MARION, Ind. – No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan football (3-2) secured a commanding 65-31 victory over St. Francis (IL) (2-2) as the Wildcats amassed 620 total offensive yards and recorded three interceptions at Wildcat Stadium. IWU's 434 passing yards are the second-highest in program history.
Quarterback Arjun Lothe continued his strong season, throwing for 355 yards and 3 touchdowns, moving him to fourth all-time in program history with 1,878 passing yards in a single season. On defense, Deven Arevalo led the charge with two interceptions, tying his own season-high, including a 58-yard pick-six that sparked the first-quarter surge.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marion, Ind. | Wildcat Football Stadium
- Records: IWU: 4-2 | USF: 2-3
- NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU - #16 | USF - Unranked
FIRST QUARTER
- St. Francis opened with a scoring drive, capped by Nathan Maul's 28-yard touchdown pass to Mason Hackman at 11:21.
- IWU responded with a 70-yard drive, featuring Cameron Morrison's 7-yard touchdown run, evening the score.
- Morrison struck again, breaking free for a 39-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 14-7 advantage.
- Moments later, Deven Arevalo jumped a route and returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 21-7 and setting the tone for the night.
SECOND QUARTER
- The Saints opened the period with a successful 46-yard field goal by Adrian Guerrero, narrowing the gap.
- IWU responded swiftly with Arjun Lothe's 59-yard touchdown pass to Braxton Myers.
- Lothe then connected twice with Isaac Smith, first on a 19-yard strike and later a 54-yard bomb, as the Wildcat offense continued to roll.
- Josh Clifton capped the half with a 38-yard field goal, his longest of the season, sending IWU to the locker room up 45-10.
THIRD QUARTER
- Indiana Wesleyan opened the quarter with a strong drive, highlighted by Cameron Morrison's third touchdown run, marking his third score of the day and the most rushing TDs in a game this season.
- St. Francis responded with an 8-yard touchdown run by Gavin Day.
- IWU answered immediately as Brock Short sprinted 54 yards for another score.
- The Saints responded promptly, with Maul connecting with Ryan Little for a 17-yard touchdown, trimming the margin to 58-24.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Indiana Wesleyan began the period with a methodical drive, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown run by Ayden Ewing.
- The Saints responded with a prolonged drive, with Maul completing a 24-yard pass to Hackman, but the drive stalled after penalties and a stout Indiana Wesleyan defense.
- The Saints managed one last score as Maul scored a rushing touchdown from 3 yards out.
- In the closing moments, Daione Lunsford intercepted Maul's pass, returning it 37 yards to the USF12, sealing the game with Indiana Wesleyan maintaining a 65-31 advantage at the final whistle.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
- Arjun Lothe: 19-of-28, 355 yards, 3 TD
- Isaac Smith: 7 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD
- Braxton Myers: 2 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD
- Cameron Morrison: 11 carries, 85 yards, 3 TD
- Brock Short: 5 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
- Ayden Ewing: 6 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUTS
TEAM COMPARISON
- Total Offense: IWU 620 yards (434 pass, 186 rush); USF 402 yards (254 pass, 148 rush).
- First Downs: IWU 29; USF 24.
- Turnovers: IWU 0; USF 4 (3 INT, 1 fumble lost).
- Sacks: IWU defense 3 sacks (9 yds); USF recorded 0 sacks on IWU.
- Penalties: IWU 9 for 97 yards; USF 11 for 102 yards.
- Time of Possession: IWU 25:33; USF 48:59.
RODE PERSPECTIVE
- "The team played complementary football today and played a clean game," said Head Coach, Andrew Rode. "We had been working on minimizing our mistakes and starting fast, and I believe we did that today. Very proud of our offense, defense, and special teams for the way they a committed to each other and to improving each week."
UP NEXT
- The Wildcats have their bye week next Saturday, but are back on the road on October 18 as they travel to Michigan to play Madonna University at 12:00PM.
- Live video and stats will be available on IWUWildcats.com.
NEXT HOME GAME
- IWU returns to Wildcats Stadium for Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 25 against Defiance at 4:00PM.
- Tickets can be purchased at IWUWildcats.com/tickets or by clicking HERE.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
#