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Leatherneck Football - Game 12

Football WIU Athletic Communications

@WIUFootball Closes Out Season This Saturday

Leathernecks play host to Indiana State, kickoff at 1 p.m.

#18 Indiana State Sycamores (7-4, 4-3) at Western Illinois (4-7, 2-5)

GAME NOTES

INFORMATION - GAME #12                  
DATE/TIME: Saturday, November 22 / 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Macomb, Illinois
STADIUM: Hanson Field
SURFACE: MatrixTurf
LIVE STATS: www.GoLeathernecks.com
LIVE VIDEO: www.GoLeathernecks.com / ESPN3
LIVE AUDIO: www.WRMSFM.com
MOBILE DEVICE: TuneIn Radio app (WRMS)
ALL-TIME SERIES: WIU leads 22-15
LAST MEETING: WIU 21, @INS 14 (11/16/13)

RADIO (Leatherneck Sports Network)
ANNOUNCERS    Scott Kornberg, Dr. Tom Cody
Beardstown: WRMS 94.3 FM (Flagship)
Macomb: WJEQ 102.7 FM
Galesburg: WAIK 1590 AM
Quincy: WPWQ 106.7 FM
Clinton, Iowa: KCLN 1390 AM
Monroe City, Missouri: KWBZ 107.5 FM

TELEVISION                                         
NETWORK    WIU-TV3  / ESPN3
ANNOUNCERS    Drew Hoffman, Tyler Eddy

VIDEO                                                   
Fans can watch the game as a pay-per-view event on GoLeathernecks.com. The game will also air on ESPN3 (Watch ESPN app).

MOBILE / TABLET DEVICES                                                
    Stats available on iPhone and Android phones by clicking on the stats link at GoLeathernecks.com.
    The game can be heard by downloading the TuneIn Radio app on iTunes and Google Play, then searching for WRMS radio.

SOCIAL MEDIA
    In-game tweets are available @WIUAthletics. Fans can use the INSvsWIU or W1U hashtag.

THE GAME: Western Illinois closes out the 2014 season at Hanson Field against Indiana State... This marks the first time since 2011 that the Leathernecks close out the season at home... Western can finish with a .500 record at home with a victory over the Sycamores.

THE SERIES: Western Illinois owns a 22-15 advantage all-time in the series... After losing nine straight in the series, Indiana State has won three of the last five... This is the 28th straight year playing the contest, the fourth-longest such streak in WIU history.

THE COACHES: Western Illinois head coach Bob Nielson enters his second year with the Leathernecks. He owns an 8-15 record at Western and 178-74-1 in his 22nd year as a head coach...  Indiana State head coach Mike Sanford is 8-15 is his second season with the Sycamores and 24-58 overall in seven seasons as a head coach.

SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES: Indiana State let a 24-10 lead in the fourth quarter escape, but pulled out a 27-24 win in overtime at Youngstown State... Eric Heidorn drilled a game-winning 28-yard FG to win... Mike Perish completed 29-of-42 passing for 353 yards and a TD with an interception... Gary Owens caught nine passes for 102 yards... Mark Sewall recorded 12 tackles, recovered two fumbles, intercepted a pass and broke up two passes... The Sycamores lead the MVFC converting on fourth down 66.7 percent of the time, eighth in the nation... ISU ranks fifth nationally recovering 15 fumbles and allowing just four interceptions... The 1.45 turnover margin leads the nation... Sewall ranks fourth nationally with three fumble recoveries... Travis Starks ranks fifth in the nation with 1.5 passes defended per game... Connor Underwood is 10th nationally with 1.0 sacks per game and fifth with 2.0 TFL per game.

THANK YOU SENIORS: Western Illinois will honor 14 seniors prior to the final regular season game at Hanson Field on Saturday.

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULES AROUND: Western enters this weekend with the sixth-toughest schedule in the country, based on cumulative opposition winning percentage... The Fighting Leathernecks have played two Big Ten Conference teams and currently on a stretch playing seven games of the last eight against a ranked opponent, including a program record five consecutive... The eight games against a ranked opponent by far set a program season record (5 on several occasions). Based off past opposition, Western stands seventh nationally in toughest schedule.

ROAD WINS: The two road wins by Western this season equal the total from the last three years combined. The Leathernecks defeated #10 Youngstown State and South Dakota this year... The 2013 team won once on the road, as did the 2012 team, and the 2011 squad was winless in six road games... The last time Western won twice on the road in the same year was 2010: at #13 North Dakota State and at Coastal Carolina in the playoffs.

