JOLIET, Ill. --- For the second week in a row, a preseason Top 10 ranked team got off to a fast start against the University of St. Francis football team and never looked back, sending the Fighting Saints to their second straight loss to begin the 2026 campaign on Saturday. NAIA No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan University was the instigator in USF's home opener at Joliet Memorial Stadium, scoring on seven of its first nine possessions en route to a 58-6 Mid-States Football Association crossover victory.
IWU senior running back Ryan Whitwell accounted for all three first-quarter scores with runs of 15 and 41 yards sandwiched around a 36-yard halfback pass for a touchdown. He was also the driving force behind the Wildcats' 349 yards on the ground Saturday, which was three more yards than the Saints had of total offense (346).
Whitwell was one of five Indiana Wesleyan backs that averaged at least 5.9 yards per carry among their 39 combined rushes. He finished atop the leaderboard with 141 yards on just 14 carries for an average of 10.1 yards per attempt. As a whole, the Wildcats averaged 7.3 yards per carry.
Dede Person joined Whitsell with a pair of touchdowns on his seven carries for 60 yards. Ayden Ewing contributed the other rushing score with his 63 yards coming on 11 attempts.
Indiana Wesleyan quarterback Arjun Lothe displayed the same characteristics that led to him being one of the elite quarterbacks in the NAIA last year. He completed 20 of his 31 passes for 230 yards and threw one touchdown.
His main targets were Casey Hawkins (8 recp., 114 yards, 1 TD), Drew Dutton (6-82) and Luke Munoz (6-75).
In total, Indiana Wesleyan (2-0) ran 91 plays for 694 yards with 36 of those plays resulting in first downs. Seven Wildcats contributed to the scoring.
The Saints avoided being shutout for the second week in a row when
Jalen Webb-Starkey found
Jaden Boe on a 44-yard scoring strike with 3:20 left to play in the contest. It was the first touchdown pass and reception for the pair in a St. Francis uniform.
Webb-Starkey was one of three quarterbacks the Saints used on the day. He threw for 106 yards on seven completions in 12 attempts. He also gained 21 yards on five carries.
Nathan Maul also saw his first action this season. He came on in relief of starter
Jonny Sorensen and completed four passes in 11 attempts for 76 yards. He also had a pair of carries for six yards.
Sorensen had seven rushes for 14 yards and was 5-of-12 passing for 27 yards with one interception.
Aaron Larkins had a strong showing in the backfield, turning nine carries into 78 yards for an 8.7 average.
Four different Saint receivers totaled no less than 38 yards. Topping the list was Boe with 52 yards on a pair of grabs.
Mason Hackman registered 47 on three catches, while
Larry Stringham and
Ryan Yurisich each had 38 yards on four and two receptions, respectively.
Defensively,
Matthew Perry led St. Francis with a career-high 14 stops.
Daniel Rouse also finished in double figures with 10 tackles.
Other Notes: Freshman
Tatum Doucette made a strong first impression on Saturday, totaling seven tackles (third best on the team) in his collegiate debut …
Gavin Knight also had a memorable day, recording his first fumble recovery … For the second week in a row, punter
Adrian Guerrero had a busy day with nine punts on Saturday. Three of those went inside the 20-yard line and he averaged 42.2 yards per boot with a long of 57 … On the down side, Guerrero had his string of 39 straight successes on PATs snapped in the fourth quarter … The Saints are off to a slow start on third down, converting just four of their first 29 attempts into first downs through the first two games.
Up Next
USF wraps up its two-game homestand next Saturday when it hosts Taylor University (Ind.) for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 1 pm at Joliet Memorial Stadium.
