Game Program

ELMHURST, Ill. – This Saturday, the Elmhurst football kicks off CCIW play by traveling to Augustana College for a 6:00 p.m. contest against the Vikings. Elmhurst brings an undefeated 3-0 record into the contest while Augustana enters at 1-2.

ON THE AIR – Augustana will be providing live stats and video for the contest. Links can be found at elmhurstbluejays.com/live.

SERIES HISTORY - Today's game marks the 61st meeting between Elmhurst and Augustana on the gridiron. Augustana leads the all-time series by a wide margin with a 52-7 (one tie) overall record, but Elmhurst has won four of the last five meetings including three consecutive victories from 2010-12.

IN ROCK ISLAND – The Bluejays have traditionally struggled when playing in Rock Island. The Vikings own a 27-4 overall record against the Bluejays on their home field. Augustana won the last match-up in Rock Island, defeating the Bluejays 28-17 during the 2013 season.  Elmhurst's last win in Rock Island came during the 2011 season when the Bluejays tipped the Vikings 28-27.

LAST MEETING - Elmhurst rallied from a 10-3 second-half deficit to upend Augustana 17-10  when the two squads met last season in their conference-opening contest (Oct. 4, 2014). Elmhurst scored twice in the fourth quarter to earn the 17-10 victory. A six-yard touchdown pass from Joe Camiliere to Garrett Claxon at the start of the fourth quarter pulled the Bluejays even at 10. The touchdown came after the Bluejays forced a turnover and recovered a fumble at the Vikings' six-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter. Elmhurst mounted a 65-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Josh Williams with 1:26 left to play to give the Bluejays the 17-10 victory. Elmhurst totaled 306 yards of offense while limiting the Vikings to just 281. The Bluejays also forced three fumbles in the victory. Williams led the Bluejays on the ground with 144 yards on 28 carries. Sam Frasco paced Augustana, rushing for 54 yards on 19 carries and also passing for 76 yards.

SEPTEMBER SUCCESS - Elmhurst has traditionally fared well in the month of September. Over the past 13 seasons the Bluejays sport a 34-7 record when playing in the month of September. Elmhurst had won 28 straight ogames in September until a 2011 loss to the University of Chicago. The Bluejays struggled slightly the past two seasons, posting a 1-2 record in September for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. 

AROUND THE CCIW - Elmhurst is one of just three undefeated teams left in the CCIW. The Bluejays along with Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton both finished the non-conference season with perfect 3-0 records. Augustana, Carthage, Millikin, North Central and North Park all posted 1-2 records in the non-conference portion of their schedules.
 

RUSHING ATTACK - Elmhurst's Josh Williams continues to be a workhorse for the Bluejays and is ranked among the top rushers in the nation. Through the first three games of the season, Williams is ranked fourth in NCAA Division III, averaging 183.0 yards per contest. He is also ranked 10th in the nation in total rushing yards with 549 in just three contests. The senior is averaging 6.6 yards per carry and has found the end zone six times this season.

CCIW HONORS - Josh Williams earned his second CCIW Player of the Week award after rushing for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the Bluejays' 31-12 win over Simpson College last Saturday. Williams carried the ball 28 times in the victory while also catching one pass for 15 yards.
 

CCIW HONORS PART II - Sean Wetherell earned his first CCIW Defensive Player of the Week award in his career for his part in Elmhurst's 31-12 win over Simpson last Saturday. Wetherell played an important role on the defensive side of the ball in Elmhurst's win over Simpson. He scored the Bluejays' first points of the game by intercepting a pass and returning the ball 19 yards for a game-tying touchdown in the opening quarter. He also finished as the team's co-leader in tackles with seven (four solo). The Bluejays' defense limited Simpson to only 275 yards of offense and forced three turnovers while also holding the Storm to 0-for-5 on fourth down attempts.   

CLOCK MANAGERS - Through the first three games of the 2015 season, the Bluejays have earned a five-minute advantage in time of possession. The Bluejays have held the ball on offense for an average of over 32:30 per contest. Elmhurst is currently ranked 10th in the nation in time of possession.

THE VIKINGS OFFENSE - Augustana is currently ranked seventh in the nation in total offense. The Viking's have featured a high-powered attack that is averaging 583.3 yards of offense per game.  The team has done the bulk of its damage on the ground, rushing for an average of 329.7 points per game, ranking ninth in all of Division III. The Vikings have also moved the ball well through the air, averaging 253.7 yards per game and ranking 72nd in the nation in the process.  The Vikings have also been scoring a ton of points, averaging 47.7 points per contest, the 17th-highest total in Division III.      

THE VIKINGS' DEFENSE—While Augustana's offense has thrived, the Vikings' defense has struggled. The squad is allowing opponents to averaged 573.0 yards of offense in the nation which ranks as the fourth-highest total in the nation. The Vikings are ranked 238th out of 241 squads in total defense. Teams have achieved the most success moving through the air with opposing QB's owning a rating of 166.99. The Vikings have also struggled to keep opponents off the scoreboard, allowing an average of 51.7 points per contest, the sixth-worst total in Division III this season.

LOOKING AHEAD - The Bluejays' remaining schedule has them at home every other week for the remainder of the season. Elmhurst welcomes Carthage College to Langhorst Field next Saturday as part of the College's annual homecoming weekend. The Bluejays remaining home games are against Illinois Wesleyan (October 24) and Millikin (November 7). While the squad has road games at North Park (October 17) and at North Central (November 14).