GAME INFORMATION
Saturday, October 4 • 11 am CT
Wildcat Stadium
Marion, Indiana

Series History
Overall: Indiana Wesleyan leads 2-0.
First: at Indiana Wesleyan 35, St. Francis 34 (10/6/18)
Last: Indiana Wesleyan 38, at St. Francis 3 (9/28/24)
Streak: Indiana Wesleyan has won both games in the series.

The Two Coaches
USF: Joe Curry
Alma Mater: USF 2001
Career: 73-65 (14th year)
at USF: 73-65 (14th year)

IWU: Andrew Rode
Alma Mater: Wabash College 2009
Career: 24-6 (3rd Year)
At Indiana Wesleyan: 24-6 (4rd year)

TOP STORYLINES
• The Saints are seeking their first-ever win against Indiana Wesleyan, having gone 0-2 while allowing 36.5 points per contest.

• The matchup will feature two of the top scoring offenses in the nation.  Indiana Wesleyan ranks 12th at 42.2 points per game, while USF is 18th at 39.3.
 
• Both squads also have one of the top kick returners in the NAIA.  IWU's Drew Dutton headlines the list with his 46.8 yard return average and two scores, while USF's Carl Bew places fifth at 32.4 with one TD.
 
• Indiana Wesleyan quarterback Arjun Lothe ranks in the Top 10 in the NAIA in passing attempts (2nd, 182), completions (5th, 100), passing yards per game (5th, 318.4) and passing TDs (6th, 13).
 
• IWU's front five has yet to allow a sack this season through five games.
 
• USF safety Michael Hackman ranks second in the nation in interceptions with four, or one per game.


GAME NOTES

THE HEAD COACHES
Joe Curry (St. Francis) is in his 14th season as the Saints' head coach, which makes him the longest-serving coach in school history.  He is also the winningest coach in the history of the program with 73 victories and second in winning percentage (.529, 73-65).  Program founder Gordie Gillespie maintains the top spot in winning percentage at .593.

Andrew Rode (Indiana Wesleyan) is currently in his third season as the Wildcats' head coach, where he has amassed a 24-6 overall record.  Rode has never lost more than two games in any previous season and already has two MSFA Mideast League championships on his resume.  Indiana Wesleyan represents the third NAIA school that Rode has worked at, having also served as the offensive coordinator at Concordia University (Mich.) for five years and Morningside College (Iowa) for three.  He was also a part of the latter's 2021 national championship squad. 

ABOUT INDIANA WESLEYAN
The No. 16-ranked Wildcats will represent the toughest of the five teams that St. Francis has faced, thus far.  That is evident by their Top 10 billings in one-dozen-plus categories, highlighted by the most first downs in the NAIA with 134.  Indiana Wesleyan averages 42.2 points per game (12th-best in the NAIA) and has scored no less than 28 points in any one contest.  The team's two losses have come to ranked foes in current No. 2 Keiser University (Fla.) 38-31 and No. 14 Marian University (Ind.) 52-42.  Surprisingly, the Wildcats have been outscored 41-34 in the opening quarter, but have put the metal to the grindstone in the second quarter with an 86-30 scoring advantage.  IWU boasts the fifth-best offense in terms of average yards per game (494.6) and the sixth-best passing offense (321.8).  It also ranks fifth in first downs per game (26.8), seventh in passing touchdowns (13), ninth in rushing touchdowns (13) and tenth in total carries (195).  The Wildcats have Top 10 numbers in third-down (31) and fourth-down conversions (11), as well.  Running the aerial attack is junior quarterback Arjun Lothe, who is second in passing attempts (182), fifth in completions (100) and average yards per game passing (318.4) and sixth in passing scores (13).  He has three main targets in Isaac Smith (38 recp., 425 yards), Braxton Myers (16-371) and Simon Vinson (13-171) with Smith's 38 grabs ranking third in the nation.  On the ground, IWU relies on Cameron Morrison and his 5.1 yards-per-carry average.  With throwing the ball better than 36 times per contest, you would think that the pocket would break down at least once, but it has not.  The front five for IWU has not yet allowed a sack through the first five games of the season.  Defensively, the Wildcats are not as strong, having allowed an average of 28.2 points per game, including a season-high 52 versus Marian last week.  Opposing offenses average 387.8 yards per game with almost 238 through the air.  Linebacker Brock Thomason and safety Vincie Solano are the top two tacklers on the squad with 40 and 33 stops, respectively.  Indiana Wesleyan has produced 12 sacks and seven interceptions.  The Wildcats also boast the nation's best kick returner in Drew Dutton, who has already returned a pair for touchdowns and is averaging 46.8 yards per return.  Punt returner Leo Morrow ranks high, as well, at No. 11 with his 13.8 return average.  Jack Doty handles punting (40.4 avg.) and kickoff responsibilities, while Josh Clifton has converted 24-of-26 PATs and 3-of-4 field goals with a long of 33 yards.       

