NAPERVILLE, Ill. - This weekend of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin football features long-awaited matchups with major regular-season title race implications. The current top four teams will all face each other Saturday, with three remaining undefeated in conference play. Wheaton College (5-0, 3-0 CCIW), North Central College (4-0, 2-0 CCIW) and Carroll University (4-1, 3-0 CCIW) currently sit atop the conference standings.
Nationally No. 1-ranked North Central is set to face No. 2 Wheaton in a rare matchup between the top two teams in the nation and a contest with major implications for both the CCIW regular-season title race and national rankings. D1 Rejects is bringing its "Small School Saturday" live show to Naperville to showcase the long-standing rivalry and highly anticipated matchup. More information on the show can be found here.
Undefeated in conference play, Carroll will host one-loss Illinois Wesleyan University in another key matchup. The Titans also received votes in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll. Both teams roll into week 6 with wins, with Illinois Wesleyan defeating Carthage College, 34-14, while Carroll battled to the end with Millikin University to defeat the Big Blue, 31-28.
Saturday also features Carthage hosting Elmhurst University and Augustana College hosting Millikin.
All four matchups this week will serve as the host schools' respective Homecoming games.
Schedule
| Saturday, October 10 |
| Away |
Home |
Time |
Location |
Links |
| Millikin |
Augustana |
1:00 P.M. |
Rock Island, Ill. (Conf.) |
Stats | Video |
| Elmhurst |
Carthage |
1:00 P.M. |
Kenosha, Wis. (Conf.) |
Stats | Video |
| RV Illinois Wesleyan |
Carroll |
2:00 P.M. |
Waukesha, Wis. (Conf.) |
Stats | Video |
| #2 Wheaton |
#1 North Central |
6:00 P.M. |
Naperville, Ill. (Conf.) |
Stats | Video | Pre Show |
Current Records
| Team |
CCIW Record |
Overall |
| Wheaton |
3-0 |
5-0 |
| North Central |
2-0 |
4-0 |
| Carroll |
3-0 |
4-1 |
| Illinois Wesleyan |
2-1 |
4-1 |
| Augustana |
1-2 |
2-3 |
| Millikin |
1-2 |
2-3 |
| Carthage |
0-2 |
1-3 |
| Elmhurst |
0-2 |
1-3 |
| North Park |
0-3 |
0-5 |
CCIW Weekly Award Winners
|
Week
|
Offensive
|
Defensive
|
Special Teams
|
|
Week 1
|
Jimmy Makuh, Augustana
5 total TDs (3 pass, 2 rush); 16-of-23, 241 pass yds; 69 rush yds.
|
Phillip Carlton Jr., North Central
12 tackles (7 solo), 2.5 TFL, 1 sack.
|
Sean Ryniec, North Central
14 pts; 3-for-3 FG, 5-for-5 PAT; long of 56 yds.
|
|
Week 2
|
Dermot Smyth, Illinois Wesleyan
6 total TDs (5 pass); 22-of-39, 352 pass yds.
|
Joey DeMaio, Illinois Wesleyan
11 tackles (8 solo), 2 sacks, 1 INT.
|
Seth Kortenhoeven, Wheaton
33.0 yds/PR; 55-yd PR TD; leads DIII in PR yds.
|
| Week 3 |
Mark Forcucci, Wheaton
23-of-32, 250 yards, 5 TDs; became Wheaton's career leader with 74 TD passes.
|
Lucas Lappin, Illinois Wesleyan
11 tackles (8 solo), 1 INT; 30-yard pick-six; 3 INTs this season. |
Tyreke Fortney, Augustana
25.5 yds/PR; 102 yards total; long of 31 yards.
|
| Week 4 |
Ben Ludlum, Augustana
231 rushing yards, 4 TDs on 22 carries; 10.5 yards/carry; long of 55.
|
August Johansen, Carroll
6 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks, 4 QB hurries; 21 TFL yards, 19 sack yards.
|
Seth Kortenhoeven, Wheaton 2 punt returns, 59 yards; 56-yard punt return TD; 29.5 yards/return; 2 PR TDs this season
|
| Week 5 |
Will Nazha, Illinois Wesleyan
9 receptions, career-high 168 yards, 2 TDs; 619 receiving yards this season. |
Zeke Harris, Wheaton
11 tackles (6 solo), 1 sack; helped hold North Park to 148 total yards.
|
Lach Sullivan, Illinois Wesleyan
2-for-2 FG, 4-for-4 PATs; 10 points; long of 36 yards. |
National Honors
The CCIW has had five student-athletes named to D3football.com's Team of the Week, which honors the top performance at each position from the previous week.
Week One-
Special Teams: Sean Ryniec, K, North Central; Aiden Byrne, ST, Wheaton
Week Two-
Defense: Joey DeMaio, LB, Illinois Wesleyan; Matt Janiak, LB, North Central
Week Four-
Defense: August Johansen, DL, Carroll
Week 5-
Offense: Will Nazha, WR, Illinois Wesleyan
Statistical Leaders
Wheaton continues to lead the CCIW in scoring at 42.4 points per game while also allowing a league-low 9.8 points per contest. Augustana's Ben Ludlum leads the conference in rushing with 596 yards, six touchdowns and 119.2 yards per game, while North Central's Garret Wilson has thrown for a league-high 1,034 yards with nine touchdowns. Illinois Wesleyan's Will Nazha leads all receivers with 619 yards, six touchdowns and 123.8 yards per game.
On special teams, Wheaton's Seth Kortenhoeven leads the CCIW with 299 punt return yards and two touchdowns while averaging 24.9 yards per return. North Central's Sean Ryniec is 5-for-5 on field goals with a conference-long 56-yarder, and Wheaton's Josiah Smith leads punters with a 45.7-yard average and a long of 68 yards.
Defensively, North Park's Armando Martinez leads the conference with 54 tackles and 10.8 per game. Carroll's August Johansen has been the league's top backfield disruptor with 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, while Illinois Wesleyan's Lucas Lappin leads the CCIW with three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
CCIW Network
The CCIW is proud to partner with Hudl in bringing fans the CCIW Network, the conference's digital home for live coverage. The CCIW Network is your one-stop destination for CCIW action throughout the year, giving fans the opportunity to stream live events free of charge and follow their favorite teams from across the conference.
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| CCIW Network |
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).