Simpson (1-0) at RV Illinois Wesleyan (2-0)

Saturday, Sept. 19 | 1 p.m. | Tucci Stadium

LIVE COVERAGE
RADIO: KNIA 1320 AM/95.3 FM
RADIO WEBCAST: www.kniakrls.com
LIVE VIDEO: www.iwusports.com
LIVE STATS: www.iwusports.com

ON THE AIR
New for the 2015 season, all Storm football games can be heard on KNIA/KRLS out of Knoxville, Iowa. Indianola resident Rick Wilson will have the call on AM 1320 and FM 95.3. Fans can also listen online at www.kniakrls.com or on their mobile device by downloading the KNIA app.

WEATHER FORECAST
Saturday's weather will be a welcome change from week one when Simpson and Wis.-River Falls endured temperatures in the low 90s. The Weather Channel calls for partly cloudy skies with a 20-percent chance of rain and a high in the low 70s. Winds will be out of the North at 10-20 miles per hour.

QUICK HIT
Simpson used a week two bye to get rested and heal some early-season injuries before hitting the road for the first time this season. The Storm offense will be tested by one of the nation's top defenses that has created nine turnovers in two games. The defense will be tasked with slowing down an offense that averages nearly 500 yards per game.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game between Simpson and Illinois Wesleyan marks the sixth meeting in a series that began in 1994 … Simpson leads the series 4-1, including a 13-3 win last season in Indianola … Simpson has won four in a row in the series after losing the first meeting, 33-22 in 1994 … Simpson won in 1995 (24-21), 2004 (13-7) and 2005 (20-14) before the series resumed last season.

THE COACHES
Simpson: Jim Glogowski, eighth season, 34-37 at Simpson, 1-0 vs. Illinois Wesleyan
Illinois Wesleyan: Norm Eash, 29th season, 179-96-1 at Illinois Wesleyan, 1-5 vs. Simpson 

LAST MEETING
A ball-hawking defense forced three crucial turnovers and freshman kicker Drew Jensen made a pair of field goals as Simpson knocked off No. 21 Illinois Wesleyan 13-3 on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Buxton Stadium. The quartet of Ethan Calvert, Jordan Beem, Tyler Kenny and Dylan Berkey accounted for 160 yards rushing as a ground-oriented offensive attack kept the ball out of Illinois Wesleyan's hands for most of the afternoon, helping the Storm to their first 3-0 start in 11 years. Coming into the game averaging nearly 40 points per game, the Titans (2-1) ran 10 fewer plays than Simpson and held the ball for just 23 minutes. Freshman quarterback Jack Warner threw for 282 yards on 28 of 46 passing, but committed two turnovers in the red zone.

LAST TIME OUT
Davey Jergens scored three touchdowns and Jordan Beem ran for 121 yards as Simpson beat Wisconsin-River Falls 28-21 in the season opener on Saturday, Sept. 5. Jergens broke a 21-21 tie with a 56-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, completing a highlight-reel day for the sophomore. He got the scoring started with a 2-yard run in second quarter and caught a 63-yarder later in the first half. With the win, the Storm (1-0) improved to 4-0 all-time against River Falls and snapped a seven-game losing streak dating back to last season. Simpson's ground game was dominant. Led by a career-best effort by Beem, the Storm racked up 210 yards on the ground. Jergens provided a perfect compliment to Beem's consistent performance, hitting the seams created by the offensive line for big gains. With the exception of a 63-yard Rance Ashley TD run, the Storm defense held River Falls in check. The Falcons (0-1) managed just 267 total yards and dynamic quarterback Ryan Kusilek was held to 125 yards passing. Ashley led the way with 92 yards and three TDs.

