Wash. U. quarterback Matt Rush looks for someone to throw to during Saturday’s NCAA Division III football game against Illinois Wesleyan, Saturday afternoon at Francis Olympic Field in St. Louis. (Photo: Nathan Assata)

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ILLINOIS WESLEYAN (1-4, 1-3)770822
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (2-2)140141038

DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer

ST. LOUIS — The Washington University football team got back on the winning track, Saturday afternoon at Francis Olympic Field, with a 38-22 victory over Illinois Wesleyan.

The Bears got big performances from running back Emmanuel Ebirim and wide receiver Collin Goldberg, and another solid performance from quarterback Matt Rush, as the team earned a convincing victory over the visiting Titans following last week’s loss to No. 5 Wheaton College.

Ebirim, a senior who was making his second career start and first this season, carried the ball 15 times for 138 yards to lead the Bears’ offense. Goldberg, a freshman who was also making his first start of the season, caught five passes for 115 yards and scored a touchdown. It was his 32-yard reception down to the Titan 6-yard line that helped set up Wash. U.’s first score of the game.

That came on a 1-yard run by sophomore Cole Okmin, a wide receiver who had two rushing touchdowns in the game.

Illinois Wesleyan answered quickly though, with a 58-yard touchdown pass from Sage Shindler to receiver Wesley Watson that tied the game.

Undeterred, Wash. U. marched right down the field again to re-take the lead. Rush got the Bears going with a 30-yard run — his longest of the season. And that led to a 36-yard touchdown pass from Rush to senior Jared Harrison to put the Bears ahead 14-7 in what proved to be an exciting and high-scoring first quarter.

The score that way until midway through the second quarter when Illinois Wesleyan put together its most sustained drive of the game and went 66 yards on 12 plays and held the ball for 6 minutes and 54 seconds, before punching in a touchdown on a 1-yard run by tailback Hamid Bullie.

Both defenses stiffened after that and the game went to halftime tied at 14.

The third quarter is when Wash. U. took over the game.

First, the Bears took the second half kickoff and drove 75 yards on five plays to score, culminating with another 32-yard pass from Rush to Goldberg that gave Wash. U. the lead.

Then, after forcing a couple of Illinois Wesleyan punts, the Bears put together their most sustained drive of the game, an 11-play, 84-yard drive for a score, that ended with Okmin’s second 1-yard touchdown run of the game that made it 28-14.

An Illinois Wesleyan turnover early in the fourth quarter was another huge play. It ended a drive where the Titans had moved the ball into Wash. U. territory.

The Bears essentially ended the game on the next play, when freshman running back Kenvorris Campbell broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run that gave his team a three-touchdown edge.

Following an Illinois Wesleyan turnover on downs, Wash. U. added a 34-yard field goal by Chris Vartanian and the rout was on. The Titans got a late touchdown and two-point conversion to make the final score more respectable, but the Bears finished the day with the convincing win they were hoping for.

The win lifted Wash. U.’s record to 3-2 and 3-1 in CCIW conference play, while Illinois Wesleyan fell to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in league play.

The Bears will be on the road the next two weeks, with games at Augustana and at Millikin, before returning home on Saturday, October 30, for a game at Francis Olympic Field against Carroll College.

Wash. U.’s final home game of the season will be the following week, when the Bears will host the current No. 1 team in the country, undefeated North Central College, on Saturday, November 6.

Illinois Wesleyan at Washington University — Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
11:22 – WashU – TOUCHDOWN – Cole Okmin 1 yd run (Chris Vartanian PAT) — WashU 0-7
9:18 – IWC – TOUCHDOWN – Wesley Watson 58 yd pass from Sage Shindler (Andrew Stange PAT) — Tied 7-7
6:05 – WashU – TOUCHDOWN – Jared Harrison 36 yd pass from Matt Rush (Chris Vartanian PAT) — WashU 7-14
2nd Quarter
8:46 – IWC – TOUCHDOWN – Hamid Bullie 1 yd run from Noah Henkel (Andrew Stange PAT) — Tied 14-14
3rd Quarter
13:43 – WashU – TOUCHDOWN – Collin Goldberg 32 yd pass from Matt Rush (Chris Vartanian PAT) — WashU 14-21
:43 – WashU – TOUCHDOWN – Cole Okmin 1 yd run (Chris Vartanian PAT) — WashU 14-28
4th Quarter
12:18 – WashU – TOUCHDOWN – Kenvorris Campbell 65 yd run (Chris Vartanian PAT) — WashU 14-35
5:42 – WashU – FIELD GOAL – Chris Vartanian 34 yd field goal — WashU 14-38
4:13 – IWC – TOUCHDOWN – Zack Tencza 7 yd pass from Sage Shindler (Sage Shindler 2-pt run) – WashU 22-38
Wash. U. Bears Football Upcoming Schedule
Sat., October 16 — at Augustana — 1 pm
Sat., October 23 — at Millikin — 6 pm
Sat., October 30 — vs. Carroll — 1 pm
Sat., November 6 — vs. #1 North Central — 12 pm
Sat., November 13 — at Carthage — 12 pm
All Wash. U. home football games will be played at Francis Olympic Field