VALLEY FOOTBALL > FBS: According to the latest Sagarin rankings, the Missouri Valley Football Conference ranks ahead of THREE Division I Football Subdivision Conferences and half of a fourth... The MVFC (62.67) enters this week in front of the: Mid-America-West (61.25), Mountain West-West Division (60.72), Conference-USA West (59.88), Conference-USA East (59.50), Sun Belt (55.27), and Mid-America East (54.31) Conferences... The MVFC is 2-10 versus the FBS, but of those 10 losses nine came against teams from the 'Power 5' Conferences. The only non-Power 5 loss was UNI flying across the Pacific Ocean to play at Hawai'i... Overall the MVFC owns a 28-11 record out-of-conference.

DEFENSE HELD WISCONSIN'S MELVIN GORDON IN CHECK: Western held First Team Preseason All-American running back, and Walter Camp Award watch list member, Melvin Gordon to one of his lowest rushing games in his Wisconsin career… Gordon was limited to 38 yards on 17 carries, a 2.2 yard-per-carry average… It's the second-lowest average in his career (minimum two attempts in a game)... On November 17th, WIU coach Bob Nielson was interviewed by ESPN.com on the gameplan they had to stop Gordon.

KINTZEL AGAIN LEADS THE VALLEY: Kevin Kintzel enters this week averaging a MVFC-leading 8.7 tackles per game (48th nationally). He slipped to third in the MVFC recording 5.0 solo tackles per game (27th nationally)... His career-high 16 tackles against North Dakota State were the most by a Leatherneck since the 2010 postseason (Kyle Glazier-17 at Coastal Carolina).

BAKER AMONG RUSHING LEADERS: Senior J.C. Baker ranks 25th nationally averaging 100.2 rushing yards per game (21st with 1,102 yards)... His 118.2 all-purpose yards per game is 44th nationally... In 23 career games as a Leatherneck, Baker has racked up 2,251 rushing yards, good to overtake seventh place on the all-time list.

NATIONAL RANKINGS FOR NORVELL: Trenton Norvell enters this week as the MVFC leader in three categories: passing yards (2,676), total offense (254.6 ypg), and touchdown passes (22)... Norvell ranks ninth nationally in TDs and 12th in passing yards... His 138 points responsible for puts him 32nd nationally.

IN THE CAREER TOP 10 AS A SOPHOMORE: Just 23 games into his Western Illinois career, Trenton Norvell broke into the WIU career 'Top 10' in six categories... He enters this week ranked:
• 6th in career completions (397)
• 6th in attempts (732)
• 6th in passing yards (4,816)
• 6th in passing touchdowns (38)
• 6th in total offense (4,980)
• 8th in rushing TDs by a quarterback (3)
He now owns three career 300-yard passing games, two of those coming in consecutive weeks (310 yards vs. Illinois State and Northern Iowa).

LENOIR ON THE SEASON AND CAREER RECORD WATCH: For Lance Lenoir, Jr. his climb up the season and career 'Top 10' continues... On the season listing, Lenoir is:
• Tied 1st for most 100-yard receiving games (5)
• 2nd in receptions (69)
• 6th in yards (960)
He needs one more touchdown to move into a tie for ninth in that category, currently with six scores... Among the career leaders, he moved into eighth place in receptions (108) and is 10th in yardage (1,449). He's also tied for fourth with six 100-yard receiving games and tied for seventh in touchdowns (13).

 
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Players Mentioned

Kevin Kintzel

#17 Kevin Kintzel

LB
6' 2"
Senior
Lincoln-Way West
Lance Lenoir

#7 Lance Lenoir

WR
6' 0"
Sophomore
Crete Monee
Trenton Norvell

#14 Trenton Norvell

QB
6' 5"
Sophomore
Seabreeze
J.C. Baker

#2 J.C. Baker

RB
5' 8"
Senior
Yuma / Arizona Western CC

Players Mentioned

Kevin Kintzel

#17 Kevin Kintzel

6' 2"
Senior
Lincoln-Way West
LB
Lance Lenoir

#7 Lance Lenoir

6' 0"
Sophomore
Crete Monee
WR
Trenton Norvell

#14 Trenton Norvell

6' 5"
Sophomore
Seabreeze
QB
J.C. Baker

#2 J.C. Baker

5' 8"
Senior
Yuma / Arizona Western CC
RB