MARION, Ind. - The No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats scored early and often in the 63-6 blowout victory over Trinity Baptist in the home opener Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats registered 33 first downs while limiting the opposition to a mere 5. IWU out-gained TIU 274-77 on the ground while throwing for 60 more yards through the air.

IWU's defense garnered three interceptions on the afternoon while the special teams converted a 95-yard touchdown return.
 

FIRST QUARTER

• After forcing a three-and-out on Trinity International's first possession, Daniel Weems got things going with an 11-yard rush. Two plays later, he rushed for 16 yards down to the 11-yard line. After a time-out, Xavier Gordon scampered 11 yards for the score. Ethan Collins extra point made it 7-0 just 3:20 into the game.
• Donovan Shelton's interception gave the Wildcats back the ball on the TIU 25-yard line. A fourth-and-two conversion by Dederrian Williams kept the drive alive. Xander Stokes hit Perrion McClinton for a six-yard touchdown pass. The extra point pushed it to 14-0.
• A 39-yard strike from Stokes to Markell Stephens-Peppers ended the first quarter for a three-score edge by the home team.  

SECOND QUARTER

• IWU forced a punt on TIU's first possession of the second frame and quickly marched down the field for the score. After mixing the running and passing plays, Williams rushed for the final 10 yards and a 28-0 lead.
• Up 28-6, Justin Johnson took the kickoff and burst past the defense for a 95-yard touchdown return, giving the Wildcats a 35-6 advantage. Johnson enters the record books as the first Wildcat to return a kickoff for a touchdown.
• On fourth-and-7 Stokes hit Xavier Gordon for 17 yards to the TIU 8. After a holding penalty and a 15-yard run by Jacquez Carter, Daniel Weems ended the drive with a three-yard rush for a 42-6 edge.
• A Weems one-yard run just before halftime put the score at 49-6.

THIRD QUARTER

• Jameson Chesser's 16-yard burst at the 10:27 mark of the stanza and Ryan Whiteman's 11-yard rush put the score at 63-6 with 5:52 to play in the quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

• No scoring happened in the final 15 minutes of action.

TURNING POINT

• After two quick scores, IWU was in control the entire contest. The Wildcats scored early and often in the victory over TIU.

WHAT THE WIN MEANS

• The national-ranked Wildcats have a shot to move up in the rankings with an impressive victory.

KEY STATISTICS

• Stokes completed 16-of-21 for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Stephens led a balanced receiving attack with 45 yards and a score while McClinton also had a touchdown haul.
• Chesser led the offense with 132 yards and a score on the ground. Weems totaled 55 yards and two scores while Williams had 52 yards and a touchdown.
• The defense piled up five tackles for loss. The squad was led by Aaron Harris, Clayton Mosher and Wade Phillips as all three registered five total tackles. Isaac Abeo had a team-high for lost yards with 14.
• Collins had a busy day, registering 10 kickoffs while averaging 59.2 yards an attempt.
• Johnson returned two kicks and scored on a 95-yard effort. He averaged 61.5 yards per return.

LANGS PERSPECTIVE

• "It was a great atmosphere today. No one in this community should take for granted the fact that we just had 4,000 people show up in September, because that will be more than a lot of programs will see in an entire season. We are very grateful for the support."

NEXT UP

• The Wildcats stay at home to host No. 15 Concordia University (Mich.) on Oct. 1 at 12:00 p.m.
• Individuals looking to attend can purchase tickets at IWUWildcats.com/Tickets.

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