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Time of Poss.
Decatur, Ill. – The 11th-ranked Wheaton Thunder football team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 62-0 victory at Millikin University on Saturday night. Both teams entered play 2-0 on the season with the Thunder moving to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the CCIW. Wheaton will return to McCully Stadium next Saturday for a 1 pm Homecoming kickoff against fifth-ranked North Central (3-0, 2-0 CCIW) in the annual Battle for the Little Brass Bell.
With tonight's victory, Head Coach Mike Swider became the 29th coach in Division III history with 200 career coaching victories. In his 24th season as the Thunder head coach after taking over in 1996, Swider has a career record of 200-51 overall. " I don't look at it as my 200th victory, I think of it as the 200th victory for Wheaton Football while I've been the head coach." said Coach Swider. "I haven't won anything. I've just been the guardian while the program has won 200 games."
Wheaton totalled 618 yards of total offense with 347 yards passing and 271 yards on the ground. The Thunder defense limited the Big Blue to 161 yards of total offense with 89 yards rushing and 72 yards through the air.
Luke Anthony completed 20-of-28 passes on the night for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Anthony dished out three touchdown passes in the first half including a 48-yard strike to Phillip Nichols on Wheaton's second drive of the game to give the Thunder a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.
TJ Williams posted his third-consecutive 100-yard rushing game, rushing for 106 yards on 16 carries including a five-yard touchdown scamper to put Wheaton ahead 14-0 in the first quarter. Williams added two catches for 28 yards on the night.
After a 39-yard field goal from Griffin Bowes, Anthony capped the half with a three-yard touchdown pass from Anthony to Adam Terrini and a one-yard toss from Anthony to Phillip Nichols coming with three seconds left in the half to give Wheaton a 31-0 halftime lead.
Spencer Peterson extended the opening drive of the second half with 39-yard fourth down run and capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Terrini. Terrini and Nichols each caught a pair of touchdown passes with Nichols catching six passes for 111 yards and Terrini recording eight catches for 79 yards. Carson Lien added three catches for 41 yards.
Bowes added a 33-yard field goal and Sam Singleton found the end zone on a nine-yard touchdown run to give Wheaton a 48-0 lead at the end of the third quarter. Spencer Peterson capped an eight-play, 66-yard drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terrelle Brown just over a minute left into the fourth quarter before Peterson found the end zone on a three-yard quarterback keeper. Peterson was four-of-eight passing for 84 yards and two touchdowns and added 59 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Spencer Rowland highlighted another impressive defensive effort for the Thunder, tallying three tackles, three pass break-ups and two first half interceptions. Ryan Schwartz was Wheaton's leading tackler with eight hits including six solos. Jake Holaday had six tackles with one tackle for loss and Daniel Herber and River Shindledecker recorded five tackles apiece.