After dropping back-to-back conference games to College Conference of Illinois and Winsconsin rivals WashU and No. 24 Wheaton, the Titans squashed their losing streak with a dominant 51-8 win over Millikin on Oct. 19, 2024. The game marks another victory in the CCIW, leaving the team at a 3-3 record.
The Green and White gave the Big Blue, now 0-5 in conference, a tough game.
The defense kept Millikin at just 176 total offense yards, while the offense had a season high of 531 total offense yards, 250 of which came on the ground. Junior Jahari Scott had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, scoring two touchdowns on only nine carries.
“It’s about making the most out of your opportunities when it comes,” Scott said. “Sometimes, you won’t know if you are even getting the ball, so when I get it, I’m thinking about scoring.”
The highlight of Scott’s standout performance came in the third quarter when he broke a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown, pushing the Titans’ lead to 45-0.
“Big plays are always fun and they give everyone a breath of fresh air,” Scott said. “And, my coach keeps the RBs fresh, rotates us, and does not overwork us. So even after big plays like that, I don’t really get tired,” he said.
While Scott might not get tired on the field, one section in the crowd last Saturday certainly was by the end of the game–the Titan Band.
The Illinois Wesleyan pep band–sometimes known as The World’s Most Dangerous Pep Band–backs up the football team with their musical overtures, playing the fight song after every touchdown. Titan Band also has a push-up game, where members will do as many push-ups as there are points on the scoreboard for the Titans.
Madeline Archer is a flute player in Titan Band. She finds the push-up tradition very fun to watch.
“The sousaphone players start playing at their lowest note and go up chromatically for each push-up done. On Saturday, they ran out of notes to play because we scored so much,” Archer said.
Jacob Wissmiller is a frequent push-up volunteer and plays euphonium for Titan Band.
“The push-up game is a good way to show the Fightin’ Titan’s strength,” Wissmiller said.
Connie Kim, a senior instrumental performance major, is one of three conductors for Titan Band. “I think the traditions like push-ups and sousaphone races and dancing during specific songs is really fun,” Kim said. “It keeps a sense of tradition and culture as we pass those things down to new students that come to our school.”
The Fightin’ Titans play at home again on Nov. 2, 2024, against the Augustana Vikings.