BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The season rolls on Saturday, Sept. 19, as the Illinois Wesleyan University football team turns its focus to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. IWU begins league play with a roadtrip to Charles D. Lindberg Stadium in Rock Island, Ill. for a battle with Augustana College. Kickoff of the week three clash is set for 1 p.m.
    The Titans travel west with a 2-0 record, their best start since 2017. The Green and White beat Albion College on the road, 24-10, in week one. IWU more recently topped Trine University in a shootout, 45-35, Sept. 12. Augustana carries an even 1-1 standing into Saturday. After a 42-14 rout of Simpson College, the Vikings' fourth-quarter comeback fell short, 37-34, against University of Wisconsin-Stout.
    Fans can tune into a a live stream on the CCIW Network, while live stats will also be available for the contest. Links can be found on the football schedule page of iwusports.com.

SEPTEMBER: Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 38-15 record in the month of September since 2010. IWU went 2-1 in the month last season, with the Titans' lone loss coming against Central to begin the year. The Titans sit at 2-0 in the month this year.

DEMAIO DOES IT ALL: Joey DeMaio led the Titans' defensive effort, Sept. 12, finishing with a team-high 11 tackles alongside two sacks and an interception. DeMaio posted two solo sacks, accounting for a combined 30-yard loss for the Thunder. He came up with his first career INT on a critical third down in the fourth quarter to all but seal the IWU victory. DeMaio's performance landed him D3football.com Team of the Week status, the first national recognition of his career. Overall, he is the 18th selection in program history and the first defensive honoree since 2022 (Frank Roti).

A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN: With his 56-yard rushing touchdown to seal IWU's win, Sept. 12, Dermot Smyth added another nugget to his illustrious career. Smyth eclipsed 1000 career rushing yards on the play, becoming the first Titan quarterback to clear the mark while also throwing for 5000+ yards. He finished the game with five touchdown passes, one shy of the program record, and added a rushing TD.
The veteran signal caller sits inside the program's top-10 in several categories including rushing touchdowns (4th), passing touchdowns (6th), passing yards (6th), and passing completions (7th).

CAPTAINS LEAD THE WAY: Illinois Wesleyan picked up its first weekly CCIW awards of the season, Sept. 14, as senior co-captains Joey DeMaio and Dermot Smyth were named the league's players of the week. DeMaio dominated en route to the first CCIW Defensive Player of the Week award of his career, while Smyth snagged his fourth career offensive player of the week nod.

LACH IS A LOCK: Sophomore kicker Lach Sullivan booted a 47-yard field goal down the center of the uprights against Trine, Sept. 12. The career-long kick by the sophomore tied for the second-longest in program history alongside Mike Berry's FG at Wheaton Oct. 23, 2004. The 47-yarder is tied for the ninth-longest in Division III this season.

ON REPEAT: Junior wide receiver Will Nazha continued his torrid start to the season with a 10-reception, 143-yard performance against Trine, Sept. 12. The second-year started hauled in a career-high three touchdowns in the game, becoming the first Titan to do so since Charlie Hamilton in 2021.
Through two games, Nazha has established himself as one of the best wide outs in Division III. He is second nationally in receiving touchdowns with four, sixth in receptions per game (9.5), eighth in receiving yards (264), ninth in total touchdowns (4), 12th in receiving yards per game (132.0), and 12th in total points scored (24).

AGAINST AUGIE ALL-TIME: Saturday's showdown will be the 92nd 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 49-41-1. The Green and White has won seven of the last 11 matchups with Augie, but the Vikings have taken four of the past five.
    Most recently, IWU stumbled at Augie, 42-21, Nov. 1, 2025. The Vikings jumped ahead first and later opened up a two-score lead, 28-14. A one-yard touchdown run from Malik Gray made things interesting early in the fourth quarter, but Augie scored twice late to put the game out of reach.

DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST THEM: 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. An 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 second-year Director of Swimming & Diving Dan Lloyd, assistant swim coaches Brooke Walker and Tyler Leslie, and assistant athletic trainer Rachel Dawson. Lloyd spent 11 years leading the Vikings' programs, winning six CCIW championships in his last four years. Walker and Leslie enjoyed accomplished swimming careers for the Vikings. Dawson completed a two-year run in Augie's athletic training department and was known for dominating noon ball against fellow staffers.

IT'S BUILDING: Illinois Wesleyan continued to receive votes in a national poll this week, as the Titans found themselves in the receiving votes category of the AFCA's third poll. IWU, which garnered six points, were one of four CCIW programs in the conversation. North Central topped the poll, with Wheaton checking in at No. 2.  Augie was included in the receiving votes list.

BALL HAWKS: The Titans have recorded five interceptions on the season with Lucas Lappin leading the team with two. Joey DeMaio, Clint Teater, and Nathan Frank have added one pick apiece. IWU's interception total ties for the most in the CCIW with North Central and is slotted third-most across Division III as of Sept. 15.

WINNING UP FRONT: The Green and White's defensive line enters CCIW play as one of the most disruptive units in the country. The Titans lead the conference and are third in the country with 5.50 team sacks, while their 10 tackles for loss are eighth-most. The heavy and consistent pressure in the backfield has opponents limited to a .290 third-down conversion percentage, the best mark in the CCIW, and a league-leading five interceptions.

WITH A WIN…: With a win, Illinois Wesleyan will move to 3-0 on the year for the first time since 2015. That year, IWU secured a road win at Franklin (34-24) before scoring
home wins over Alma (49-14) and Simpson (49-7). The Titans finished that season 7-3 after winning their first seven games of the season.

CCIW PRESEASON POLL: Illinois Wesleyan was predicted to finish fourth in the annual CCIW Preseason Coaches Poll. IWU's 45 points were behind North Central (64), Wheaton (57), and Augustana (47). Carroll (32) rounded out the top-five. Carthage (29), North Park (25), Millikin (17), and Elmhurst (8) filled out the final four slots, respectively. Of the nine first-place votes, NCC pulled in eight, while Wheaton snagged one.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan returns to Tucci Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 26, for a battle with No. 2 Wheaton. The CCIW contest is slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff and will see IWU recognize outstanding accomplishments from the 2026 spring season in Titan athletics at halftime.