MARION, Ind. – Playoff football is officially coming to the campus of Indiana Wesleyan, as the No. 6-ranked Wildcats will host No. 10 Morningside University for the second round of the 2023 NAIA Football Championship Series.


 

PREVIEW

• NAIA FCS SECOND ROUND: No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan (9-1) vs. No. 10 Morningside (9-2)
• This marks the first meeting between the programs.

KICKOFF

• Kick-off for the NAIA FCS Second Round will be at 12:00 p.m.

ON THE INTERNET

• Fans can watch the game by clicking HERE.
• Listen to the game on 1400 AM WBAT or on 94.3 FM The Fortress.
• Live stats are available by clicking HERE.

TICKETS

• All general admission tickets will go on sale on Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. and can be purchased at www.IWUWildcats.com/tickets or by clicking HERE.
• Individuals with reserved season tickets have received information via email with how they can claim their reserved seats. This exclusive presale is available from now until Wednesday morning at 7:00AM.

HOTELS

• Traveling into Marion and need a place to stay?
• The team hotel is SOLD OUT, so parents and fans are encouraged to stay at either the Comfort Suites or Hampton Inn in Marion.

TAILGATING

• The excitement of grilling and spending time with loved ones is back, with lots opening up four hours before kickoff. 
• To learn more about tailgating or to refresh yourself on the do's and don'ts, visit IWUWildcats.com/FBGameday. 
   

THE SERIES

• Despite being two of the top programs in NAIA, this marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

RETURN TO THE POSTSEASON

• This marks the second consecutive season IWU will compete in postseason play. Last year, the team opened the playoffs with a 14-7 win over No. 13 Avila in the first round. The team downed No. 6 Benedictine 24-13 in the quarterfinals, before falling to the eventual national champion Northwestern College in the NAIA semifinals.
• The return to the postseason this year saw IWU gain a first-round bye. For the second consecutive season, the team will compete in front of its home crowd.

FAMILIAR FOE

• Although this is the first meeting between the two powerful programs, Head Coach Andrew Rode knows Morningside well. He spent three years there, helping the team to a 35-2 record and the 2021 national championship as the offensive coordinator. While there, he was also the recruiting coordinator.

AT THE HELM

• Head coach Andrew Rode squares off against his former team. While with the Mustangs, Rode was the offensive coordinator that led the team to first in NAIA in points per game, total yards per game and passing yards per game.
• In his first year at the helm of the IWU program, Rode guided the team to a top-five ranking for virtually the entire season and a 9-1 ledger. His teams have won with a high-scoring offense, a tremendous defense that came up with huge stops, and a special teams group that made the most of their chances.

WILDCAT LEADERS

• Xander Stokes leads the vaunted passing attack with 2,399 yards and 23 touchdowns while hitting 60.7 percent of his targets.
• His favorite target is Levi Tidwell, who leads the team with 1,011 yards and eight scores.
• Isaac Smith is second on the team with four touchdowns (tied with Dederrian Williams) while Williams is the second-leading receiver with 29 catches.
• Dederrian Williams has 1,104 yards on the ground with a team-best 11 scores.
• Isaiah Gibbs and Stokes each have four rushing scores. Gibbs and Williams each have rushes longer than 50 yards on the season.

• Luke Bays leads a talented defense with 96 stops.
• Clayton Mosher has 63 tackles, including 9.5 for loss.
• Neil Campbell has a team-best 33 solo tackles and six interceptions.
• Keenan Hicks has six pass break-ups while Isaac Abeo, Bays and Ammen Hicks each have forced two fumbles.
• Abeo has been in the backfield for much of the season, resulting in 12.5 tackles for loss. Nine of those TFL's were sacks.

• Nolan Foley accounts for 133.43 yards per punt, including 12 that were downed inside the 20-yard line. He had three punts over 50 yards.
• Josh Clifton hit six-of-eight field goals with a long of 49 yards. He converted all 47 extra-point attempts.  

MUSTANG LEADERS

• The passing game has had a pair of student-athletes that have seen the bulk of the action. Cash Parker threw for 1,275 yards and 12 scores up until now while Lennx Brown has tossed for 725 yards and 7 scores.
• Zach Norton leads the receiving corps with 878 yards and nine touchdown receptions. Drew Sellon has 563 yards and three scores while Joshua Simmons has hauled in 21 catches for 378 yards and six touchdowns.
• Brown leads the rushing attack with 851 yards (6.6 ypc) and 11 scores. Five student-athletes have scored multiple touchdowns on the ground.

• Defensively, Isaac Pingel has a team-best 106 tackles, including 10 for loss. He has six sacks (team high).
• Lonell Boyd Jr. has 89 stops to go along with a team-best five interceptions.
• Dijion Walls also has five interceptions.
• Malik Hampton's 10 pass break-ups and three forced fumbles lead the squad.

• Bryson Wilke has been consistent, nailing 49-of-55 extra points. He has drilled five field goals with a long of 40 yards. Blake Brown has a kick return for a touchdown.

WHAT TO WATCH

• After suffering the first loss of the season in the regular-season finale, look for IWU to rebound after a week off.
• The Mustangs picked up a win in the regular-season finale after suffering back-to-back losses.
• IWU has won 12 consecutive home games dating back to the 2021 campaign.  

UP NEXT

• Should IWU be victorious, the No. 6 Wildcats would compete in the NAIA Quarterfinals on Saturday, Dec. 2.
• The contest would be at the campus site of the higher seed en route to the NAIA National Championship in Durham, N.C., on Dec. 18.

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