DEFIANCE, Ohio - Arjun Lothe tied his own single-game program record with seven touchdown passes Saturday, leading No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan to a 53-12 win over Defiance College in the Wildcats' MFSA Mideast opener. Lothe completed 22 of 25 passes for 366 yards. His 88.0 completion percentage is the highest in program history when throwing more than 18 attempts. Blake Brumbaugh, Braxton Myers and Simon Vinson each caught two touchdowns, Grant Irwin added one, and IWU improved to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Defiance, Ohio | Coressel Stadium
- Records: IWU: 6-1 (1-0 MFSA Mideast) | DC: 3-4 (0-1 MFSA Mideast)
- NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU: #3 | DC: Unranked
FIRST QUARTER
- Defiance took the opening kickoff to midfield behind Cameron Turner, but Chris Cotton's 4th-and-3 keeper was stopped for 1 yard by Zion Mills, giving IWU the ball on downs at its own 41.
- IWU needed two plays to score, as Lothe hit Blake Brumbaugh for 14 yards and then a 45-yard touchdown. After a missed PAT failed, and the Wildcats led 6-0.
- After a Defiance punt, Lothe connected with Grant Irwin for 17 yards, then found Brumbaugh for a 46-yard touchdown. The PAT failed again, and IWU led 12-0.
- The Yellow Jackets' next possession ended in a 32-yard Owen Catanese punt, fair caught by Dede Person at the IWU 30.
- A 7-yard Person run set up Lothe's 63-yard touchdown pass to Braxton Myers, and Clifton's kick made it 19-0.
- Defiance answered with a 12-play, 60-yard drive that included a 23-yard Cotton completion to Jadynn Martin, a 19-yard completion to Daylen Lewis, and a 10-yard Cotton run, reaching the IWU 22 as the quarter ended.
SECOND QUARTER
- Defiance's drive stalled when Cotton's 4th-and-5 pass to Brian Burrowes fell incomplete, handing IWU the ball at its own 18.
- IWU moved 81 yards in nine plays, highlighted by a 47-yard Lothe completion to Myers, but Ryan Whitwell was stopped for no gain on 4th-and-goal at the 1, and Defiance took over on downs.
- Brad Allen blocked Defiance's 4th-and-5 punt, which went out of bounds at the Defiance 9.
- Lothe found Simon Vinson for a 9-yard touchdown on the next snap. The PAT failed, and IWU led 25-0.
- Chase Crabtree dropped Cotton for a 14-yard loss on Defiance's next drive, but a holding penalty on IWU negated the sack. A 25-yard Cotton run was also erased by a Defiance holding penalty, and an intentional grounding call on Cotton helped force a 39-yard punt, downed at the IWU 36.
- IWU covered 64 yards in eight plays, with a 12-yard Whitwell run and a 15-yard pass interference penalty on 4th-and-4 keeping the drive alive. Person added a 19-yard run, and Lothe hit Vinson for a 3-yard touchdown. Myers caught the two-point conversion, making it 33-0.
- Defiance responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that included a 20-yard Cotton completion to Turner. AJ Schafer sacked Cotton for a 6-yard loss, and Zion Mills intercepted Cotton at the IWU 16, but a pass interference penalty on IWU wiped out the pick. Cotton then found Mar'Kel Wade for a 24-yard touchdown with 6 seconds left, and the Wildcats led 33-6 at halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
- Defiance opened the second half with an on-side kick, but IWU recovered at the Defiance 48.
- IWU cashed in with an eight-play drive that included an 11-yard Whitwell run, an 18-yard Lothe completion to Drew Dutton, and a 4th-and-4 conversion on a 4-yard catch by Vinson. Lothe finished it with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Irwin. A two-point try to Dutton failed, and IWU led 39-6.
- Defiance's next possession stalled after a roughing-the-passer penalty on IWU gave the Yellow Jackets a first down, and Catanese punted 36 yards, downed at the IWU 25.
- IWU went 75 yards in seven plays, Person gaining 9 and 7 yards and Lothe hitting Jackson Vest for 11 and Dutton for 13 before throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to Myers, making it 46-6.
- Defiance began its next drive with a 13-yard personal
FOURTH QUARTER
- IWU's defense held on 4th-and-3, as Connor Yates and Terry Sylvester stopped Cotton for a 1-yard gain, and IWU took over on downs at its own 42.
- Bronson Edwards took over at quarterback and hit Irwin for 18 yards, though Irwin fumbled and Jesse Parson recovered and returned it to the Defiance 37. Edwards added a 21-yard completion to Luke Munoz, and Person scored on a 1-yard run on 4th-and-goal, making it 53-6.
- Jackson Snyder intercepted Cotton at the Defiance 37 and returned it 19 yards to the Defiance 18.
- IWU could not cash in, as Edwards was sacked for a 12-yard loss by Darrell Owens and Aidan Gansert punted 32 yards, downed at the Defiance 4.
- Defiance answered with a 10-play, 96-yard drive, a 49-yard Cotton completion to Wade, a 15-yard Turner run, and a 19-yard Tevin Lewis-Johnson run setting up Marshawn Taylor's 3-yard touchdown run. The two-point try failed, and the score was 53-12.
- A 49-yard Person kickoff return and a 24-yard Person run moved IWU to the Defiance 10, but the drive stalled after a sack.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
- Arjun Lothe: 22-for-25, 366 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT
- Dede Person: 13 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD
- Ryan Whitwell: 9 carries, 40 yards; 2 receptions, 12 yards
- Braxton Myers: 3 receptions, 145 yards, 2 TD; 1 two-point conversion
- Blake Brumbaugh: 4 receptions, 112 yards, 2 TD
- Grant Irwin: 7 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD
- Simon Vinson: 4 receptions, 23 yards, 2 TD
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUTS
TEAM COMPARISON
- Total Offense: IWU 542 yards (130 rush, 412 pass); DC 373 yards (178 rush, 195 pass)
- First Downs: IWU 26; DC 24
- Turnovers: IWU 0; DC 1 (INT)
- Sacks: IWU 1 (6 yards); DC 2 (17 yards)
- Penalties: IWU 8 for 63 yards; DC 8 for 67 yards
- Time of Possession: IWU 21:39; DC 38:21
UP NEXT
- IWU will return to Wildcat Stadium next Saturday, October 24 for Homecoming 2026 against Madonna at 4:00 p.m.
- Live video, tickets, and stats will be available on IWUWildcats.com.
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