effort in Illinois Wesleyan's 49-27 win over North Park, Oct. 25. On the special teams front, the sophomore returned three kicks for a total of 166 yards, good for 55.3 yards per return. His big play of the day came in the third quarter with a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, his second of the season. Nazha is sixth nationally in kickoff return yards per game (33.5), while he is one of five with multiple kickoffs returned for a score this season.
He has established himself as one of the top returnman in program history this season. Dating back to 1990, Nazha is the only Titan to register two in the same season. Furthermore, he joins Seth Albin (2021 & 2023) and Jahari Scott (2023 & 2024) to house two kickoffs throughout their IWU careers. Illinois Wesleyan's two kickoff returns for scores mark just the second time since 1990 that the Titans have registered multiple in the same season (2023 - Jahari Scott & Seth Albin).
AGAINST AUGIE ALL-TIME: Saturday's showdown will be the 91st all-time meeting between IWU and Augustana in a series that dates back to 1917. The Titans are the only team in the CCIW with a winning record versus the Vikings, as IWU leads the series 49-40-1, including a 25-19 mark at home. The Green and White has won seven of the last 10 matchups with Augie, but the Vikings have taken three of the past four.
Most recently, IWU snapped a three-game skid against Augie with a 29-21 triumph at Tucci Stadium Nov. 2, 2024. Danny Kent ran for 100 yards with a TD in the win, while Jimmy Deacy and Myles Kee combined for 174 receiving yards. The Titans trailed 21-15 with five minutes to go in the third quarter, but Kent and Dermot Smyth ran for scores to propel IWU to a 29-21 victory.
DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST HIM: Illinois Wesleyan Athletic Director Mike Wagner is a major common link between the two conference foes. Wagner, a 1992 Augie graduate, played football for the Vikings for four seasons. A Honorable Mention All-American by Dan Hansen's Football Gazette, Wagner was an All-CCIW linebacker for the Vikings. He led Augie to three NCAA Division III Playoff appearances during his playing career.
Other common bonds between the two institutions include first-year director of swimming & diving Dan Lloyd and assistant athletic trainer Rachel Dawson. Lloyd spent 11 years leading the Vikings' programs, winning six CCIW championships in his last four years. Dawson completed a two-year run in Augie's athletic training department and was known for dominating noon ball against fellow staffers.
RISING THE RANKS: Amid the best season of his career to date, Dermot Smyth is climbing Illinois Wesleyan's career ranks. Over 25 games donning the Green and White, Smyth has thrown for 4977 yards and 48 touchdowns. He has added 811 rushing yards and 20 TDs on the ground.
Smyth needs just 23 passing yards to become the eighth Titan in program history to throw for 5000+ yards. He is listed throughout the IWU record book midway through his junior year as Smyth is 11th all-time in passing touchdowns (44) and tied for fifth in rushing scores (20). His 394 completions are eighth-most all-time.
ESTABLISHING HIMSELF: Will Nazha has put together a breakout year through seven games this season, establishing himself as one of the top wide receivers in the CCIW. Nazha leads the conference and is sixth nationally with 169.57 all-purpose yards per game. The Barrington, Ill. native leads the conference in receptions per game (7.29 - 15th nationally), receiving yards per game (106.4 - 17th nationally), and total receiving yards (745 - 17th nationally). He is third in the CCIW with six TDs.
DISCIPLINED: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the more disciplined teams around Division III this season. The Titans 36 penalties are the 75th-fewest across the country, while IWU is also top-75 in fewest penalty yards per game (41.14 - 49th), fewest penalty yards (288 yards - 52nd), and fewest penalties per game (5.14 - 73rd).
TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD: IWU has struggled away from home in recent years, as it has posted a 8-18 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 2-1.
RIDE ON: Illinois Wesleyan's final home game of the season is set for Saturday, Nov. 8, as Carroll University pays a visit to Tucci Stadium. Game time is set for a 1 p.m. start. The contest will serve as the program's Military & First Responders Appreication game. The first 100 veterans or first responders, in uniform or with a current ID, will receive a special edition Titan athletics hat.
