MARION, Ind. - No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan football broke open a close game in the third quarter for a 61-20 victory over county rival Taylor University Saturday afternoon. Dederrian Williams broke the program's single-game records for rushing yards and touchdowns as the Wildcats secured a share of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Mideast championship!

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A 30-point quarter sealed the win for the Wildcats, but Dederrian Williams had an enormous game for the victors.
• He wasn't the entire offense, but he set new program records after rushing for 211 yards on 29 carries with six touchdowns. 

FIRST QUARTER

• Trailing 7-0 after Taylor scored on its first possession, the Wildcats struck quickly to knot the score.
• Justin Johnson returned the kickoff the 46-yard line. Facing a first-and-15, Williams rushed for 13 yards. A face mask penalty put the ball on the 23-yard line. Williams completed the two-play drive with a score on the next play. After the ensuing extra point, it was 7-7.
• On fourth-and-four, the Wildcat defense stuffed Stephen Ellis short of the yard to gain. However, the offense was unable to muster a first down but Ethan Collins blasted a 41-yard field goal for a 10-7 advantage.

SECOND QUARTER

• IWU continued a late first-quarter drive and capped it off when Williams found paydirt again – this time from five yard out.
• Leading 17-14, IWU stuffed the run again on fourth-and-five to get the ball back on the 33-ayrd line. The home team used the ground attack to chew up the clock and march toward the endzone. However, on third-and-two, Williams scampered for 46 yards and a touchdown. Collins' kick extended the lead to 24-14 at the break.

THIRD QUARTER

• The Wildcats broke open the 10-point game with an enormous third quarter. Collins got the scoring started with a 22-yard field goal, pushing the score to 27-14.
• Williams found the endzone again with a 10-yard run at the 7:34 mark and the extra point extended the lead to 20 at 34-14.
• Xander Stokes showed off his arm and Jacquez Carter snagged a 27-yard pass at the 5:07 mark, adding six more points for the home team.
• Williams tacked on another touchdown 44 seconds later on an 11-yard run. The drive started quickly after Caleb Williams recovered a fumble.  
• Leading 48-14, Stokes hit Carter once gain – this time for a 20-yard pass – for another score.

FOURTH QUARTER

• After stopping Taylor on fourth-and-eight, the Wildcats got the ball back and once again, Williams was the offensive catalyst. Stokes hit Carter to get to the 22-yard line. Moments later, Williams capped off his spectacular day with a 14-yard run for the score.
• Taylor added a touchdown late for the final tally.

TURNING POINT

• The 30-point third quarter was what turned a semi-close game into the route that it was. Taylor had no answer for the ground attack.

WHAT THE WIN MEANS

• IWU secures a share of the MSFA Mideast title and heads into the regular-season finale as one of the hottest teams in the country. Riding an eight-game winning streak, the squad will look to win the championship outright and an automatic bid to the playoff next week on Senior Day.

KEY STATISTICS

• Dederrian Williams paced the Wildcats with 211 yards and six touchdowns on 29 attempts. Jacquez Carter hauled in five passes – two of which went for scores – while registering 71 yards receiving.
• Xander Stokes hit 11-of-23 for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
• Clayton Mosher led the defense with 17 tackles, including five of the solo variety. Devin Bacchus totaled 10 tackles. Mosher had four tackles for loss.
• Bacchus and Gardy Paul each forced a fumble in the win. Mosher recovered both fumbles. Neil Campbell and Justin Johnson each had a pass break-up.

LANGS PERSPECTIVE

• "I was so proud of the response by our football team in the 2nd half," said Jordan Langs, Head Football Coach. "We found ourselves in a difficult position for multiple reasons, but our toughness and togetherness prevailed in the 2nd half. This is an important game for our program, and I am proud of how we played!"

NEXT UP

• IWU returns home for the final game of the regular season. The Wildcats host Madonna University (Mich.) on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 12:00 p.m.
• Individuals looking to attend can purchase tickets at IWUWildcats.com/Tickets.

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

• Follow Athletics (@IWUWildcats): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
• Follow Football (@IndWesleyan_FB): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook