Three Selected to MVFC All-Newcomer Teams

Western Illinois lands three redshirt-freshmen on the Offensive and Defensive team

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Western Illinois placed three redshirt-freshmen on the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Teams. The offensive and defensive All-Newcomer squads were announced by the conference office on Tuesday (Dec. 1).

Defensive backs Xavier Rowe (Oak Park/Oak Park-River Forest) and Timothy Smith (Chicago/Morgan Park) along with quarterback Sean McGuire (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) represented the Leathernecks. The three representatives for Western matched the highest total (three in 2013 and 2010) dating back to the 2008 season when four were chosen.

Rowe earned nine starts in his 12 games played at cornerback, and currently stands fourth on the team with 63 tackles. He leads Western's defense with seven pass break-ups. He set a season-high of 10 tackles at North Dakota State and broke up a season-high four passes at UNI.

Smith also has played in all 12 games, earning eight starts at cornerback. Of his 33 tackles, 22 are solo stops. His three interceptions tie for the team-lead, and he's one behind Rowe with six pass break-ups. He set a career-high of six tackles at Illinois State.

McGuire has seen action in nine games this year, also serving as the holder on place kicks. Over the past three games, McGuire stepped in at quarterback and gone 3-0 with overtime wins at Indiana State and home versus South Dakota State, then the opening round playoff win at Dayton. He's completed 60-of-109 passes as a starter for 797 yards (266 ypg) and four touchdowns with five interceptions. He was the holder on the game-winning field goal with two seconds left to open MVFC play versus Southern Illinois.

The Leathernecks travel to second-seed Illinois State this Saturday (Dec. 5) for the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN3.

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Players Mentioned

#18 Sean McGuire: QB; 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman; Franklin

#6 Xavier Rowe: DB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; Oak Park-River Forest

#3 Timothy Smith: DB; 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; Morgan Park

Players Mentioned

#18 Sean McGuire
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman; Franklin
: QB

#6 Xavier Rowe
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; Oak Park-River Forest
: DB

#3 Timothy Smith
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; Morgan Park
: DB

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Players Mentioned

#18 Sean McGuire

#6 Xavier Rowe

#3 Timothy Smith

Players Mentioned

#18 Sean McGuire

#6 Xavier Rowe

#3 Timothy Smith