Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan football team opened its home season with a 14-7 nonconference win over Hope College before a "Family Day" crowd of 2,600 on Saturday, Sept. 28, at Tucci Stadium.
The Titans improved to 3-0 and will open College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play next Saturday at Millikin. Hope lost for the first time this season and is 3-1.
All the scoring was in the first half. The Flying Dutchmen opened the scoring with 05:17 to go in the first quarter when Shawn Jackson rushed in from 24 yards out. Evan Finch added the kick to put the Dutch ahead, 7-0.
The Titans answered with a touchdown pass from senior Rob Gallik to sophomore Artie Checchin with 1:45 to play in the first quarter, ending a nine-play, 71-yard drive that took 3:24. Sophomore Michael Kelley's kick tied the score at 7-7.
The final TD of the game came with 10:36 to go in the second quarter when Gallik found senior Taylor Dee on a 5 yard pass to end a 72 yard, six-play drive that consumed 2:43.
Gallik completed 22 of 38 passes for 227 yards and two TDs, hitting senior Alex Garvey for eight balls and 105 yards. Checchin made four grabs for 18 yards and senior Tate Musselman had three grabs with 41 yards.
Senior T.J. Stinde had 129 yards on 17 carries with a long of 49 yards and senior Devonte Jones rushed for 16 yards on 11 carries.
Junior John Worley had three quarterback sacks for -21 yards of loss and senior Joe Schneider made two sacks for -14 yards. Titan junior Connor Klein had 12 total tackles and Tim Hollowed made 11 tackles with an interception. Junior Tyrell Bolden also had an interception.
The Titans had 379 total offensive yards compared to 322 for Hope with 227 via the pass and 172 on the ground.
Hope's Michael Atwell completed 21 of 46 attempts for 252 yards but had the five sacks against him. Jackson finished with 87 rushing yards on 21 carries.