The Illinois Wesleyan University football team geared up to welcome Wheaton College to Tucci Stadium this weekend on September 16. The highly-anticipated kickoff of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) opener is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tucci Stadium.
The Titans, currently standing at 0-1, are eager to secure their win after a challenging 38-13 season-opening defeat at the hands of Central College on September 9. The Thunder meanwhile arrives with a 1-0 record, after the triumph over the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a score of 30-21, also on September 9.
For fans eager to witness the action, a video broadcast featuring Eric Stock calling the action alongside Joel Swanson will be available at iwusports.com.
Under the leadership of head coach Norm Eash, the Titans are 22-13 in CCIW, including a 10-game winning streak spanning from 1995 to 2004. The previous win in a conference opener occurred in 2018 when Illinois Wesleyan secured a 24-14 victory against Wheaton at Tucci Stadium.
The history between Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan teams dates back to 1922, with Wheaton holding a 36-29-2 all-time advantage over the Titans. However, the Green and White managed to break this streak on September 15, 2018, with a memorable 24-14 victory at Tucci Stadium.
During Illinois Wesleyan’s season-opener against Central, Seth Albin amazed the crowd with a remarkable 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown, earning him the title of CCIW Special Teams Player of the Week. This return ties for the second-longest in the program’s history and marks the longest kickoff return by a Titan since Artie Checchin’s 100-yard return in 2014.
Albin’s return secured him the title of the third Titan in more than 50 years to record two kickoff returns for touchdowns, joining the former IWU standouts Chris Bisaillon (1989-92) and Maurice Gilmore-Shoemaker (2015-16).
Myles Kee, a standout in last season’s IWU-Wheaton clash, made an impact with 12 catches for 168 yards in that contest during their sophomore year. Kee, who was the top Titan receiver in the last week’s opener, posted game-highs in both receptions and receiving yards a year ago.
Since Eash took over as head coach in 1987, the Titans are 125-51 (.710) at home. Over the past five seasons, dating back to 2017, Illinois Wesleyan has consistently achieved a winning record at home, with a remarkable 24 wins out of their last 31 home games since the 2016 season, including a strong 5-1 performance in the last season.
Eash is a coaching legend, with over 200 career wins, making him one of just two active coaches in NCAA Division III with this distinction. Eash, who has accumulated 225 wins at his alma mater, ranks second nationally among active Division III head coaches. Across all NCAA divisions, Eash stands seventh, trailing behind renowned names like Nick Saban, Mack Brown, and others.
Eash’s tenure as Illinois Wesleyan’s head coach spans an impressive 36 seasons, making him one of the longest-tenured head coaches in all of college football across the NCAA.
Looking ahead, the Titans will hit the road for their first away game of the 2023 season on September 23. They will take on against Carroll University with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
In recognition of their outstanding contributions in week one, Zach McNees and Seth Albin earned MVPs, as voted by the team. McNees secured the title of Defensive MVP, while Albin was recognized as the Special Teams MVP. Matt Hayland (offense), John Gavin (co-defense), and Joey Demaio (co-defense) received scout players of the week, and Zach Hinds was awarded the Titan Award.
