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Hansen TFL vs. Carthage
© AshtinElder
34
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2-1 , 2-0
10
Carthage CC 1-2 , 0-2
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
2-1 , 2-0
34
Final
10
Carthage CC
1-2 , 0-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
IWU Ill. Wesleyan 7 10 3 14 34
CC Carthage 0 0 10 0 10

Game Recap: Football |

Football Overpowers Firebirds for Road Victory

Titans move to 2-0 in CCIW

KENOSHA, Wis. - The Illinois Wesleyan University football team moved to 2-0 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play for the second straight year with a wire-to-wire win over Carthage College Saturday, Sept. 27. In their first road test of the year, the Titans trounced the Firebirds, 34-10, to move to 2-1 on the year. The Firebirds fell to 1-2 overall, 0-2 in league play.

The Titans used an overwhelming all-around effort to take down the Firebirds. The Titans took control with a score late in the first quarter before riding a 17-0 lead into halftime. Illinois Wesleyan tacked on a field goal out of the break, but Carthage followed with 10 unanswered points to cut the IWU lead in half, 20-10, into the final period. 

The Green and White came up huge in the fourth quarter with junior quarterback Dermot Smyth (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) running for a 35-yard score and junior running back Malik Gray (Chicago, Ill.-IC Catholic Prep) punching it in for a one-yard scamper to power IWU to the decisive victory.

Illinois Wesleyan put up 451 yards of total offense in the win, with 222 coming on the ground game. In a nearly perfectly balanced output, the Titans accrued 229 passing yards. The Firebirds were held to 203 total yards, including just 87 through the air. Carthage picked up 116 rushing yards, but IWU notched 22 first downs to CC's 10.

Leading the offensive effort for the Titans was Smyth, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for one. He totaled 229 passing yards, completing 14-fo-28 passes, while adding 93 yards rushing. Senior Danny Kent (Addison, Ill.-Fenwick) tied for the team lead with 93 rushing yards, doing so on 21 carries. 

Sophomore Will Nazha (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) was the go-to target for Smyth, hauling in a game-high six catches for 93 yards and a score. Sophomore tight end Cooper King (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) had a breakout performance with a career-high 73 yards receiving and the first TD of his career.

On the defensive end, the line set the tone for the Green and White. Juniors Matt Hansen (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) and Nathan Schmidt (Chicago, Ill.-IC Catholic Prep) were credited with two tackles for loss apiece, while Hansen added an interception and Schmidt forced a fumble. Juniors Ian Whitaker (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) and John Degustino (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.-Lake Zurich) tied for the team lead with four tackles, while Whitaker notched two breakups.

Special teams saw freshman AJ Vavrik (LaGrange, Ill.-Lyons Township) hit two field goals, one from 31 yards and another from 27 yards out. The rookie also tacked on four PATs.

After coming up empty on its opening drive, Illinois Wesleyan put together a 65-yard drive on its second possession. A clutch seven-yard run by Kent on fourth-and-one moved the sticks. After a 10-yard grab by Nazha, a penalty on the Firebirds gave IWU first down from the Carthage 17-yard line. Smyth connected with King on first down, tossing a 17-yard dart to the tight end at the pylon for the game's first score.

Feeding off a huge fourth-down stop by sophomore Sebastian Thomas (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield South) and the Titan defense, IWU was not time with another score early in the second quarter. Smyth sparked the drive with a 43-yard scamper down the Carthage sideline to keep the Firebirds' homecoming crowd quiet. One play later, Smyth found Nazha for a 15-yard score to double the lead, 14-0. 

Vavrik split the uprights from 31 yards out to up the Green and White's lead to 17-0 at the break.

The Titans came out of the break and immediately took control as TJ Herlien (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard South) forced a fumble on the kickoff that Thomas promptly pounced on. The takeaway set the IWU offense up at the Carthage 17-yard line, but ultimately resulted in a 27-yarder from Vavrik.

The Firebirds responded with a score of their own, before an interception gave the home team life. The pick turned the ball over to Carthage in the redzone, but stops by senior Mo Khalil (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) and Whitaker held CC to a 35-yard field goal.

Leading 20-10 into the final quarter, Illinois Wesleyan regained its stride on the back of Kent's 11-yard gain on third and short. Smyth followed with a 35-yard run, busting through a hole down the IWU sideline, to halt Carthage's scoring run. Vavrik converted the PAT to give IWU a 27-10 cushion with 13:57 left in the game. 

The Titan defense held Carthage on the next possession with Whitaker tipping a pass at the line. With the ball floating in the air, Hansen hauled in the interception. Gray capitalized on the play with a one-yard touchdown run to close out the game's scoring, 34-10. 

Thomas secured the first interception of his career and Degustino later came up with a breakup on fourth down. Taking over on downs, IWU fed Gray for four straight carries before a 22-yard pickup from Smyth sealed the win.

Illinois Wesleyan remains on the road next Saturday, Oct. 4, for a 6 p.m. battle with WashU. 
 

 
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