MOUNT PLEASANT – Marshall Fraley rushed for 194 yards and Iowa Wesleyan College was limited to 185 yards of offense as Olivet Nazarene’s Tigers defeated the IWC Tigers 28-12 Saturday afternoon at Evans Field.
IWC was unable to build on a strong start to the game and dropped its Mid-States Football Association Midwest League opener, falling to 2-3 overall on the season. ONU’s Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 2-3 overall.
A huge crowd was on hand on Homecoming weekend for Iowa Wesleyan, and the game could not have started much better for home team and its fans. Wesleyan forced a three-and-out on ONU’s opening series and then struck quickly to take the lead. The Tigers went 68 yards in four plays, and Jaren Maybin (Jr.-Baltimore, Md.) busted free for a 49-yard touchdown to give IWC a quick 6-0 lead just 3:05 into the game.
Olivet Nazarene came back on its next drive, though, and set the tone for the game. The visiting Tigers rushed the ball on 10 straight plays and went 69 yards, with Chase Moore going the final 15 yards to give ONU a 7-6 lead.
ONU came back in the second quarter to score again when Fraley scored from 37 yards out to make it 14-6. IWC came back down the field, though, driving to the Olivet Nazarene 10-yard line. On first and goal, though, Bryan Abihider (Sr.-Hemet, Calif.) tried to connect with Lawrence Moore (So.-Country Club Hills, Ill.) on a fade pass, but Jacob Peterson intercepted in the end zone.
The score remained 14-6 at halftime, but the visitors scored again on their second drive of the third quarter, with Fraley scampering in from 12 yards out to make it 21-6. IWC countered late in the quarter, taking advantage of an Olivet Nazarene turnover deep in its own end. Fraley fumbled a pitch and Alex Holmes (Fr.-San Diego, Calif.) recovered on the ONU four-yard line. Three plays later on third-and-goal, Abihider ran it in from seven yards out, breaking four tackles on the play to get in the end zone.
The Tigers missed on the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 21-12, and IWC would get no closer as Olivet Nazarene controlled the fourth quarter. ONU scored its final points with 8:31 left on a touchdown pass by Ryan Forneris to Dan Herrmann to make it 28-12. Wesleyan was unable to make much headway on two fourth quarter drives, and Olivet Nazarene ran the clock out the final 4:24 to seal the win.
Maybin led IWC’s offense with 89 yards rushing. Abihider completed 11 of 19 passes for 61 yards and was sacked twice. Bayquon McDonald (So.-Bronx, N.Y.) was his leading target with three catches for 27 yards. As a team the Tigers mustered only 53 yards of offense in the second half.
Scott Knipfer (Sr.-Cottage Grove, Wis.) returned from injury to lead Iowa Wesleyan with eight tackles, six solo. Kyle DeRossett (Sr.-Dupo, Ill.) also had eight tackles, while Darious Watson (Jr.-Bellwood, Ill.) and Jerry Wimes (Sr.-Mount Dora, Fla.) added seven tackles each.
Fraley rushed a total of 32 times for 194 yards and added three catches for 53 yards for Olivet Nazarene. ONU outgained IWC 380-185 and had 21 first downs to 10 for Wesleyan.
IWC hits the road next week to face the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. at 6 p.m. The Tigers will be back home Oct. 18 to face Quincy University at 6 p.m. at Evans Field.
For more information regarding the IWC football program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
