Shoemaker-Gilmore sets rushing record in IWU win

Posted on November 12, 2016
Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore and Kurt Swearingen
Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore (left) broke Kurt Swearingen’s IWU single-season rushing record on Saturday. (Photo courtesy iwusports.com)

By Eric Stock

DECATUR – Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore broke Illinois Wesleyan’s single-season rushing record on his first carry of the game and scored two touchdowns before leaving with an injury in the second quarter as the Titans closed out the season with a 24-13 win over Millikin in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin game at Frank Lindsay Field.

Shoemaker-Gilmore broke the record of 1.079 yards Kurt Swearingen set in 1977 and became the 10th player in Titan history to rush for 2,000 yards in a career. He finished with 68 yards on 17 carries.

PODCAST: Listen to the postgame interview with IWU coach Norm Eash. 

Austin Harrell rushed for 148 yards on 22 carries for IWU.

The Titans settled for a 17-0 halftime lead on a 22-yard field goal in the final seconds by Andrew Iwaszkiewicz. The Big Blue managed minus-1 yards of offense in the first half, compared to 250 for IWU.

IWU (7-2, 6-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) later faked a field goal try as Brandon Bauer’s pass was bobbled by Andrew Apel in the end zone.

Bauer completed 20 of 31 passes for 196 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Millikin (4-6, 3-5) abandoned the running game and stayed in the game with two Nicco Stephina touchdown passes.

The Titans end the regular season with five consecutive wins and face considerable odds to receive an NCAA Division III playoff berth, The pairings will be announced on Sunday.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected]. 

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…