Wheaton, Ill. - The #21-ranked Wheaton Thunder football team hosted the Carthage College Firebirds on Saturday afternoon at McCully Stadium. Wheaton came into the game riding a 14-game win streak against Carthage and seeking to add to the all-time record of 48-12 against the Firebirds. After a 47-21 victory, Wheaton was able to do just that, moving to 4-2 for the season, with a 4-1 CCIW record. Carthage fell to 2-4 with the loss and a 1-4 record in CCIW play.

Wheaton opened the game driving down into Carthage territory after two long completions to Seth Kortenhoeven, for a combined 56 yards, set the Thunder up at the Carthage 14-yard line. After a direct snap and a bobbled exchange, Wheaton lost the ball on a fumble recovered by Carthage. Carthage would use this costly turnover to their advantage, driving 78 yards and scoring the opening salvo of the game on a 45-yard catch and run slant, giving the Firebirds a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Thunder immediately responded with a touchdown of their own on a drive that lasted just over three minutes. After two long plays got called back by penalty and by stepping out of bounds, Wheaton still found themselves set up in plus territory. Mark Forcucci took a three-step drop and found Kortenhoeven (PICTURED LEFT) in the middle of the field for a 34-yard touchdown, giving Kortenhoeven 94 receiving yards with 5:31 left in the first quarter.

After forcing a Carthage punt, Wheaton took possession at their own seven. After a 20-yard rush from Matt Crider and 29-yard completion to Thomas Gruepner, the Thunder went into the second quarter on Carthage's 29-yard line. Another 20-yard rush from Crider set the 'Orange and Blue' up at the nine. Forcucci sent Malachi Jones in motion, creating an empty backfield. All it took from there was three steps from Caleb Titherington and a cut in to get open for the touchdown. After a fumble on the PAT, Wheaton led 13-7.

Carthage got the ball after a touchback placed them at their own 25-yard line. After two long completions, and a pass interference, Carthage found themselves at Wheaton's two-yard line. Two goal line stands made it third-and-goal. A play-action pass floated in by the Firebirds was caught for a touchdown. A false start by Carthage moved the PAT back 5-yards which was followed by the football banging off the uprights, keeping the score level at 13-13.

The ensuing drive Wheaton found themselves at the Carthage 34 following a 14-yard return from Brett Dieter and a 13-yard catch by Kortenhoeven where he officially eclipsed 100 receiving yards in the first half. An interception on the next play from Wheaton gave the ball back to the Firebirds.

Four plays later, Carthage dropped back to pass. Luca Torti came through in a full sprint, untouched and hit the quarterback as he was throwing. The ball shot up in the air and bounced under the arms of a diving Peter Johanik. The next play, TE Ben Juska ran a seam route up the hashes and Forcucci found him in the endzone for a 20-yard touchdown pass giving Wheaton a 20-13 lead with 4:33 remaining in the half.

Carthage would turn the ball over once again; Colin Moore was right where he needed to be as the ball floated in the air falling into his arms for a seven-yard interception return.

As the half drew to a close, Wheaton found themselves driving down the field thanks to Moore's forced turnover. Forcucci (PICTURED RIGHT) connected with Juska twice, once for 24 yards and again for 15. A rush from Trent Gabriele and a short completion to Greupner set the Thunder up at the three-yard line. Wheaton drew up a speed option play, Forcucci pitched it to Crider who walked in, untouched, giving Wheaton a 27-13 lead going into the second half.

Carthage started the second half with the ball, but Wheaton forced a turnover on downs. It only took four plays for the Thunder to score their fifth touchdown of the day. Forcucci connected with Kortenhoeven on a deep cross for 18 yards and then a deep ball that he was able to high point and come down with. The nail in the coffin for that drive would be a touchdown pass to Ben Juska, who went in motion to the right. Forcucci snapped the ball, faked the handoff to Jones and found Juska uncovered in the flat as the linebacker assigned to Juska bit on the fake, leaving acres of green for the All-America tight end. Wheaton would then complete the two-point conversion making it a 35-13 game.

A combined sack from Rex Kroger and Johanik on first down set Carthage back early in the drive and they were forced to punt. With great starting field position, Wheaton only had to hit Kortenhoeven twice to get all 50 yards, getting Forcucci his fifth passing touchdown of the game.

A blocked punt from Carthage would be recovered in the end zone cutting the lead to 42-19 and successful two-point conversion made it 42-21.

Wheaton's following drive was a methodical 53-yard drive that lasted seven minutes, which ended in a 30-yard field goal from Mateo Jesch. Next time out for Carthage, after a fourth-down conversion, the Firebirds aired it out but missed slightly to the left. Colin Moore was lurking in the deep third and made a diving catch for his second interception of the game.

A three-and-out would force Wheaton to punt, but an excellent punt from Josiah Smith pinned the Firebirds on their own six allowed the Thunder defense to push the envelope and be more aggressive with little room for Carthage to operate. An off-target snap caused Carthage's second play of the drive to break down, and their quarterback was unable to escape the grasp of Ethan Brunner for a safety making the score 47-21.

As the game ticked to a close, Smith once again had a fantastic punt, pinning Carthage at their own one-yard line. A two-yard rush and kneel-down ended the game, Wheaton 47-21.

Wheaton's offense totaled 505 yards, 412 through the air and 93 on the ground. Crider led the team in rushing yards with 71 with a touchdown, Jones and Gabriele had 29 and 18 respectively. Gabriele also averaged six yards per carry. Through the air, Forcucci totaled 378 passing yards, with an 87% completion rate, and five touchdowns. And on the receiving end, Kortenhoeven had nine catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns. He led the Thunder in targets, scrimmage yards and was tied with Juska in touchdowns. Kortenhoeven's 200 yards today is the most by a Thunder receiver in a game since Philip Nichols had 207 receiving yards against North Central on October 5, 2019 - a span of 61 games. Juska totaled 99 yards on five catches. Titherington had three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown, and Greupner had two catches for 36 yards.

Defensively, the Thunder held Carthage to 30 rushing yards on 21 carries and 218 yards passing. They also won the turnover battle 3-2, with Moore forcing both interceptions and Torti with the forced fumble. Individually the Thunder tackle leaders were Zeke Harris (10), Joseph Bracy (8), Torti (8), and Caleb Coburn (6). Kroger led the Thunder in tackles for loss with 2.5 followed by Harris (1.5), Torti (1), Brunner (1), Leathers (1), Coburn (PICTURED LEFT) and Johanik each had 0.5. Wheaton totaled three sacks coming from Torti, Brunner, Kroger and Johanik combined for one.

On special teams, Smith continued his momentum from being on the D3Football.com Team of the Week by pinning Carthage within their own 10 on both of his punts, averaging 43 yards per kick.

This win continued Wheaton's streak of scoring 40 or more points against the Firebirds to seven games, along with a 15-game winning streak against the program, one shy of Wheaton's current record of 16 games.

Next week's matchup will be against WashU next Saturday at McCully Stadium at 1:00 p.m.