#12-ranked Thunder football team falls 17-10 at Washington (Mo.)

St. Louis, Mo. - The Thunder football team, ranked 12th in the latest D3football.com Top 25 poll, dropped a 17-10 decision at Washington (Mo.) University on Saturday afternoon. After an effective opening drive, the Thunder offense sputtered, allowing ten sacks and three turnovers as the Thunder fell to 4-2 on the season and 3-2 in the CCIW. The Bears improve to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the CCIW.

Wheaton posted 308 yards of total offense with 311 yards through the air and negative-three yards rushing. The Thunder defense held the Bears to a season-low 272 yards of total offense with 94 yards on the ground and 178 through the air.

Curtis McWilliams was 14-18 through the air for 150 yards and a touchdown in the first half. McWilliams led the Thunder down the field in just five plays on the game's opening drive, capping the 75-yard drive with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Nichols (VIDEO) to put Wheaton ahead 7-0 just 92 seconds into the game.

A fumble on Wheaton's second drive set the Bears up with a short field, but consecutive sacks pushed the Bears to punt. Defenses took over the game from that point, with the Bears missing a field goal late in the quarter following another short field drive.

WashU would find the scoreboard with 6:03 to play in the first half on a 22-yard field goal by Charles Coccia following a goal line stand by the Thunder defense.

Late in the first half, the Thunder defense forced a fumble at the Bears 47-yard line and the Thunder drove deep into WashU territory before the drive was halted on a Jesse Furrow interception at the one-yard line, sending the teams to halftime with Wheaton leading 7-3.

WashU drove 74 yards on four plays to start the second half, taking their first lead of the game on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Johnny Davidson to Matt Goldberg. Davidson would add a one-yard touchdown pass later in the quarter to Kyle Cummings, putting the Bears ahead 17-7 after three quarters.

Davidson finished the game completing 25-of-35 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 17 yards while the Thunder got to him for five sacks.

Neither offense could find its footing in the fourth quarter until the Thunder pushed the ball down to set-up a Griffin Bowes 33-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining, cutting the WashU lead to 17-10. Jesse Furrow's 29-yard completion to Phillip Nichols was the big play of the drive, moving the ball down to the WashU 16-yard line. Nichols finished with 12 receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown. Furrow completed 14-of-25 passes for 161 yards and was sacked seven times in the second half.

Wheaton's defense held strong, forcing a punt, but the offense could not manufacture the needed drive and turned the ball over on downs.

Daniel Herber led the Thunder defense with 11 tackles, including one tackle for loss. Dallas McRae tallied nine tackles and 1.5 sacks and Jack Bates also had 1.5 sacks to go with eight tackles. Eric Stevenson (nine tackles) and Pat O'Connell (eight tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss) also had a sack.

Wheaton will be back in action next Saturday, when the Thunder travel to Rock Island, to face Augustana at 1 pm.