Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton Thunder (10-1) football team opened up the 2021 NCAA Division III Playoffs on Saturday afternoon with a 63-31 victory at home against Aurora University (8-3). Wheaton scored 28 of its 63 points today in a key second quarter of action.

Wheaton advances to the Second Round of the Division III Playoffs. The Thunder will face Central College (Iowa) next Saturday at a site to be determined. The NCAA will announce game locations tomorrow. The Dutch defeated Bethel (Minn.) 61-35 in Pella, Iowa this afternoon in another first round matchup.

Wheaton totaled a season-high 665 yards of offense this afternoon, rushing for 427 yards with 238 passing yards. The Spartans had 444 yards of offense with 427 passing yards and 17 rushing yards.

Giovanni Weeks (PICTURED LEFT) ran for 174 yards on 18 carries. He averaged 9.7 yards per carry with one touchdown run. Weeks also caught a 19-yard touchdown pass for the hosts. Sam Singleton ran for 84 yards on 11 carries. 

Weeks' rushing touchdown today, gives him 20 for the season, setting a new Wheaton single-season record. The junior's 174 rushing yards today moved him from sixth-place on Wheaton's single-season rushing list to the second-best rushing season in program history. He began the game today with 1,191 yards and moved past four former standout backs to the second-best single-season mark in team history with 1,365. He will enter next week's game just six yards shy of Garrett Granberg's school record 1,371 yards in 2004.

Quarterback Luke Anthony completed 16 of his 23 passing attempts for 233 yards, with six touchdown passes. The senior also ran for 75 yards with a touchdown run. Fellow quarterback Jeremiah Tucker ran for 77 yards with an impressive 42-yard touchdown run to his credit.

Spencer Peterson caught six passes for 55 yards, with three touchdown catches. Adam Terrini caught five passes for 72 yards with a touchdown reception.

Linebacker Ryan Schwartz led the Thunder defense with six total tackles, including four solo stops, and he added an interception. Caleb Egbert made five tackles on the day. Josh Shaffley and Wyatt Lee each had four total tackles. Lee had a quarterback sack of 13 yards to his credit and Shaffley picked off one pass.

Aurora received the opening kickoff and the Thunder defense stalled the Spartans' drive forcing a punt. Wheaton's first drive also stalled, concluding with a punt. The Spartans started their next drive at their own 20-yard line and quickly progressed downfield in a 14-play drive in 4:06. The drive ended on a nine-yard touchdown pass from AU quarterback Gavin Zimbelman to receiver Trey Madsen on a nine-yard touchdown pass. The PAT attempt failed as the Spartans led 6-0 with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter. Wheaton responded with a strong drive that was highlighted by a 47-yard run for Weeks. The drive ended with a six-yard touchdown pass from Anthony to Terrini that gave Wheaton a 7-6 lead with 4:28 remaining in the first quarter. Aurora fumbled on its next drive and the recovery by River Shindledecker gave the Thunder the ball at Aurora's 22-yard line. Anthony connected with Peterson on a 14-yard touchdown catch that the tight end expertly collected to give Wheaton a 14-6 lead with 2:39 left in the opening quarter. Aurora again quickly put a drive together that culminated with a 53-yard touchdown pass by Zimbelman to Cam Moore. Moore's touchdown made the score 14-13 in favor of Wheaton with 58-seconds left in the first quarter.

Wheaton's drive that followed Moore's touchdown was 63 yards and ended on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Anthony to Weeks that extended the hosts' lead to 21-13 with 12:58 remaining in the second quarter. On Aurora's next drive, the Spartans were unable to get a first down and the guests when for it on fourth-and-three at their own 27-yard line. Anthony had a 16-yard run to open the next Thunder drive and on the next play, Anthony hit Peterson (PICTURED LEFT) with a five-yard touchdown pass to give Wheaton a 28-13 lead with 11:46 left in the second quarter. Wheaton's next touchdown was on a 14-yard run by Anthony as the hosts' lead increased to 35-13 with 9:04 left in the first half. Wheaton's final drive of the second quarter was a long 12-play drive of 86 yards that ended with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Anthony to Matthew Tucker with 1:29 remaining in the first half. Tucker's touchdown allowed Wheaton to a 42-13 lead at halftime.

The first offensive drive of the third quarter for each team ended with a punt. Wheaton's second drive concluded with a 14-yard touchdown run by Weeks. Weeks' second touchdown of the game increased Wheaton's lead to 49-13 with 6:03 remaining in the third quarter.

Wheaton continued to add points in the fourth quarter. Anthony connected with Peterson on a three-yard touchdown catch that increased Wheaton's lead to 56-13 with 14:35 remaining in the game. Shaffley intercepted an Aurora pass on the Spartans' first play of the ensuing drive as Wheaton started the drive that followed at its own 39-yard line. Jeremiah Tucker made several nifty moves on a 42-yard touchdown run to increase Wheaton's lead to 63-13 with 12:42 left in the game. Zimbelman had three touchdown passes with scoring tosses of eight, six and four yards to account for the 63-31 final score.  

NOTE: This story will be updated throughout the evening.