Sat., Oct. 5 • 1:30 p.m. • Illinois Wesleyan Stadium
Bloomington, Ill.
HOMECOMING: This is Homecoming at Illinois Wesleyan. In the last 37 years, IWU is 25-12 in Homecoming games and is 5-5 in the last 10.
LAST WEEK: Senior Chris Ross (Chatham, Glenwood HS) was named College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin “Player of the Week” as he ran for 206 yards and a pair of TDs to lead IWU to a 34-16 non-league win over the host U. of Chicago Saturday at Stagg Field. Ross’s 2-yard TD run with :57 left in the first half gave IWU (3-0) the lead for good at 20-13. His 63-yard run midway through the third quarter set up the Titans’ fourth touchdown, and he scored on a 17-yard scamper in the game’s final minute. IWU tied the game at 6-6 when Josh Akin (Naperville, Benet Academy) connected with Tim Snyder (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard South HS) on a 32-yard TD at 11:16 of the second. IWU took a 13-6 lead when Akin hit Eric White (Antioch HS) from three yards out with 9:26 left in the half. Ross’ 2-yard touchdown run gave the Titans a 20-13 lead with 57 seconds remaining in the half. IWU went up 27-16 midway through the third when Akin and White connected from 14 yards out. That play came three plays after Ross’ 63-yard run. Akin completed 18 of 31 attempts for 259 yards and three TDs without an interception. White caught eight passes for 135 yards and two scores. Defensively, senior LB Mike Clark (Joliet, West HS) had eight total tackles and recovered a fumble while Solomon Jones (Kankakee HS) and Willie Chandler (St. Louis, Mo., Hazelwood East HS) each registered seven tackles and Chandler had two quarterback sacks.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Chosen by Titan coaches to honor top players in the week’s game
and practices.
OFFENSE: Chris Ross, senior, running back, Chatham (Glenwood HS)
DEFENSE: Willie Chandler, senior, line, St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood East
HS)
SPECIAL TEAMS: Kyle Wolfe, sophomore, defensive line, St. Joseph (St.
Joseph-Ogden HS)
SCOUT (Offense): Chris Pedersen, junior, receiver, Bloomington (Normal
U High); Ken Holub, freshman, receiver, Berwyn (Morton West HS)
SCOUT (Defense): Jason Lyngaas, sophomore, end, Lake Barrington (Barrington
HS); Larry Masarsky, freshman, back, Skokie (Niles West HS).
RANKINGS: IWU improved to No. 19 in the Oct. 1 American Football Coaches Association poll after being No. 23 in both of the first two weeks. Augustana is No. 18 and Millikin is No. 21. IWU jumped to No. 36 (up one spot after two weeks at No. 37) in this week’s Don Hansen Football Gazette. The Titans were picked to finish second in the preseason CCIW coaches’ poll.
FOR THE RECORD: IWU teams are 44-23 in October in the Norm Eash era...Since 1995, IWU has won 54 of its last 65 games (.831) and has been over the .500-mark for eight straight years and 12 of the last 13 years. The 11 losses have come to Wheaton (4), Millikin (3), Augustana (2), Washington U. and Mount Union (1 each)...The Titans are 54-15 (.783) at home and 48-25-1 on the road (.655) under Eash...IWU is 43-8 (.843) at Wilder Field in the last 11 years (1991-2001).
ALL-TIME: IWU is 487-348-42 (.578) in 110 years of football. Before the season, IWU was tied for 16th among Division III schools (with St. John’s [Minn.], 484-211-24 in 91 seasons).
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS: North Park is 1-2 with a win over Eureka (27-8) and losses to the U. of Chicago (33-9) and Wisconsin Lutheran (34-7). In the win over Eureka, sophomore Josh Gruenewald rushed 25 times for 198 yards as the Vikings totaled 341 yards of offense. He had 113 yards at Wisconsin Lutheran. Jon Harris caught five passes in that game for 69 yards and for the season has made 23 catches for 271 yards... North Park managed 242 yards of offense against Chicago, which had 436 yards of total offense in the game...Vikings’ QB Phil Dewalt is 34 of 77 for 353 yards and has been intercepted three times. Defensively the Vikings are led by senior DB Randle Williams, who has made 11 solo tackles and assisted on eight more. Junior DB Scott Sousa has made three interceptions for 31 yards and two touchdowns.
