No. 20-ranked Thunder football team earns a tightly contested 28-24 victory at home against WashU

Wheaton, Ill. - #20-Ranked Wheaton hosted the Washington University Bears at McCully Stadium on Saturday. This was a crucial conference matchup for both squads, who were vying for a share of second place in the CCIW standings. The Thunder sought to maintain their all-time series momentum, entering the game riding a five-game winning streak. Their rush defense had also been stout the previous week, allowing only 22 yards on the ground. Wheaton won the game 28-24, moving to 5-2 on the season and 5-1 in the conference, while WashU dropped to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the CCIW standings. Augustana's loss to North Central on Saturday gave the Thunder sole possession of second place in the conference.

The win extended Wheaton's home streak against WashU to 10 games, as well as a six-game overall winning streak against the Bears dating back to 2019.

WashU received the ball first, and on the first play of the game, defensive end Peter Johanik set the tone early with a sack. Several plays later, Wheaton got the ball back after a Bears' punt. Wheaton's first possession featured completions exclusively to Seth Kortenhoeven: a 22-yard gain on third-and-eight, a 12-yard hitch route, and finally a 34-yard touchdown pass on a post route. Kortenhoeven (PICTURED LEFT) beat his man inside, and Mark Forcucci dropped the ball perfectly into his hands.

The Bears responded with a touchdown of their own, driving down to Wheaton's 21-yard line on multiple chunk plays. They capped the drive with a quarterback power run between the guard and tackle into the end zone, tying the game at 7-7.

As the first quarter drew to a close, Wheaton again drove into Bear territory. Two rushes from Matt Crider for 16 yards got them to midfield. On the next play, Crider leaked out on a wheel route and was left uncovered for a 21-yard gain. The drive ended with another touchdown to Kortenhoeven, this time on a deep corner route. Forcucci placed the ball perfectly on the back shoulder for a 29-yard score, giving Wheaton a 14-7 lead as the first quarter expired.

WashU's next drive drained eight minutes off the clock and appeared headed for a fourth- straight touchdown drive, but two penalties halted their momentum. They settled for a 28-yard field goal, cutting the score to 14-10 with 7:43 remaining in the second half.

The Thunder aimed to complete their third-consecutive scoring drive with 7:43 left in the second quarter. After converting on third-and-seven, they didn't face another third down, efficiently mixing their play calls to move downfield. Forcucci connected with Caleb Titherington on a slant from the 13-yard line for his third passing touchdown of the game.

With 1:46 remaining in the first half, WashU executed a sharp two-minute drill, sparked by a 30-yard quarterback run. A deep cross to the tight end and a boundary catch placed them at the one-yard line. Another QB rush punched it in just before halftime, making it 21-17 Wheaton at the half.

The second half opened with three straight punts, including a pooch punt from Forcucci that pinned WashU at its own nine-yard line. From there, the Bears methodically drove downfield, completing consecutive passes for 46 combined yards to reach the three-yard line. After two stops by the Thunder, WashU crossed the goal line on a motion screen to the wide receiver, taking a 24-21 lead with 3:12 remaining in the third quarter.

Wheaton quickly answered with a scoring drive of their own. As the fourth quarter began, they were at the Bears' 38-yard line. From the slot, Ben Juska went in motion. The snap came, Forcucci faked the handoff to Crider as the offensive line shifted left, and Juska slipped out right for a screen. David Nussbaum and Aidan Byrne delivered key blocks as Juska went 38 yards untouched for the touchdown that gave the hosts a 28-24 lead with 14:52 remaining in the game.

On the next drive, WashU looked to respond. Under pressure from Johanik, the Bears' quarterback threw the ball deep, but it stayed in play. Colin Moore made a spectacular interception, keeping a foot in bounds to give Wheaton possession with 11:43 remaining.

The Thunder turned to the ground game, with Crider (PICTURED RIGHT) ripping off runs of 37 and nine yards, breaking through multiple tackles. After a loss of two yards and a sack, Wheaton missed a 44-yard field goal, giving WashU one final chance.

With 6:20 left, the Bears drove methodically downfield again, converting two fourth-and-ones with quarterback runs out of an empty backfield. The two-minute warning arrived with WashU at Wheaton's 46-yard line. A pair of completions for 14 and 12 yards put them in striking distance. With 35 seconds remaining, WashU dropped back to pass. Caleb Coburn burst through the interior, forcing a weak throw that floated toward the middle. Zeke Harris read it perfectly, intercepting the pass and returning it 15 yards before sliding down to seal the 28-24 Wheaton victory as Wheaton took a knee on the final three plays of the game, burning WashU timeouts and the final 28 seconds of the game.

Forcucci finished with 282 passing yards on 75% completion (18-of-24), adding 20 rushing yards. His four passing touchdowns marked his third-straight game with at least four, following two five-touchdown outings. Kortenhoeven tallied 126 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six catches, bringing his season total to 797 yards, second in the CCIW. Juska added 67 yards and a touchdown on four catches, and Titherington contributed 42 yards and a score on four receptions. On the ground, Crider eclipsed 100 yards for the first time this season, carrying 18 times for 101 yards (5.6 YPC) and adding two receptions for 31 yards. The Thunder offense converted 60% of its third downs (6-for-10) today.

Defensively, Harris led with 13 total tackles and the game-clinching interception. Coburn (PICTURED LEFT) recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Johanik added eight tackles, a sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss totaling nine yards. Rex Kroger contributed a sack and four tackles. Moore recorded Wheaton's first interception of the game, his fifth of the season.

Wheaton's next matchup will be away against the Elmhurst Bluejays next Saturday at 12:00 p.m.Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#65

Aiden Byrne

OL

6' 0"

Sophomore

#25

Caleb Coburn

LB

6' 0"

Junior

#5

Mark Forcucci

QB

6' 0"

Senior

#12

Zeke Harris

LB

6' 2"

Sophomore

#54

Peter Johanik

DL

6' 1"

Senior

#18

Ben Juska

TE

6' 1"

Graduate Student

#4

Seth Kortenhoeven

WR

6' 2"

Senior

#2

Rex Kroger

DL

6' 3"

Junior

#24

Colin Moore

DB

6' 0"

Junior

#60

David Nussbaum

OL

6' 2"

Senior

Players Mentioned

#65

Aiden Byrne

6' 0"

Sophomore

OL

#25

Caleb Coburn

6' 0"

Junior

LB

#5

Mark Forcucci

6' 0"

Senior

QB

#12

Zeke Harris

6' 2"

Sophomore

LB

#54

Peter Johanik

6' 1"

Senior

DL

#18

Ben Juska

6' 1"

Graduate Student

TE

#4

Seth Kortenhoeven

6' 2"

Senior

WR

#2

Rex Kroger

6' 3"

Junior

DL

#24

Colin Moore

6' 0"

Junior

DB

#60

David Nussbaum

6' 2"

Senior

OL

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