Illinois Wesleyan vs. Mount St. Joseph
Game Notes for Sept. 16, 2006

THE GAME: Illinois Wesleyan (1-1) hope to extend their winning ways playing at Mt. St. Joseph (2-0) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Gametime is 12:30 p.m. Central time.

THE SERIES VS. THE LIONS: This is the first football meeting ever between the Titans and the Lions, the third IWU first-time opponent this season along with Coe and Olivet.

FOR THE RECORD: IWU is 69-35 in its last 104 games (.663) since 1995...The 35 losses have come to Wheaton (7); Augustana and Millikin (6); North Central and Carthage (3); Simpson, UW-Eau Claire and Elmhurst (2); and Coe, Mount Union, UW-LaCrosse, and Washington U. (1)...The Titans are 65-25 (.722) at home and 51-39-1 on the road (.580) under Eash...2005 and 2004 are the first back-to-back losing seasons for IWU since 1987 (4-5) and 1988 (4-5)...In 2004, IWU (3-7) had its first sub-.500 season since the 1993 team was 4-5. The Titans had been at .500 or better for 10 straight years.

SEPTEMBER SUCCESS: In September, IWU is 36-15-1 (.702) in the Norm Eash era and was 1-2 last season in the month. IWU teams won 11 straight September games (all non-league) from 1995 (loss at Simpson) until 2001 (loss to Washington U.).

ON TO THE NEXT 500: IWU is 502-372-42 (.571) in 114 years of football...IWU’s 500th win came in a 23-14 win over Wheaton on Oct. 22, 2005.

AT WILDER FIELD: Illinois Wesleyan is 55-18 (.753) at Wilder Field in the last 15 seasons (1991-2006). The IWU football facility is the fifth oldest football stadium in the country (1893), behind Wesleyan [Conn.] (1881), Williams [Mass.] (1883), Sewanee [Tenn.] and Amherst [Mass.] (both 1891).

TITAN NOTES: Illinois Wesleyan got its first football win since last Oct. 29 when the Titans took a 21-6 nonconference decision over Olivet (0-1) on Sat., Sept. 9 at IWU Stadium. The Titans’ Steve Groestema (LaGrange Park, Lyons HS) returned a blocked field goal 80 yards for one score and IWU got a safety when a punt was blocked out of the end zone. Senior Mike Berry (Crystal Lake, Prairie Ridge HS) kicked field goals of 43 and 34 yards and Marcus Dunlop (Maywood, Proviso East HS), who rushed for 117 yards on 29 carries, caught an 8-yard TD pass. Sophomore Martin Ceisel (Deerfield HS) caught seven passes ror 74 yards and quarterback Brandon Cotter (Bradley, Bradley-Bourbonnais HS) was 14 of 22 for 143 yards and a TD. The Titans limited the Comets to 166 total yards and only 35 in the first half. Olivet’s lone score came on a 53-yard pass play with 7:07 left in the third quarter when Calvin McNamara connected with Carl Mulder. Mike Mastro (Sarasota, Fla., Cardinal Mooney HS) led the IWU defense with eight tackles and a forced fumble while Eric Esch (Bloomington HS), Charlie Welke (New Lenox, Lincoln Way Central HS) and Brian Smith (Louisville, Ky. Trinity HS) all had interceptions.

CCIW PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior kicker Mike Berry (Crystal Lake, Prairie Ridge East HS) was chosen “Special teams Player of the Week” in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin for his play vs. Olivet. Berry made field goals of 43 and 34 yards and also had an extra point in the 21-6 win. The 43-yard field goal is tied for the 7th longest in Illinois Wesleyan history.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Chosen by Titan coaches to honor top players in the week’s game and practices. The “Titan Award” honors a player for work ethic, loyalty and spirit.
OFFENSE: Marcus Dunlop, junior, back, Maywood (Proviso East HS)
DEFENSE: Mike Mastro, senior, linebacker, Sarasota, Fla. (Cardinal Mooney HS); Brian Smith, junior, back, Louisville, Ky. (Trinity HS)
SPECIAL TEAMS: Mike Stephens, senior, end, Orland Park, Providence Catholic HS); Josh Monk, sophomore, linebacker, Bloomington (Central Catholic); Steve Groestema, senior, linebacker, LaGrange Park (Lyons HS)
SCOUT (Offense): Mike Smith, freshman, line, Chicago (Leo HS); Jamere Johnson, freshman, receiver, Richton Park (Rich Central HS)
SCOUT (Defense): Mike Kotz, freshman, linebacker, Elmwood Park (St. Patrick HS); Kindred Cook, freshman, line, Chicago (Whitney Young HS)
TITAN AWARD: Steve Groestema, senior, linebacker, (LaGrange Park, Lyons HS)

MARCUS DUNLOP: Junior Marcus Dunlop (Maywood, Proviso East HS) ran for 117 yards vs. Coe and now has 1,477 career rushing yards, making him 15th all-time at IWU. He is immediately behind Aaron Telford (1,538, 1998-01).

