By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Whenever Jack Warner can spare 15 minutes, he can usually be found watching game tape.
One video he might hesitate to watch is the game against Simpson last year. That marked the sophomore quarterback’s first collegiate loss in what’s been an impressive start to his career.
“I’ll watch film from (last year’s game), but I don’t want to think about the game too much,” Warner said of the 13-3 outcome. “They’re not the same team. We’re not the same team.”
Warner might be more inspired to study the video of last week’s performance in which he completed 21 of 25 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-14 win over Alma.
Two of the three incomplete passes and the one interception the five-foot-nine signal caller threw were tipped at the line of scrimmage, something that’s rarely happened and hardly phases him.
“I’ve been short my whole life,” Warner quipped. “It’s not something I think about too much. If it happens, it happens. It’s all about the next play.”
The Titans will look to avenge their only non-conference loss since 2007 when the Simpson Storm come to Tucci Stadium on Saturday.
IWU coach Norm Eash said he remembers the grueling five-hour bus ride home from Indianola, Iowa after that loss.
“We scored three points, we left the defense out there way too much. We were 0 for 4 in the red zone,” Eash noted. “I know that was last year, but it’s still motivating for us.”
Defensive end Jamal Jackson remembers the bus ride too though he didn’t see much varsity time as a sophomore.
“One of the motivating factors this week is we don’t want to have another what-could-have been season,” Jackson said.
Jackson stepped into the starting lineup following the leg injury which sidelined College Conference of Illinois and Wisconson first-teamer Kyle Venhuizen during the Franklin game. After a rough debut, Jackson settled in last week.
“It was deer in the headlights (vs. Franklin), but once I got the nerves out it became a lot easier to do what I needed to do,” Jackson said.
Jackson and the Illinois Wesleyan defense will have its hands full against what will likely be the largest offensive line it will face this season. Simpson’s starting front five averages 295 pounds.
Jackson is a mere 230 pounds, and he’s added 35 pounds since high school.
“I don’t think we can just sit and exchange punches with them,” Eash said. “We’re not going to do that. That’s not our defensive team. I think we have to use our speed and quickess and use some pressure and some movement to keep them off balance.”
Kickoff at Tucci Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
WJBC and WJBC.com will have the broadcast on Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
