BLOOMINGTON - Quarterback Brien Rooney took the final snap, put his knee on the ground and raised his arms in the air.

Illinois Wesleyan's football team wasn't quite ready to celebrate a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship and Division III playoff spot. Yet everyone in those all-green uniforms at IWU Stadium knew the Titans cleared their biggest hurdle Saturday.

"This is surreal. This is what we worked for in the offseason," said IWU wide receiver Chris Messina. "Just for it to come true it hasn't sunk in yet."

Rooney, in relief of injured Kraig Ladd, rallied IWU from a 10-0 deficit with three second-half touchdown passes against Wheaton. The Titans ran out the final 6:46 to preserve a 20-17 victory in a CCIW showdown on a Senior Day many in the estimated crowd of 1,950 will never forget.

IWU, ranked No. 23 in the Division III coaches' poll, improved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the league, tied with North Central for first place. The Titans need to beat North Park (1-8) next Saturday in Chicago to clinch at least a share of the CCIW title and earn their first Division III playoff berth in 13 years.

"For the second week in a row I'm so proud of our players. They played so hard," said IWU coach Norm Eash, whose team beat North Central 28-22 last week. "They handled adversity so well in both of these games, especially when we got down 10-0."

Ladd, who already had a broken bone in his left throwing hand, injured his right shoulder in the first quarter while being sacked and losing a fumble. It was Rooney to the rescue for the Titans. The junior completed 14 of 26 attempts for 145 yards while rushing for 93 yards on 14 carries.

"It's Senior Day and we really owe these guys," said Rooney. "This is the hardest offseason I've ever worked in my life, and these seniors were there to push us all spring and summer and through fall camp. It's a great feeling to send them out like this."

Twice in the first half, Rooney moved IWU inside the 11th-ranked Thunder's 10-yard line only to come up short with an interception and missed field goal.

Wheaton (7-2, 4-2) went ahead 10-0 on Scott Roche's 25-yard field goal midway through the third quarter before Rooney and IWU's offense finally found the end zone.

Rooney hit Jack Scalcucci on a post pattern for a 45-yard TD pass, but Michael Fenger's conversion kick went wide.

IWU defensive end Ryan Jenkins stripped Wheaton quarterback Sean Norris of the ball on the Thunder's next play. The Titans' Dan Rogers recovered on Wheaton's 35. Nine plays later, Rooney found Messina in the front corner of the end zone on a 10-yard pass for a 12-10 lead.

Wheaton was driving to regain the lead when strong safety P.J. Cummings, who earlier blocked a punt, intercepted Norris in the end zone.

"I was stemming to take away the slant," said Cummings, who led IWU with 10 tackles. "I knew he was going to throw it to the tight end the whole time. I saw him out of my eye and broke at the right time."

The Titans went ahead 20-10 early in the fourth quarter on Rooney's 7-yard TD pass to Scalcucci, who caught the ball at the 3 and fought his way into the end zone. Rooney and Messina hooked up for a two-point conversion pass.

Wheaton countered with a 65-yard, 12-play drive culminated by Norris' 5-yard TD run with 6:46 left. After the kickoff, the Titans took over on their own 25 and knew what they needed to do.

"We walled everything off and kept driving," said IWU guard Keenan Clifford. "Everyone did their job."

The Titans ran on all but one of 11 plays to move to the Thunder's 5 and ice the victory.

"They were bringing the house, and we still blocked them. That was an attitude thing," said Eash. "Our kids said there was no way they were going to let the game slip away."

Wheaton coach Mike Swider thought his team helped out the Titans.

"When you lose a game it's not any one thing, but those two (second-half) turnovers gift-wrapped it for them," said Swider. "You can say anything you want. You give them a short field like that and it's ridiculous. Then we threw an interception in the end zone."

Halfback Eli Williams gained 77 yards on 14 carries as IWU amassed 207 yards on the ground. The Titans outgained Wheaton in total offense, 374 yards to 337.

Illinois Wesleyan

AT BLOOMINGTON

Wheaton 7 0 3 7 - 17

Ill. Wesleyan 0 0 12 8 - 20

SCORING SUMMARY

WHE - Antal 15-yd. pass from Norris (Roche kick)

WHE - Roche 25-yd. field goal

IWU - Scalcucci 46-yd. pass from Rooney (kick failed)

IWU - Messina 10-yd. pass from Rooney (run failed)

IWU - Scalcucci 7-yd. pass from Rooney (Messina pass from Rooney)

WHE - Norris 5-yd. run (Roche kick)

YARDSTICK

WHE IWU

Total first downs 19 24

Net yards gained 337 374

By rushing 163 207

By passing 174 167

Passes attempted 24 34

Completed 14 17

Intercepted by 1 1

Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-1

Yards penalized 35 0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Wheaton: Gingg 16-70, Velling 12-57, Norris 8-31, Driggers 1-5. Illinois Wesleyan: Rooney 14-93, Williams 14-77, Brubaker 8-42, Ladd 2-0, TEAM 2-minus 5.

PASSING - Wheaton: Norris 14-23-1 174, Zeller 0-1-0 0. Illinois Wesleyan: Rooney 14-26-1 145, Ladd 3-8-0 22.

RECEIVING - Wheaton: Ellis 3-51, Gingg 2-31, Zeller 2-17, McClain 2-9, Hindman 1-28, Antal 1-15, Watkins 1-15, Dorman 1-7, Berttucci 1-1. Illinois Wesleyan: Messina 6-49, Scalcucci 5-71, Williams 2-28, Burnett 2-13, Sloboda 2-6.

PUNTING - Wheaton: Norris 2-72-36.0, TEAM 1-8-8.0. Illinois Wesleyan: Zic 3-121-40.3.

INTERCEPTIONS - Wheaton (1): Lutes. Illinois Wesleyan (1): Cummings.