By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – It would be logical for you to assume Illinois Wesleyan football coach Norm Eash would be in a good mood as his team is off to a 6-0 start.
You would be wrong.
“We’re not in a very good mood offensively. We have to redeem ourselves a little bit,” Eash said, referring to the Titans’ 21-7 win at Augustana last week. “The standards we have set here are pretty high.”
No. 15-ranked Illinois Wesleyan will look to maintain that standard in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin battle at Elmhurst on Saturday.
The Titans lost to the Bluejays by one last season. Junior running back Austin Harrell said that can’t happen again this year for the Titans to stay on their path for a perfect season.
“We want an undefeated season,” Harrell said. “It’s a new year and a new team and so we try to put that all in the past. It still is a little motivation for us to get the ‘W.’ ”
The Bluejays matched IWU’s 3-0 non-conference mark, but has yet to win (0-3) in league play.
Defensive back Ben Bouie said doesn’t matter to him the Bluejays will likely be without their All-American running back Josh Williams.
“One person doesn’t make the offense although he has been a huge playmaker for their team,” Bouie said. “We will prepare the same.”
Williams led the CCIW in rushing in 2014 (1,291 yards, 11 touchdowns) and is second in the league this season (731 yards, seven TDs). He did not play in the Bluejays’ lost to North Park last week because of an undisclosed injury.
Bouie said the defense rebounded after the slow start last week inspired by what Eash called a ‘questionable’ block in the back that injured Justin Krzeczkowski’s knee, causing him to miss the rest of the season.
“We were definitely on the edge at first and that definitely put us over the edge,” Bouie said.
WJBC.com will have the broadcast at 12:45 p.m.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
