Illinois Wesleyan (3-0, 0-0) vs. North Park University (2-1, 0-0)
Sat., Sept. 30, 2000 • 1 p.m.
Illinois Wesleyan Stadium • Bloomington, Ill.

TITAN NOTES
IWU won its 11th straight non-league regular-season game with a 20-12 decision over Taylor last Saturday in Upland, Ind. The Titans' last non-CCIW regular-season loss came to Simpson (Iowa), 24-21, in 1995. . .In the win, senior Max Milinkovich (Elmhurst, Tork HS) rushed for 98 yards and two TDs, including the game-clincher with 2:10 left. Joel Castillo (Elgin, Larkin HS) to  completed 11 of 28 passes for 201 yards and Shawn Emerson (Zion, Zion-Benton HS) made eight catches for 172 yards. Brad Andrekus (Carol Stream, Glenbard North HS) had 14 total tackles and Joel Dodson (Pontiac HS)  had 12 to pace the defensive attack.

FOR THE RECORD
CCIW teams were 19-5 against non-conference foes in the league’s first 10-game schedule...IWU has won 38 of its last 46 games (.826) and has had better than .500 seasons for six straight seasons and for 10 times in the last 11 years. . .IWU teams were 72-21-1 in the 1990s (.769) and, in the Eash era, are 25-8-1 in September (.742). The Titans are 46-14 (.759) at home and 40-23-1 on the road (.627) under Eash’s tutelage. . . IWU is 35-7 (.829) at Wilder Field in the last 10 years, including 2000.

CAREER MARKS
In his career, Shawn Emerson (Zion, Zion-Benton HS) has 113 catches and 1,694 receiving yards (both No. 9 all-time at IWU), and 17  TD catches (tied for No. 8 at IWU) . . . Max Milinkovich (Elmhurst, York HS) has 1721 career rushing yards, good for No. 10 all-time at IWU. He is just behind Nate Hilding (1728 yards from 1992-95).

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Chosen by Titan coaches to honor top players in the week’s game and practices.
OFFENSE: Shawn Emerson, senior, receiver, Zion (Zion-Benton HS); Rob Pendergast, senior, fullback, Elk Grove (Conant HS)
DEFENSE: Dan Vosnos, senior, linebacker, Glenview (Glenbrook South HS)
SPECIAL TEAMS: Kyle Eash, junior, back, Bloomington (HS)
SCOUT TEAM (Offense): Bob Salas, freshman, line, Bolingbrook (HS); Frank Mirandola, junior, quarterback, Melrose Park (West Leyden HS)
SCOUT TEAM (Defense): Solomon Jones, freshman, back, Kankakee (HS).

THE VIKINGS
North Park is off to a 2-1 start. Since 1962, there have been 18 seasons when North Park did not win two games and 10 seasons when they won just two (in 10 of those 38 seasons they won more than two games) . . .North Park is led by running back Darnell Rios, who was CCIW “Offensive Player of the Week” two weeks ago when he had 126 rushing yards and three TDs vs. Concordia. Mike Rice is third in the league with 275 yards on 52 carries and quarterback Dana Anderson has completed 30 of 63 passes for 392 yards and two TDs. Among the 15 lettermen back on defense for North Park are seniors Chad Peterson and Jamie Staples, the co-leaders of the team with 17 tackles each.

THE COACHES
Norm Eash, a 1975 IWU graduate, is in his 14th season as head coach at Illinois Wesleyan. He has an overall record of 86-37-1 (.690) and a CCIW mark of 65-30-1 with three league titles (1992, 1994, 1996). Eash is second in victories at IWU, behind Don "Swede" Larson (166 wins in 33 years, 1954-86) . . . Mike Liljegren, a 1985 North Park graduate, is in his sixth season as head coach at his alma mater, where he has an overall record of 8-40 (.167). He is 3-32 (.086) in league competition.

THE SERIES
Dating back to 1960, IWU leads the series vs. North Park, 37-3. The Titans have won 14 in a row and 19 of the last 20, including eking out a 7-6 decision at home last season.

LEAGUE HONORS
Sophomore Joel Dodson (Pontiac HS) was “Defensive Player of the Week” in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin for the week of Sept. 16. Dodson had 12 solo tackles and assisted on one more, had a quarterback sack for -3 yards, recovered a fumble and, late in the game, forced a fumble that helped secure the Titans’ 7-6 win at Aurora.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Titans continue the CCIW season on the road next Saturday with a 1 p.m. game against No. 9-rated Augustana in Rock Island. It is the Vikings’ Homecoming game.

RANKINGS
The Titans moved up to No. 22 from No. 29 in Don Hansen’s Football Gazette and have cracked the top 25, entering at No. 24 in the American Football Coaches Assn. poll, after receiving votes the first three weeks. Augustana is No. 9 in the poll and Millikin in No. 14. The Titans were No. 25 in the second weekly poll done by  usafootball.com.