SCOUTING THE TITANS
Illinois Wesleyan is receiving votes in the D3football.com Top 25 poll after getting out to a 2-0 start … the Titans beat Franklin 34-24 on the road in week one and rolled past Alma 49-14 at home last week … through two weeks Illinois Wesleyan features one of the best offenses in the league, averaging nearly 500 yards per game including 277.5 on the ground, good for 22^nd in Division III … running back Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore has carried the load on the ground, averaging 11.2 yards on 17 carries. He broke off an 82-yard TD run last week … missing much of last season due to injury, sophomore QB Jack Warner has completed better than 75 percent of his passes and thrown for five TDs and just one INT … a swarming Titan defense has already generated nine turnovers, good for third in Division III … among those nine turnovers, five have been interceptions, sixth-most in the country.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Since 2012, Simpson has posted an 8-2 record against non-conference opponents. The Storm went 2-1 in 2012 and 2013, went 3-0 last season and is 1-0 so far this season after a season-opening 28-21 win against Wis.-River Falls in week one.

PERFECT PATs
Drew Jensen improved his career PAT mark to 23-for-23 after going 4-for-4 last week. The sophomore tied a school record by going 19-for-19 a year ago. He picked up where he left off, providing consistency to the kicking game.

JERGENS SWINGS FOR THE FENCES
Sophomore Davey Jergens made a big impression in the first full varsity contest of his career, scoring three touchdown on just seven touches in the season opener against Wis.-River Falls. He caught a 63-yard TD, ran for a 56-yard TD and bowled in from 2-yards out. The 56-yard scamper was the game-winner against the Falcons.

BEEM ME UP, JORDAN
Junior running back Jordan Beem opened the season with a career-best effort, running for 121 yards on 29 carries. That total also included a career-long scamper of 44 yards, setting up Simpson's first TD of the day. Beem now has three career 100-yard effort efforts.

DUAL QUARTERBACKS
Simpson played two quarterbacks in game one, and will likely do so again in game two. Sophomores Caleb Frye and Sammy Sasso shared signal-calling duties on Sept. 5. Frye took a majority of the snaps, throwing for 82 yards on 9 of 15 passing with one INT. Sasso completed just one pass in four attempts, but his one completion was a 63-yard TD strike to Davey Jergens on a wheel route in the second quarter.

SNAPPING THE STREAK
The Storm snapped a forgettable seven-game losing streak by winning the season-opener against Wisconsin-River Falls on Sept. 5. Simpson started the 2014 season 3-0 before a rash of injuries led to an 0-7 finish to the campaign.

GLOGOWSKI CLIMBS WINS LIST
Eighth-year head coach Jim Glogowski tied R.G. "Hap" Miller for second on Simpson's all-time wins list with the Storm's 28-21 win over Wis.-River Falls on Sept. 5 … Glowgoski is now 34-37 since taking over in 2008 … Jim Williams holds the title, going 106-48-1 during his 15-year career from 1987-2001.

STORM ACCOLADES
Simpson players have already taken home hardware in 2015.

RB Davey Jergens – IIAC Offensive Player of the Week/Male Athlete of the Week [9/6]

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Three Simpson football players were named to the USA College Football D-III Preseason All-America Team prior to the season. Senior Center Corey Meyer was named to the first team, senior offensive lineman Blake Bergstrom earned a spot on the second team and junior running back Jordan Beem landed on the second team as a returner and third team as a running back.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Simpson has just two team captains in 2015: wide receiver Nate Connealy and defensive end Clay Finley. Both fifth-year seniors were granted an extra year of eligibility after suffering season-ending injuries early in 2014. Both were team captains a year ago and both have earned all-IIAC accolades in the past. Finley earned second team honors in 2013 while Connealy was an honorable mention pick the same season. 

IIAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The coaches picked Simpson to tie for seventh in the league, according to the IIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Simpson and Buena Vista each received 22 votes. Wartburg topped the poll with 56 points, including seven first-place votes. Complete Poll: 1. Wartburg (7), 56; 2. Central (1), 50; 3. Coe, 43; 4. Dubuque, 38; 5. Luther, 26; 6. Loras, 23; t7. Simpson, 22; t7. Buena Vista, 22.