GAME INFORMATION
Saturday, September 5 • 11 am CT
Busey Bank Field at Joliet Memorial Stadium
Joliet, Illinois

Series History
Overall: Indiana Wesleyan leads 3-0.
First: at Indiana Wesleyan 35, USF 34 (10/6/18)
Last: at Indiana Wesleyan 65, USF 31 (10/4/25)
Streak: Indiana Wesleyan has won all three games in the series

The Two Coaches
USF: Joe Curry
Alma Mater: USF 2001
Career: 74-71 (15th year)
at USF: 74-71 (15th year)
IWU: Andrew Rode
Alma Mater: Wabash 2009
Career: 31-7 (4th year)
At IWU: 31-7 (4th year)

TOP STORYLINES
• The two teams combined for 96 points one year ago with Indiana Wesleyan coming out on top in the 65-31 shootout.  In each of the three meetings between the two schools, IWU has not scored less than 35 points.    

• Indiana Wesleyan quarterback Arjun Lothe was the NAIA's leading passer in 2025, completing 61.8 percent of his passes for 3,938 yards with 41 touchdown against 12 interceptions.  That resulted in a 173.69 passer rating.
• In head coach Andrew Rode's three seasons at the helm of the Indiana Wesleyan program, his teams have lost just one time in 17 MSFA Mideast League games.   
 
• Saturday's contest is the first of ten straight games against either MSFA Mideast or Midwest teams.
 

GAME NOTES

THE HEAD COACHES
Joe Curry (St. Francis) is in his 15th 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 74 victories and second in winning percentage (.510, 74-71).  Program founder Gordie Gillespie maintains the top spot in winning percentage at .593.

Andrew Rode (Wabash) has guided Indiana Wesleyan to the postseason in each of his first three seasons at the helm of the program, including a pair of quarterfinal-round appearances.  He has also led the Wildcats to no less than a share of the Mid-States Football Association – Mideast League title those same three seasons, going 16-1.  Overall, Rode is 31-7 as a head coach.  

ABOUT INDIANA WESLEYAN
The task gets no easier for the Saints, who will face their second Top 10 foe in as many weeks, this time going up against NAIA Preseason No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan.  The Wildcats are coming off another strong season, where they went 9-3 and advanced to the NAIA postseason.  They wound up finishing the campaign as the third-best offense (520.0 yards per game) and averaging 48.8 points per game.  They also scored no less than 28 points in any one contest.  Defensively, IWU was equally up to the task, ranking second in the nation in interceptions (20) and seventh in sacks with 32.  Much of the offensive firepower returns, starting with the NAIA's leading passer in senior Arjun Lothe.  All he did one year ago was author a 173.69 passer rating, completing 61.8 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,938 yards with 41 touchdowns against 12 picks.  Back in the mix is senior running back Ryan Whitwell, who only appeared in a pair of games last fall after being bothered by season-long injuries.  One year earlier, he rushed for 1,157 yards with 12 scores.  Much of the receiving corps is also back, highlighted by Simon Vinson (40 catches in 2025) and Braxton Myers (24).  Defensively, the lineup is nearly a whole new unit.  Among last year's top 10 tacklers, only senior linebacker Terry Sylvester is back.  He finished as the third-leading tackler last season and totaled 14 stops in IWU's season-opening win last week.  As a whole, the offensive and defensive starting units are nearly made up of all veterans, with only linebacker Wilson Webster (So.) being an underclassmen.  The other weapon that IWU has is kick return specialist Drew Dutton.  He averaged 33.3 yards per return last year with four of his 19 returns going for scores.  Punt returner Leo Morrow (12.9 avg. last year) is also back as is placekicker Josh Clifton, who converted 7-of-10 field goals in 2025.  Noah Berdiner takes over the punting chores.  His only attempt last week went for 40 yards.  The Wildcats opened the 2026 campaign by knocking off No. 8 Dordt College (Iowa) 38-31 at home.  They totaled 561 yards of offense (329 on the ground) and were 10-for-15 on third down.          

ABOUT THE SERIES
Indiana Wesleyan has gone a perfect 3-0 against the Saints since starting the series in 2018.  The 35-34 loss that year is the closest USF has gotten to knocking off the Wildcats.  One year ago, the two teams combined for 96 points with Indiana Wesleyan scoring a 65-31 win in Marion, Ind.

ONE DOWN, SIX TO GO
The Saints may have one of the toughest schedules in the NAIA this season with no less than seven teams being ranked in respective Top 25 Preseason Polls or among others receiving votes.  Besides Illinois State checking in at No. 4 in the FCS, there is also Indiana Wesleyan at No. 9 in the NAIA, Marian (Ind.) at No. 12 and Saint Francis (Ind.) at No. 17.  Olivet Nazarene, Saint Xavier and Taylor (Ind.) are among others receiving votes in the NAIA poll as is USF. 
 
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK
The Saints were only able to muster up 120 yards of offense as Illinois State rolled to a decisive 76-0 victory in the season opener for both clubs.  The hosts scored on each of their first ten possessions en route to the program's second-highest scoring game in school history.  In all, ISU totaled 589 yards of offense with each of its first two quarterbacks going a perfect 16-for-16 for 199 yards.

A NEW DAY DAWNING
After three seasons playing on the offensive side of the ball as a running back, Gavin Day got the call as the Saints' free safety against Illinois State and delivered.  The senior totaled a game-high 10 stops, four of which were solo.

WELCOME BACK MAT(T)
Right behind Day was Matthew Perry, who returned to wearing the Brown & Gold this fall after transferring from Western Illinois University.  Perry finished with eight tackles on the night.  The senior linebacker began his collegiate career at Trinity International University before coming to St. Francis when TIU closed.  He then spent the next two seasons as a Saint before testing the NCAA I waters.

SORE(NSON)
Jonny Sorensen took some major pops from Illinois State's stout defense as USF's starting quarterback last week, but got up each time to finish with 22 yards rushing on 16 carries.  He also completed 8-of-18 passes for 103 yards.

HACK ATTACK
Mason Hackman provided the biggest offensive support with his four catches totaling 83 yards last week.  The junior wide receiver's long of 49 yards came in the second quarter and put the Saints in ISU territory for the only time on the night.

A BUSY FIRST DAY
Siena Heights University transfer Credell Prather had a busy first night in a St. Francis uniform.  Besides recording a pair of catches, the grad student returned seven kickoffs for a total of 117 yards.

HE WAS JUST AS BUSY
Adrian Guerrero totaled 11 punts on the night and averaged 32.8 with a long of 46 yards.

JUST ONCE
Of their 14 possessions last Saturday, the Saints were only able to get into Illinois State territory one time.  They did get into the red zone (ISU's five-yard line) only to be denied points by an interception on third down.

OTHER NUMBERS
The Saints were just 2-for-14 on third down in Week 1 … ISU was a perfect 8-for-8 in the red zone, while USF missed on its only opportunity … Last week's contest featured 20 penalties, split evenly between the two squads.

FOR THE RECORD
The Saints are 182-239 all time, 153-179 in day games and 95-107 at home.