MARION, Ind. - Ryan Whitwell set a new IWU single-season touchdown record with his 17th rushing touchdown of the year Saturday, and No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan rolled to an 86-7 Homecoming win over Madonna in Wildcat Stadium. Whitwell scored twice, Arjun Lothe threw six touchdown passes, and the Wildcat defense forced six turnovers, including four interceptions and a 37-yard fumble return touchdown by Phillip Allen. IWU improved to 7-1 overall and 2-0 in MSFA Mideast play.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marion, Ind. | Wildcat Stadium
- Records: IWU: 7-1 (2-0 MFSA Mideast) | MU: 3-5 (0-2 MFSA Mideast)
- NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU: #3 | MU: Unranked
FIRST QUARTER
- Madonna started its opening drive at the IWU 46, and Wilson Webster intercepted Kolter Smith on their first play.
- IWU needed four plays to score, as Lothe hit Braxton Myers for 23 yards and 15 yards before finding Blake Brumbaugh for a 17-yard touchdown, making it 7-0.
- After a Madonna three-and-out, Jackson Tupps returned a punt 57 yards for an apparent touchdown, but a running-into-the-kicker penalty on IWU negated the score.
- Whitwell capped that drive with a 15-yard touchdown run, and the Wildcats led 14-0.
- Webster picked off Smith again at the Madonna 31 on the Crusaders' next possession and returned it 10 yards.
- The Wildcat offense stalled, but a fake field goal saw Jackson Tupps run 12 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0.
- Zion Mills intercepted Smith at the Madonna 32, the third interception of the quarter, and returned it 7 yards.
- Lothe found Myers for 12 yards and Simon Vinson for a 13-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 28-0.
- IWU went 82 yards on their next drive in 12 plays, highlighted by a 20-yard Lothe completion to Luke Munoz and a 17-yard completion to Myers, and Lothe hit Grant Irwin for a 6-yard touchdown to make it 35-0.
- Madonna's drive was still in progress at the end of the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
- Madonna punted 36 yards after an incompletion, and Tupps returned it 30 yards to the Madonna 28.
- Dede Person ripped off a 20-yard run, Lothe hit Vinson for 11, and Brumbaugh ran for 10 before Lothe found Myers for a 7-yard touchdown, making it 42-0.
- Kwame Miller broke a 16-yard run for Madonna, but Garrett Hathaway sacked Smith for a 7-yard loss, and Daione Lunsford blocked the Crusaders' punt.
- Whitwell scored from 16 yards out on the next drive, making it 49-0.
- Aiden Napier fumbled on Madonna's next possession, forced by Zion Mills, who also recovered it at the Madonna 32.
- Lothe found Vinson for 6 yards and Myers for a 26-yard touchdown. The PAT failed, so IWU led 55-0.
- Madonna converted a 4th-and-10 on an 11-yard Smith keeper after a 22-yard completion to JJ Lamphere, but Jabin Barnes and Brad Allen combined to sack Smith for a 9-yard loss, and Caiden Thomas' 52-yard field goal attempt hit the crossbar and just missed short.
- IWU answered with a 35-yard Lothe completion to Drew Dutton and a 20-yard completion to Irwin, and Lothe hit Vinson for a 2-yard touchdown with 32 seconds left, making it 62-0.
THIRD QUARTER
- Dutton returned the opening kickoff 48 yards to the Madonna 44.
- Bronson Edwards took over at quarterback, and the Wildcats moved on runs of 8, 14 and 3 yards by Person before Clifton kicked a 28-yard field goal, making it 65-0.
- On Madonna's next drive, William Hobbs fumbled and Phillip Allen scooped it up and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown, making it 72-0.
- Madonna's next drive included three false start penalties and ended in a 45-yard punt.
- IWU used an 11-play, 73-yard drive with Ayden Ewing rushing for 7, 6 and 12 yards. Edwards hit Jarrett Helman for 20 yards to the 1, and Ewing scored from a yard out, making it 79-0.
- Jackson Snyder intercepted Hobbs at the IWU 46 and returned it 27 yards to the Madonna 27 on Madonna's next possession.
FOURTH QUARTER
- IWU converted a 4th-and-1 as Ewing ran 12 yards to the Madonna 6, and he scored from 5 yards out two plays later, making it 86-0.
- Brandon Willis took over at quarterback for Madonna. He fumbled but Kesean McGaffie recovered, then connected with Micale McClure for 18 yards.
- Daniel Iruoje sacked Willis for a 5-yard loss, but a face mask penalty on 4th-and-4 kept the drive alive, and Willis scored on a 1-yard run on 4th-and-goal after a 22-play, 79-yard drive that lasted more than 10 minutes, making it 86-7.
- Dutton returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards, and Gansert punted 43 yards to the Madonna 15 after IWU's next drive as IWU ran down the clock.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
- Arjun Lothe: 22-for-29, 273 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT
- Ryan Whitwell: 11 carries, 59 yards, 2 TD
- Ayden Ewing: 8 carries, 47 yards, 2 TD
- Braxton Myers: 8 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD
- Simon Vinson: 6 receptions, 45 yards, 2 TD
- Grant Irwin: 4 receptions, 38 yards, 1 TD
- Blake Brumbaugh: 1 reception, 17 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry, 10 yards
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
- Cruz Pursley: 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 pass breakup
- Kamden Zeisloft: 5 tackles
- Wilson Webster: 2 interceptions (10 return yards), 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 pass breakup
- Zion Mills: 1 interception (7-yard return), 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 2 tackles
- Jackson Snyder: 1 interception (27-yard return)
- Phillip Allen: 1 fumble recovery (37-yard return for TD), 3 tackles
- Garrett Hathaway: 4 tackles, 1 sack (7 yards), 1 QB hurry
- Jabin Barnes: 2 tackles, 0.5 sack (5 yards), 2 pass breakups
- Daione Lunsford: 4 tackles, 1 blocked punt
SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUTS
TEAM COMPARISON
- Total Offense: IWU 515 yards (186 rush, 329 pass); MU 152 yards (61 rush, 91 pass)
- First Downs: IWU 33; MU 15
- Turnovers: IWU 0; MU 6 (4 INT, 2 fumbles lost)
- Sacks: IWU 3 (21 yards); MU 0
- Penalties: IWU 12 for 124 yards; MU 9 for 68 yards
- Time of Possession: IWU 28:27; MU 31:33
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.
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