SCOUTING THE LIONS: Mt. St. Joseph is 35th in the latest Football Gazette poll and 36th in d3football.com...The Lions have been 19-3 in the 2004 and 2005 seasons with two Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and two appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, losing to Wheaton and Mount Union... The Lions are off to a 2-0 start this season with wins over Wilmington (24-0) and conference foe Rose-Hulman (24-9). Mike Lovell ran for 162 yards and two TDs, and the Lions defense shut down its opponent in the win at Rose-Hulman, 20-9. A defense that held Rose-Hulman to 28 yards rushing on 31 carries, enabled the Lions to post their eighth straight regular season win. After holding Rose-Hulman in their first series, the Lions scored on the third play of their opening series when Lovell ran 62 yards for a score. Behind the running and throwing of QB Rashon Lewis and Lovell’s rushing, the Mount built the lead to 12-0 when Lewis scored on a 14-yard keeper. Kevin Koch added the PAT conversion to give the Lions a 13-0 lead. Despite a missed field goal from 48 yards out by Koch shortly after that score, the Lions punched in another touchdown before the half. Mount linebacker Todd Hogel recovered a fumble deep in Rose-Hulman territory and Lovell scored from two yards away with a minute left. Koch’s PAT kick made the score 20-0. The Mount defense, led by Hogel’s five tackles and teammate Kyle Prosser, who also had five tackles, allowed only one first down and one net yard of offense (16 yards passing, -15 rushing) in the first half. The Mount rushed for 200 yards in the game and held Rose-Hulman to one-of-13 on third down conversions. Prosser tied for a game-high 11 tackles while B. J. Adams and Hogel each recorded eight tackles. Adams added a sack while Alex Harbin also had a sack. Phil Poetter had an interception and blocked a punt.

THE COACHES: Norm Eash (Illinois Wesleyan, 1975) is in his 20th season as head coach at IWU and has an overall record of 117-64-1 (.647) and a CCIW mark of 87-50-1 (.634) with league titles in 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, and 2001. Eash, the CCIW “Coach of the Year” in 1992, 1996 and 2001, is fourth in all-time CCIW coaching wins, behind IWU’s Don Larson (142 wins), Bob Reade of Augustana (112) and Carthage’s Art Keller (105). Eash is second in victories at IWU, behind Don Larson (166 wins in 33 years, 1954-86). . .Rod Huber (Cincinnati, 1988) is in his seventh year as the Lions’ head coach and has the most wins as a Mount football coach with a 34-30 record. The Lions are 32-12 since going 2-18 mark in Huber’s first two years. In 2005, Huber led the program to its second straight HCAC championship as the Lions went 5-1 in conference play and were in the NCAA Division III playoffs for the second straight year, losing to eventual national champion Mt. Union in the first round. In 2004 the Lions were 10-0 overall (6-0 HCAC) before losing to Wheaton, 31-7 in the NCAA postseason. and 6-0 in the HCAC. Huber, a two-time HCAC Coach of the Year, has 24 years of coaching at the high school and college level and has been on the Mount football staff since the program’s inception in 1990. Prior to becoming the head coach in 2000, Huber was a defensive position coach and spent four years as the Lions’ defensive coordinator.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Titans have an off week next week before launching into the CCIW phase of the schedule, playing at preseason CCIW favorite Augustana on Sat., Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. The Vikings are 1-1 after a 17-7 loss last weekend to Baldwin-Wallace in a game that saw Augie gain only 189 total yards (127 rushing and 62 passing). Augustana, who won 53-7 over MacMurray in their opener, is off this week and will play at Wis.-Platteville next Sat., Sept. 23.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Four from IWU earned honorable mention notice on the preseason All-America squads chosen by Don Hansen's Football Gazette — senior DE Mike Stephens (Orland Park, Providence Catholic HS), senior KR Eric Esch (Bloomington HS), junior RB Marcus Dunlop (Maywood, Proviso East HS) and sophomore WR Martin Ceisel (Deerfield HS).

CCIW PRESEASON POLL: IWU was picked to finish seventh in the 2006 CCIW preseason coaches’ poll. Augustana was No. 1 with 46 points, including four first place votes, followed by North Central (38 points, two first place votes), Wheaton (36 points, one first place vote). Millikin (one first place vote) and Elmhurst tied for fourth with 27 points, followed by Carthage (26 points), the Titans (17) and North Park (7).

ON THE AIR: The IWU/Olivet game will be broadcast live on WJBC 1230 AM...The game will be rebroadcast on Insight channel 5 for Bloomington-Normal cable subscribers three times: Sat., Sept. 9 - 7 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 10 - 4 p.m.; Tues., Sept. 12 - 8 p.m.

SEASON OPENERS: IWU is 10-10 in opening-day games under Norm Eash.

EARLY START: In a check of records since 1965, this is the earliest home football game played in the modern era at Illinois Wesleyan. . . Last year the Titans hosted Simpson on Sept. 3, the earliest season start ever prior to this year, and in 2004 IWU played at Simpson on Sept. 4. Other early season openers have been on Sept. 7, 1985 (DePauw at IWU); Sept. 8, 2001 (IWU at Washington U.) and Sept. 8, 1984 (IWU at DePauw) and Sept. 9, 2000 (Washington U. at IWU). What a difference 40 years makes - the IWU season in 1965 started on Sept. 25 with a home game against Illinois State.