Teammates celebrate with Kenvorris Campbell, following his 80-yard touchdown run in WashU’s win over Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday. (Photo courtesy: IWU Athletics)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WashU (3-1, 2-1) | 7 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 33 |
| Illinois Wesleyan (2-2, 1-2) | 0 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 23 |
BLOOMINGTON, IL — The Washington University football team got its quarterback back on Saturday and its offense looked in sync again.
WashU went on the road and put up nearly 400 yards of total offense and scored five touchdowns against a stout Illinois Wesleyan defense, in what proved to be a 33-23 win for the Bears.
Senior Clark Stephens was one of the leading passers in the CCIW after two games, but had to miss last week’s game against No. 1-ranked North Central. This week, Stephens was back and completed 22-of-38 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns to lead the WashU offense.
Senior running back Kenvorris Campbell also had a huge day. The 5-10, 225-pounder from Eudora, Ark., rushed for a career-high 145 yards, including a career-long 80-yard dash through the heart of the IWU defense for a score, that helped give the Bears an early two-touchdown lead.
Fellow ball carrier Fred Ware had run for a 21-yard touchdown earlier for the first score of the game. IWU blocked the point-after attempt following the Campbell touchdown and returned it for a two-point score. WashU led 13-2 early in the second quarter.
From that point on, Stephens took control. He hit three separate receivers for touchdowns that helped the Bears build a 33-8 lead midway through the third.
IWU ran back the kickoff following Stephens’ third touchdown toss and added a field goal late in the third to get within 10 points, but that’s as close as the Titans would get, as WashU’s defense held firm and kept IWU off the scoreboard the rest of the game.
Several players on the WashU defense had big games as well. Safety Ryan Schmadtke led the Bears with 10 tackles (nine solo), while linebackers Salomon Dessalines and Joy Chane both had nine tackles.
Safety Joseph Norris had two interceptions and defensive lineman Jack Middleton had four tackles, including his third quarterback sack of the season. Middleton also forced a fumble. WashU forced four turnovers in the game.
WashU WR Collin Goldberg gets tackled after making a catch during the third quarter of Saturday’s NCAA Division III football game against Illinois Wesleyan. (Photo courtesy: IWU Athletics)
Other offensive standouts included receiver Collin Goldberg, the CCIW leader in receptions, who had seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, and Makael Carter, who had five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears, who are now 3-1 on the season, will be back home next week, when they’ll host Carthage at Francis Olympic Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | WASHU | IWU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 00:09 | WASHU – Ware,Fred 21 yd run (Muchnick,Ross kick), 3 plays, 51 yards, TOP 00:42 | 7 | 0 |
| 2nd | 10:10 | WASHU – Campbell,Kenvorris 80 yd run (kick blocked), 2 plays, 80 yards, TOP 00:17 | 13 | 0 |
| 2nd | 10:10 | IWU – Roti,Frank 0 yd PAT return | 13 | 2 |
| 2nd | 07:10 | WASHU – Carter,Makael 6 yd pass from Stephens,Clark (Muchnick,Ross kick) 5 plays, 40 yards, TOP 01:55 | 20 | 2 |
| 2nd | 02:13 | IWU – Kee,Myles 10 yd pass from Smyth,Dermot (2-pt attempt failed) 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:57 | 20 | 8 |
| 2nd | 00:09 | WASHU – Hoyhtya,Collin 3 yd pass from Stephens,Clark (2-pt attempt failed) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:04 | 26 | 8 |
| 3rd | 05:52 | WASHU – Goldberg,Collin 2 yd pass from Stephens,Clark (Muchnick,Ross kick) 10 plays, 84 yards, TOP 03:55 | 33 | 8 |
| 3rd | 05:39 | IWU – Scott,Jahari 88 yd kickoff return (Junge,Kaden kick) | 33 | 15 |
| 3rd | 02:19 | IWU – Smyth,Dermot 1 yd run (Moore,Tre pass), 7 plays, 28 yards, TOP 03:15 | 33 | 23 |
2024 WashU Bears Football Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 12, 2024 | 1 p.m. | Home | Carthage College | Francis Olympic Field |
| October 19, 2024 | 1 p.m. | Away | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, Ill. / Langhorst Field |
| October 26, 2024 | 1 p.m. | Home | #24 Wheaton College | Francis Olympic Field |
| November 2, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Home | Millikin University | Francis Olympic Field |
| November 9, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Away | North Park University | Chicago, Ill. / Holmgren Athletic Complex |
| November 16, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Home | Augustana College | Francis Olympic Field |