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Western Illinois University Athletics

WIU Offense Trenton Norvell
WIU Athletics
24
Western Illinois WIU 4-7 , 2-5
59
Winner South Dakota State SDSU 7-4 , 4-3
Western Illinois WIU
4-7 , 2-5
24
Final
59
South Dakota State SDSU
7-4 , 4-3
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WIU Western Illinois 7 10 7 0 24
SDSU South Dakota State 14 21 21 3 59

Game Recap: Football | | WIU Athletic Communications

Western Cannot Overcome Weather, Jackrabbits

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Western Illinois could not overcome the elements and the 19th-ranked South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Saturday (Nov. 15) at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. The Fighting Leathernecks dropped to 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, while the Jackrabbits kept their playoff hopes alive, now 7-4 and 4-3.
 
Temperature at kickoff was 24 degrees, but the near five inches of snow that fell in the 24 hours prior to kickoff covered the field in the morning but was cleared off along the sidelines.
 
Western came up empty on its first two possessions, the last getting stopped shy on fourth down. SDSU took over on its own 33, and on the first play Zach Zenner broke through the left side for a 67-yard score and 7-0 lead five minutes into the game.
 
The Leathernecks fumbled the ensuing kickoff. SDSU needed seven plays to cover 30 yards. Austin Sumner found Jason Schneider for a 14-yard TD and 14-0 lead midway through the first.
 
Trenton Norvell and the offense responded on the next drive. The sophomore quarterback connected with Lance Lenoir, Jr. on a 41-yard touchdown with just over four minutes left in the quarter. Nathan Knuffman's kick made it 14-7.
 
SDSU converted twice on 3rd-and-long to keep the drive alive. Zenner capped the scoring drive when he took the direct snap and scored an 18-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
 
Norvell hit Joey Borsellino on two long pass plays totaling 43 yards, in-between a 17-yard run by J.C. Baker, to set up 1st-and-goal from the three. The Leathernecks settled for a 21-yard field goal by Knuffman to make it 21-10.
 
A 40-yard TD pass by SDSU midway through the quarter extended the Jackrabbits lead to 28-10.
 
Baker broke off a 23-yard touchdown run to answer the score, his fourth rushing TD of the season. However, SDSU got another TD pass from Sumner late in the half to make it 35-17.
 
During the Jacks first drive, they tallied an 11-yard TD pass to make it 42-17. Western responded on Norvell's 33-yard TD pass down the middle to Hi-C Scott with 8:52 remaining.
 
Sumner threw two more TD passes in the third quarter, the latter making it 56-24 in the final minute, and set a career-high with six touchdown passes.
 
"We had a hard time staying on our feet in the secondary and their receivers didn't. As a result they made a lot of big plays through the air… We did a poor job today in big play defense and going into the game we said big play defense was critical," said head coach Bob Nielson.
 
Borsellino set a season-high with 99 receiving yards on six catches. Lenoir finished with a team-leading seven catches totaling 82 yards and a score. Scott extended his streak to 23 consecutive games with a catch, as his lone reception was the TD catch.
 
"They doubled Lance a lot which provided opportunities for Joey to go in single coverage. We moved the ball all right but we could've scored some more points," said Nielson. "We moved the ball pretty well on a hard day to move the football, and give South Dakota State credit. The conditions didn't bother their offense, I think they thrived on those conditions."
 
Norvell finished 14-of-27 passing for 214 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, the last one coming late in the game in the endzone. Baker just missed on another 100-yard rushing game, totaling 97 yards on 21 attempts. Devon Moore ended with 48 yards on 12 attempts.
 
David Griffith recorded a career-high nine tackles to lead WIU. Jonathon Rollins, Richard Chungong and Kevin Kintzel added seven tackles each.

Jonathon Rollins entered the game with six career pass break-ups, and the senior safety recorded a career-high four in the contest.
 
Sumner threw for 366 yards and six TDs on 21-of-37 passing. Jake Wieneke (159 yards) and Jason Schneider (114 yards) led the receiving for SDSU.
 
Western returns to Hanson Field for the final regular season contest next Saturday (Nov. 22) against Indiana State. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: In the first quarter, true-freshman free safety Aaron Diggs was flagged for targeting on a play in the endzone and was ejected. He was replaced at free safety by Griffith… SDSU held a 547-402 edge in total yards… Western was 4-of-13 on third downs while SDSU was 4-of-9… Knuffman averaged 43.7 yards on his three punts… Jeremy Curry and Kintzel each recorded a sack… Baker jumped up to 12th on the season rushing leaders list (1,102 yards) and seventh all-time (2,251)… Lenoir is now one reception away from tying the season record (currently at 69). He also moved into eighth place all-time in receptions (108) and now broke into the career 'Top 10' at 10th place in yardage (1,449). He is tied for seventh all-time with 13 touchdowns… Norvell is now tied for fourth in season TD passes with 22. He overtook sixth place all-time in yardage (4,816).
 

 
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