THE COACHES: Norm Eash (Illinois Wesleyan, 1975) is in his 16th season as head coach at IWU and has an overall record of 102-40-1 (.713) and a CCIW mark of 77-32-1 (.704) with conference titles in 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, and 2001. Eash, the CCIW “Coach of the Year” in 1992, 1996 and 2001, is tied for fourth in all-time CCIW coaching wins with Millikin’s Carl Poelker, who was 77-30-1 in 14 years (1982-95). Eash is second in victories at IWU, behind Don Larson (166 wins in 33 years, 1954-86)... Robin Cooper (IWU ‘75), a teammate of Eash’s at IWU, has a 3-10 record in his second year at North Park. Cooper was head coach from 1999-2000 at College of DuPage, where he started the program and had a 13-8 record. Cooper compiled a 36-33 record as head coach at Evansville. Cooper’s first college head coaching job had him starting the football program at MacMurray College in 1984. He led the Highlanders to a 20-8 mark over three years.
THE SERIES: Dating back to 1960, IWU leads the series vs. North Park, 39-3. The Titans have won 16 in a row and 21 of the last 22, including a 37-0 decision in Chicago a year ago.
ON THE AIR: The IWU/North Park game will be broadcast via streaming audio on the Internet on WJBC Radio. Art Kimball and Greg Halbleib will provide the commentary.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Titans meet preseason CCIW favorite Augustana (1-1) next Saturday in Rock Island in a 1 p.m. game.
LEAGUE HONORS: IWU tailback Chris Ross (Chatham, Glenwood HS) and Wheaton wide receiver Brad Musso shared the offensive "Player of the Week" award in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (Sept. 28). For the second time this season Millikin defensive end Nate Carden has been named defensive "Player of the Week" and he shares the honor with Benitez Brown of Elmhurst. Ross gained 206 yards on 35 carries and scored two touchdowns as the Titans defeated Chicago, 34-16. IWU’s Josh Akin (Naperville, Benet Academy) was CCIW “Offensive Player of the Week” on Sept. 14.
FOR KICKS: Junior Brian Klesath (Peoria, Notre Dame HS) is 16-of-28 in his career. That is second all-time at IWU, behind Dave Pearce, who kicked 29 field goals from 1979-82. Klesath had a career-long 44 yarder in the win over UW-LaCrosse.
UNDER THE LIGHTS: On Sept. 21, 2002, IWU won the first home night
football game played at IWU’s Wilder Field since 1971. The Titans were
to have played Aurora at night on Sept. 15, 2001, but the game was cancelled
in light of the national tragedies of Sept. 11. The last home night game
was on Oct. 2, 1971, when Carthage downed the Titans, 22-19. Home night
game results from 1965-2002:
Sept. 24, 2002 - IWU 31, Washington U. 24 (OT)
Oct. 2, 1971 - Carthage 22, IWU 19
Sept. 19, 1970 - IWU 21, Wheaton 21
Oct. 5, 1968 - Carthage 20, IWU 13
Sept. 30, 1967 - IWU 17, Augustana 3
Oct. 1, 1966 - IWU 20, North Park 0
Sept. 25, 1965 - IWU 34, Illinois State 7
MEDIA GUIDE: The 2002 Illinois Wesleyan football media guide, complete with player and coach profiles and all-time records, is available for $5 via mail. Send a check to: Sports Information Director, Illinois Wesleyan, P.O. Box 2900, Bloomington, IL 61702-2900.
HONORS: Four players return that were first team all-CCIW choices last season - senior defensive back and punt returner Kevin Kaplan (Cary, Cary-Grove HS) (20 tackles, five interceptions, led league in punt returns); senior linebacker Mike Clark (Joliet, West HS) (82 tackles, 45 solo, 13 tackles for loss); senior offensive tackle Adam Miller (Elgin, Larkin HS); and junior wide receiver Tim Snyder (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard South HS) (27 catches for 396 yards). Kaplan is also a third team preseason All-American (Don Hansen Football Gazette).