Game Notes vs. Illinois Wesleyan

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll's football team will begin a two-game stretch of home games to end the regular season with Saturday's game against Illinois Wesleyan, which enters the contest just one game ahead of the Pioneers in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) standings. Fresh off a loss to the number one ranked team in the country, North Central (IL), Carroll boasts a 3-4 conference record, while Illinois Wesleyan is 4-3 in the league after defeating Augustana (IL) last week.

This will be the 50th all-time meeting between these squads, with Illinois Wesleyan holding a 28-21 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1933. Carroll has won two of the last three meetings, including last year's 70-23 blowout victory in Waukesha.

One highlight of this year's Titans has been the play of their defensive front seven, which has allowed Illinois Wesleyan to rank second in the conference and 48th in all of Division-III in rushing defense, allowing just 99.6 yards per game on the ground. They lead the CCIW in sacks with 23, which is the 29th-most in D-III this season. Zach McNees, Matt Hansen, and Josh Hlavacek all rank in the top five in the conference for individual sacks, with McNees currently serving as the league leader with one sack per game, which ranks 18th in the country.

"They put some pressure on the opposing quarterback and do a lot of different things on that side of the ball, so our offensive line has to be on the spot with their protections and identifying the pressures that are coming," Carroll Head Football Coach Mike Budziszewski said. "They've been really good against the run, so we'll have to meet force with force in the run game, and I'm confident that we can move the ball on them both on the ground and through the air."

The Pioneers are averaging 24.8 points per game through eight contests, while ranking fifth in the CCIW in rushing (141.0 ypg). Sophomore Running Back Marcus Johnson has battled injuries as of late, but is still ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards per game (71.7), while ranking third in yards per carry (6.5), which is 22nd in D-III.

When Illinois Wesleyan has the ball, Quarterback Dermot Smyth will showcase his dual-threat skills. Smyth ranks in the top 100 in the country in passing yards (195.4 ypg), passing touchdowns (15), rushing touchdowns (7), and total offense (236.4 ypg).

"He's a good runner and a really good athlete, so we'll need to be aware of where he is at all times and contain him," Budziszewski said. "They have a lot of other really good athletes, so we have to make sure we play smart football on the defensive side of the ball."

The Pios will attempt to slow down an Illinois Wesleyan offense that is averaging 31.5 points per game this season. Carroll is yielding 25.9 points per game, which ranks fifth in the CCIW. That defense has gotten after the quarterback all season, ranking third in the league with 17 sacks. The Pioneers have recorded just four interceptions this year, but boast a league-best eight fumble recoveries, which ranks 23rd in D-III.

"I think that has been an anomaly this season. We've put a lot of pressure on opposing QBs, so they usually get the ball out quickly while we're still in coverage," Budziszewski said. "We've recovered a fair amount of fumbles, so we're creating turnovers, just not as many through the air as we'd like, but it's tough for a team to get a lot of interceptions when the ball is coming out so quickly."

One of the secret weapons for each team comes on special teams. For Illinois Wesleyan, that comes via the return game, where the Titans rank third in the country in kickoff return average (29.5). Jahari Scott is second in D-III with a kickoff return average of 36.3, returning one for a touchdown.

"They're a pretty dynamic team in the return game, so we've been working on squashing any returns that they have," Budziszewski said. "We need to make sure our coverage unit gets down the field quickly and gets them on the ground so they don't have any dynamic returns."

Carroll's secret weapon also comes on special teams in the form of Senior Punter Noah Streveler and Sophomore Kicker Matthew Swink, both of whom rank in the top 10 in the country at their craft. Streveler currently holds the school record for career punting average (38.9) and is sixth in the nation in punting average this season with a career-best 42.9. Swink has converted eight of his nine field goals for a FG percentage of .889, which is fifth-best in the country. He is five field goals shy of the program's single season record with two games to play.

"Noah can change the field position in an instant, which puts our defense in an adventagous position, and anytime we put Swink on the field, we're expecting to come away with some points," Budziszewski said. "Kudos to Long Snapper Brayden Partlow and Holder Maximos General, who have both done a great job this season. We focus on special teams a lot within our program, and having one of the best special teams units in the country will help us win more games over time."

Saturday's game will kickoff at Noon from Schneider Stadium in Waukesha, Wis.

"We have a chance to finish strong and will play both of these final two games at home," Budziszewski said. "This week is a new season and we're excited to go out there and play a strong four quarters of football."