By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – After the Titans pulled off their second win over a Top 5-team in the first month of the season, Illinois Wesleyan football coach Norm Eash said his team has to adjust to becoming the hunted rather than the hunter.
“I’ve talked to our players about King of the Mountain syndrome,” Eash said. “When we were little, we played that game and people would come up and try to knock you down.
“Through our play we are kind of in that position and we are going to have to defend it.”
The 12th-ranked Titans (4-1, 2-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) visit Augustana on Saturday.
Senior linebacker Josh Akin said he’s heard from detractors who try to minimize the Titans’ wins over Wisconsin-Whitewater and Wheaton and that just drives him more.
“We’re (expletive) off and hungry,” Akin said. “There’s no complacency at all. We still have a lot to prove.”
Sophomore receiver Liam Keffer said the Titans are ready to embrace being the favorite.
“That’s something we know and other teams are coming in to play us knowing they are the underdog,” Keffer said. “We’ve been in the same situation as them, so we know how it feels.”
Augustana (1-4, 1-2 in the CCIW) is coming off its first win of the season Saturday at Elmhrust.
WJBC and WJBC.com will have the play-by-play at 12:30 p.m.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
