MARION, Ind. - No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan Football returns to Wildcat Football Stadium for Homecoming Weekend, hosting Madonna University in a Mid-States Football Association Mideast clash. The Wildcats roll in at 6-1 off a 53-12 win over Defiance, with Ryan Whitwell surpassing 1,000 rushing yards after piling up 1,034 through seven games. Madonna arrives unranked at 3-4, with quarterback Kolter Smith having thrown for 1,641 yards but a defense that's surrendered 28.3 points per game. The Wildcats have swept all five previous meetings with the Crusaders, including a 71-21 win a season ago.
THE ESSENTIALS
- #9 Indiana Wesleyan University vs Madonna University
- Location: Marion, Ind. | Wildcat Football Stadium
- Kickoff: 4:00 PM
- Records: IWU: 6-1 | MU: 3-4
- NAIA Top-25: IWU - #9 | MU - Unranked
HOW TO FOLLOW
THE SERIES
- Indiana Wesleyan has won all five meetings in the series against Madonna University, most recently a 71-21 decision on October 18, 2025.
IWU TEAM STATS
- Across seven games, the Wildcats are churning out 621.0 total yards per contest (306.3 rushing, 314.7 passing) and 56.3 points per game.
- IWU's defense has reeled in 10 interceptions, collected 3 fumble recoveries and tacked on 2 safeties this season.
- The Wildcats have reached the end zone 55 times on the year, with 31 of those scores coming on the ground.
WILDCAT LEADERS | 2026 SEASON STATS
- Arjun Lothe has slung it for 1,911 yards on 112-of-163 passing, tossing 20 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions.
- Ryan Whitwell sits atop the rushing chart with 1,034 yards and 15 scores on 130 carries. Dede Person has turned in 465 yards and 9 touchdowns on 64 carries, and Ayden Ewing has added 278 yards and 5 scores on 40 attempts.
- Blake Brumbaugh headlines the receivers with 18 catches for 652 yards and 9 touchdowns. Braxton Myers has hauled in 16 grabs for 336 yards and 3 scores, and Drew Dutton has 15 receptions for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- AJ Schafer sets the pace defensively with 56 tackles, while Terry Sylvester follows with 53 stops and 2 forced fumbles. Kamden Zeisloft, Wilson Webster and Leo Morrow have each snagged 2 interceptions.
- Josh Clifton is 4 of 8 on field-goal attempts with a long of 39 and has knocked down 46 of 51 extra points.
- Drew Dutton has shouldered the kickoff return load with 13 returns for 317 yards.
MU TEAM STATS
- Madonna is averaging 352.6 total yards per game through seven contests (89.7 rushing, 262.9 passing) while scoring 38.6 points per game.
- The Crusaders have struggled on defense, surrendering 340.4 total yards and 28.3 points per game, though the unit has come up with 13 interceptions this season.
- Madonna has scored 36 touchdowns in 2026, with 18 of those coming through the air.
CRUSADERS LEADERS | 2026 SEASON STATS
- Kolter Smith has completed 131 of 257 passes for 1,641 yards, throwing 13 touchdowns against 8 interceptions.
- Kwame Miller carries the rushing attack with 427 yards and 2 touchdowns on 97 attempts, and has also caught 18 passes for 162 yards.
- Eric Thomas leads all pass catchers with 27 receptions for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Duke Coats has reeled in 23 grabs for 320 yards and 2 scores.
- Brock Culpepper paces the defense with 58 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. Colin Tola follows with 31 stops and an interception of his own.
- Caiden Thomas has been automatic for Madonna, converting all 6 of his field-goal tries with a long of 49.
- Jacobe Oglesby and Jamarrion Banks have each returned a kickoff for a touchdown this season, Oglesby going for 219 yards on 6 returns and Banks adding 209 yards on 6 returns.
UP NEXT
- IWU will return to Wildcat Stadium next Saturday, October 31 against Taylor at 12:00 p.m.
- Live video, tickets, and stats will be available on IWUWildcats.com.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
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