Small college football preview: Central State, Wilmington face first-place teams

Central State (2-6) at Tuskegee (7-1)

When: 2 p.m. today

Where: Tuskegee, Ala.

Game notes: This is the second straight game in Alabama for the Marauders. They lost 35-33 at Stillman last week. Michael Wilson rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 181 yards and a touchdown. He scored on a 6-yard run with 46 seconds left, but a two-point conversion pass that would have tied the game was intercepted. … CSU is tied for third in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division at 2-2 with Stillman. … Tuskegee leads the division at 3-0. It was the preseason pick to win the division and the SIAC championship game. It has won 29 SIAC championships overall, the most in league history.

Ohio Wesleyan (4-3) at Wittenberg (6-1)

When: 1 p.m. today

Where: Edwards-Maurer Field, Springfield

Game notes: The 17th-ranked Tigers won their sixth straight last week, 38-7 at Kenyon. They remain tied with Wabash atop the North Coast Athletic Conference at 6-0. Wittenberg and Wabash play next week in Crawfordsville, Ind. … Wittenberg has played Ohio Wesleyan more times than any opponent. This will be the 88th meeting since 1895. … The game features the top two quarterbacks in the league: Ohio Wesleyan's Mason Espinosa (332.3 passing yards per game) and Wittenberg's Reed Florence (310.4). … Wittenberg has allowed the fewest sacks in the NCAC (eight).

Urbana (6-2) at Southeast Missouri State (1-7)

When: 2 p.m.

Where: Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Game notes: This is Urbana’s last non-conference game. The Redhawks are a Division I Football Championship Subdivision program. The Blue Knights are 1-6 all-time against FCS teams. … Six of Southeast Missouri’s losses are to teams that have been ranked at some point this season. … Urbana has won five games in a row. It beat Fairmont State 41-5 last week. … Urbana quarterback D.J. Mendenhall ranks third in the country in NCAA Division II with 29 passing touchdowns. Joe Webb ranks fifth with 11 receiving touchdowns.

John Carroll (7-0) at Wilmington (0-7)

When: 1:30 p.m. today
Where: Williams Stadium
Game notes: The Quakers lost 50-22 to Marietta last week in a matchup of 0-6 teams. Wilmington is now all alone in last place in the Ohio Athletic Conference behind three teams with one OAC win: Capital, Marietta and Muskingum. … John Carroll is tied for first with Mount Union at 6-0, and it’s ranked 15th in the D3Football.com poll.

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