Skip To Main Content

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Western Illinois University Athletics

WIU Athletics
44
Winner Western Illinois WIU 4-6 , 2-4
29
South Dakota USD 2-8 , 0-6
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
4-6 , 2-4
44
Final
29
South Dakota USD
2-8 , 0-6
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WIU Western Illinois 14 9 14 7 44
USD South Dakota 7 16 3 3 29

Game Recap: Football | | WIU Athletic Communications

Norvell, Leathernecks Defeat South Dakota 44-29

VERMILLION, S.D. – Trenton Norvell set a career-high with five touchdown passes, to five different receivers, and Western Illinois broke a tie at halftime to defeat South Dakota 44-29 on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 8) at the DakotaDome. The Fighting Leathernecks improved to 4-6 overall and 2-4 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
 
"When you have two weeks off you worry a little bit about how you'll play, and I thought our guys played with great emotion throughout the course of the game. We executed pretty well at the beginning of the game and were able to build a lead. That was important," said head coach Bob Nielson.
 
Western started two freshmen on defense in the game, including middle linebacker Brett Taylor. On 3rd-and-short during the game's opening drive, Taylor stopped quarterback Kevin Earl shy of a first down and the Coyotes (2-8, 0-6) punted. Western went 76 yards on 10 plays to take the lead.
 
Devon Moore, earning his first collegiate start, gained 30 yards on the ground and another four yards on his first-ever reception to help Western get into USD territory. Norvell found a wide-open Larry Harris for a 12-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead following Nathan Knuffman's extra point attempt.
 
The Leathernecks forced another USD punt and took over on their own 20. J.C. Baker broke loose for 21 yards, and thanks to a 10-yard defensive penalty, gave Western 1st-and-10 on the USD 42. Four plays later, facing 4th-and-2, Norvell beat the pressure and found Hi-C Scott for a 34-yard touchdown with 5:58 left in the opening quarter and 14-0 advantage.
 
South Dakota found the endzone on its next drive, thanks in part to a conversion on 3rd-and-16 into Western territory. Earl hit Drew Potter on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 2:26 left in the opening quarter. Midway through the second quarter, USD took advantage of a pass interference penalty and conversion on 4th-and-short to eventually tie the game on Jasper Sanders' 9-yard touchdown run.
 
The Coyotes made it three touchdowns on consecutive possessions following a 22-yard TD pass to Eric Shufford. On the point after, Kevin Kintzel blocked the attempt by Miles Bergner. The ball was fumbled twice and eventually picked up by Martinez Davis who raced in for a defensive extra point making it 20-16.
 
That defensive extra point marked just the third time ever in program history Western had that happen as Davis joined Frank Spraggins (vs. UNI in 1997) and Jermaine Ballard (at Hofstra, 1996) in accomplishing that rare feat.
 
Western kept the momentum on its ensuing drive. Norvell picked up a first down on the ground while facing 3rd-and-11. He later hit Baker on a screen and the senior running back burst through the defense for a 22-yard score.
 
WIU was flagged for a penalty on a punt attempt late in the half. On the rekick, USD got a piece of the Knuffman punt and took over on the 15-yard line with 11 seconds remaining. Bergner converted a 32-yard field goal to tie the score at the half 23-all.
 
The Leathernecks pinned USD on its own two following a punt in the third quarter. On the drive, Aaron Diggs forced a fumble and Jonathon Rollins recovered on the USD 39. Facing 4th-and-1 from the 18, Moore used a stiff-arm to fend off a tackler and score his team-leading fifth touchdown of the season. Knuffman's kick made it 30-23 with six minutes left in the quarter.
 
USD used two big plays to get inside the WIU 20, but three straight stops by the defense forced the Coyotes to settle for a 30-yard field goal.
 
Norvell connected with Lenoir on a 43-yard pass to get into USD territory. The 4-play drive was capped when the sophomore QB hit Joey Borsellino, who made a sliding catch in the endzone for a 12-yard score and 37-26 lead.
 
Even though the Coyotes broke off a 46-yard run into WIU territory, the Leatherneck defense held on third down and USD ended up with a 42-yard field goal by Bergner making it 37-29 with just under 12 minutes left.
 
The Leathernecks quickly responded. Norvell hit Scott on a 56-yard completion then capped the three-play, 70-yard drive with a 17-yard TD pass to Lenoir for the final margin.
 
Western's 44 points marked the highest road scoring total since tallying 63 points at Indiana State in November 2005.
 
Norvell finished 20-of-28 passing for 287 yards and no interceptions with his five TDs.
 
"He made some good throws, I thought our receivers got open, we thought we had some opportunities off the play-action to take some shots and we did. When Trenton got the ball delivered he'll be the first to say he missed a few but the ones he got were big plays," said Nielson.
 
Baker surpassed the 1,000-yard mark this season on his final rush of the game, finishing the win with 118 yards on 21 attempts. He also added three receptions totaling 30 yards and his TD. The senior became the fifth Leatherneck ever to record 1,000-yard rushing seasons in consecutive years.
 
Lenoir led Western with six catches totaling 69 yards. Scott surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his two-year career with his 94 yards on three receptions.
 
Moore nearly recorded his first-ever 100-yard game, but came up just short with 98 yards on 12 carries.
 
Kintzel led the team with eight tackles while Taylor added seven. Richard Chungong and Rollins added six tackles each. Chungong broke up two passes.
 
Earl ended 20-of-38 passes for 251 yards and two TDs. Shufford led USD with 99 yards on eight receptions. John Wessel led all tacklers with nine stops.
 
Western returns to the state of South Dakota next week, facing South Dakota State next Saturday (Nov. 15). Kickoff in Brookings is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: Taylor and true-freshman free safety David Griffith earned their first collegiate start. In addition to Moore, three Leathernecks earned their first start… Thanks to his 2-point defensive return, Davis took sole possession of the WIU career record for most defensive points (20)… The 46 combined points scored by halftime marked the most combined points for WIU this season in the first half… Rollins recorded his second career fumble recovery… Lenoir moved into fourth place on the season receptions list with 62… Norvell jumped up two spots and overtook sixth place on the career 'Top 10' list with 36 career TD passes… Scott now has 1,005 receiving yards in his career on 72 catches and eight TD receptions… Scott became the 27th receiver all-time to reach 1,000 yards in their career... Baker needed 10 games to reach 1,000 yards. Last year when he surpassed 1,000 he did so at the start of his 11th game… Baker's milestone was the 18th time in program history a running back recorded 1,000 yards in a season… His 100-yard game was the 12th in his career… Scott extended his streak to a reception in 22 consecutive games... Lenoir now with 878 receiving yards this year moved him all the way to eighth on the season 'Top 10' list… Davis recorded his 20th career pass break-up, tying for ninth place all-time.
 
 
#W1U
 
 
Print Friendly Version