ABOUT THE SERIES
Saturday will represent the third meeting between the two squads with Indiana Wesleyan having come away victorious in each of the previous two.  The Wildcats won 35-34 in Marion back in 2018 and at Joliet Memorial Stadium one year ago (38-3).

COMPLETING THE CROSSOVER
Saturday's game marks the fifth and final MSFA crossover game of the season.  After taking next week off, the Saints open Midwest League play at home against Saint Xavier University.
 
EIGHT IS GREAT
The Saints had eight different players score in last week's 66-13 victory over Madonna, including first-timers Allan Richards (18-yard interception return), Jonny Sorensen (31-yard run) and Tyshaun Strong (94-yard run).

THAT'S A LOT OF POINTS
The 66 points scored by USF were the fourth-most in school history with 31 coming off turnovers.  The Saints put together unanswered runs of 35 and 31 points in the contest.

THREE-FOR-THREE
Senior tight end Jake Friddle touched the ball just three times against Madonna, yet came away with 14 points.  He scored on a 52-yard pass play, a one-yard run and a two-point conversion.

SEASON-BEST NUMBERS
USF's 551 yards of total offense and 321 on the ground were both season-best numbers.  The same held true for the St. Francis defense, which gave up a season-low 142 yards.

THAT WAS A LONG RUN
Strong's run of 94 yards came close to the longest in school history.  The top mark was set by Mike Seneker in 1992 when he ran for 96 yards versus Kentucky State.

I DARE YOU TO DO THAT AGAIN
Madonna's only two scores came on a pair of fumbles that went for the identical yardage (38 yards) and started each half.

MAKE THAT TWO-FOR-TWO
For the second week in a row, the Saints boasted the MSFA Midwest League Special Team Players of the Week.  This time the recognition went to placekicker Adrian Guerrero, who wound up leading the team in scoring with his 16 points.  He was perfect on his seven PAT attempts and went 3-for-4 on field goals with makes of 21, 42 and 33 yards.  The 42-yarder tied a career high for him.  He also averaged 38.0 yards on a pair of punts.

HACKMAN HELP
The Saints turned both of Michael Hackman's interceptions into points (12) against Madonna.  After not getting an interception in Week 3, the freshman returned to his one-per-game average with his two on Saturday.  The four thefts for the season rank him tied for second in the nation.  As a team, USF's seven interceptions rank 11th in the NAIA.

BE(W)TIFUL KICKOFF RETURNS
Carl Bew returned two kickoffs for 35 yards last week to maintain his Top 10 ranking in the NAIA in that category.  He has returned seven kicks for an average of 32.4 yards per return, placing him fifth in the nation.

A QB HERE, A QB THERE, A QB EVERYWHERE
The Saints opened the season with three quarterbacks vying for the starting assignment.  In the end, redshirt freshman Nathan Maul won out.  That, however, has not stopped Bew and Sorensen from seeing the field.  In fact, for the first time this year in last week's game, all three were on the field at the same time as a quarterback, runningback and receiver.  Maul finished his day completing 17 of his 30 pass attempts for 230 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, Sorenson ran the ball five times for 40 yards with one touchdown and one reception for 11 yards and Bew ran for 21 yards on five carries with one touchdown and one reception for nine yards.     
  
RANKING THE SAINTS
USF's 39.3 points per game ranks it 18th in the nation, while its 201.8 yards on the ground is 13th-best.  The Saints are also 12th in passing yards per completion (15.4) and 11th in fourth-down percentage (70 pct., 7-of-10).

FUMBLE FOLLIES
St. Francis also ranks fifth in the nation in total fumbles (10) and third in fumbles lost (eight).

FOUR SCORE AND 40 YEARS AGO
This is the 40th season of football at St. Francis with the inaugural campaign coming in 1986.  The Saints went 6-4 that first year.  

LUCKY SEVENS
USF has gone 7-3 in each of its last three seasons.

FOR THE RECORD
The Saints are 181-233 all time, 152-174 in day games and 87-127 on the road.