Game #7 - Crusaders remain flawless with 23-14 win over Millikin University CLICK HERE FOR THE GAME STATS

Wheaton, Ill.(10/30) - The Wheaton College (Ill.)

football team moved a step closer to its first CCIW Football Championship

since 1995 with a 23-14 win over defending CCIW champion Millikin University

today. The Crusaders entered the game ranked 11th in this week's American

Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches Poll. The last time Wheaton

owned a 7-0 mark was in 1995 when the Crusaders won their last CCIW Championship

with a 9-0 regular season record. Wheaton is now 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the

CCIW, while second-place Augustana College is 6-1 and 4-1 in the CCIW with

two games remaining for each team. Wheaton will host Augustana on Nov 13th

at McCully Field in the season finale for each team.

Wheaton coach Mike Swider said of the Crusader defense,

"Our defense contained their quarterback, we did the things we had to do.

We knocked passes down and we made him throw with people in his face. We got

a great pass rush and great pressure." He continued, "our team played hard

and the played with confidence. They are playing for each other. This team

is for real because they are a team. We have had more talented players at

this school, but this is a group of unselfish kids."

Wheaton notched 24 first downs on the day and had possession

of the ball for 33:24, while the Big Blue held onto the ball for 26:36. The

Crusaders notched 80 plays in the game while the Big Blue had 57 possessions

of the ball. Wheaton gained 335 yards of total offense with 107 rushing yards

and 228 passing yards. The Wheaton defense held the Millikin offense to 259

yards of total offense with 167 passing yards and 92 rushing yards.

Wheaton wide receiver Jeremy Amos (Austin, Texas/Westlake)

had career-high 10 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown late in the fourth

quarter. Amos' 10 receptions are the best effort by a Crusader receiver this

season, as are his 128 yards. Quarterback Mitch Slater (McHenry, Ill./McHenry)

was 23-37 for 228 yards and two touchdown tosses with two interceptions. Runningback

Brian Pastermack (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island) had 96 rushing

yards on 22 carries.. Wheaton linebacker Greg McMillin (Nampa, Idaho/Nampa)

had nine total tackles (six solo) with two quarterback sacks (-10 yards).

Freshman defensive lineman Dane Lundgren (Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds

View) had seven total tackles (five solo) with two quarterback sacks (-13

yards). Wheaton defensive backs Shawn Wildt (Victoria, Texas/Victoria)

and Derek Flynn (Houston, Texas/St. John's) each had an interception of Millikin

quarterback Tim Brylka (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South). Brylka entered

the game without having thrown an interception this season. Flynn also had

six total tackles (four solos) with one sack (-8 yards) and two tackles for

loss (-10 yards).

Millikin posted 259 yards of total offense with 167 passing

yards and 92 rushing yards. On the day Brylka was 7-16 passing with two touchdown

tosses, and 144 passing yards and two interceptions. Big Blue wide receiver

Jerome Jackson (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) had five catches for 69

yards and two touchdown catches. Millikin runningback Deon Packer (had 15

rushes for 72 yards for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Defensive back

Adrian Stewart (Peoria, Ill./Manuel) had nine total tackles (seven

solo) with an interception. Linebacker Dan Potempa (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville)

also had nine total tackles (seven solo).

Wheaton made it 7-0 with 8:57 left in the first quarter when

senior runningback Jeff Ford (St. Charles, Mo./West) capped a seven-play

drive of 50 yards on the Crusaders' first drive of the game. The Crusaders'

opening touchdown was the result of Wildt's first interception of the season

at the 50-yard line. With 5:52 left in the first quarter Millikin tied the

game at 7-7 when Jerome Jackson caught a 20-yard touchdown reception from

Brylka to cap a six- play drive of 80 yards. The Crusaders took the lead for

good at the 11:16 mark when Chris Baughman (Fort Morgan, Colo./Fort

Morgan) kicked a 33-yard field goal to cap an eight-play drive of 41 yards.

With 2:32 left in the first half Slater threw a three-yard touchdown pass

to senior wide receiver Ben Peays (Austin, Texas/Westlake) that capped

a 87-yard drive of 16 plays that lasted 6:23. Millikin cut the Wheaton lead

to 17-14 with 13:07 left in the fourth quarter when Brylka found Jackson on

a 19-yard touchdown pass. With 3:50 left in the game Wheaton defensive lineman

Darryn Wiebe (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) batted a Brylka pass at the

Millikin 11-yard line that was intercepted by Derek Flynn. Three plays later

Slater found Amos on a nine-yard touchdown pass for the 23-14 final score.

Wheaton will play its final road contest of the regular season

next Saturday when they battle Elmhurst College at 1:00 PM. The Big Blue will

look to rebound next Saturday when they host Illinois Wesleyan University

at 1:00 PM.