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Western Illinois University Athletics

Joey Borsellino
WIU Visual Productions Center
7
Western Illinois WIU 2-2
24
Winner Northwestern NU 1-2
Western Illinois WIU
2-2
7
Final
24
Northwestern NU
1-2
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WIU Western Illinois 7 0 0 0 7
NU Northwestern 7 7 7 3 24

Game Recap: Football | | WIU Athletic Communications

Western Suffers Loss at Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. – Western Illinois out-gained Northwestern in the statistics, but the Wildcats came away with a 24-7 victory at Ryan Field on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 20).
 
The Fighting Leathernecks (2-2 overall) held a near 100-yard advantage in total yards (376-283), limited NU (1-2) to 3-of-14 on third down conversions, and held a near six minute edge in time of possession (32:57-27:03). However, the Wildcats turned two of Western's four turnovers into 10 points and came up with a key blocked field goal as the first half expired to pull out the victory in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
 
Western won the coin flip and elected to defer. After a Nathan Knuffman touchback on the kickoff, the Wildcats took the opening drive nine plays to cover 70 yards and scored on a 1-yard run by Solomon Vault.
 
The Leathernecks wasted no time tying the game, marching 60 yards on 10 plays (including a 4th-and-1 sneak for a first down) in 3:15. Trenton Norvell found Joey Borsellino on a 4-yard touchdown pass with just over nine minutes left in the first quarter.
 
"It was a great drive. That was probably our best drive of the day without question. Otherwise we moved the ball but we only moved the ball in the middle of the field," said head coach Bob Nielson. "We've got to have better redzone plan. We have to execute better in the redzone, and we have to execute better on third and fourth down. Those were things we didn't do well today."
 
Both teams were forced to punt on their next drive. Northwestern's punt rush blocked Knuffman's attempt and the Wildcats recovered on the four. A false start penalty on 3rd-and-goal from the 1 pushed NU back. On the ensuing pass, Jean-Marc Charles recorded his first career solo sack. He forced a fumble and recovered the loose ball to keep Northwestern off the scoreboard.
 
Early in the second quarter Northwestern took advantage of a big play. The Wildcats came up with a third down sack of Norvell and forced a fumble. NU needed two plays to score from 17 yards out, an 11-yard TD run by Vault.
 
Western marched down the field at the end of the first half, but a 40-yard attempt by Knuffman was blocked and the score remained 14-7.
 
During the opening drive of the third quarter, Western went for it on 4th-and-2 inside NU territory but could not convert. Northwestern took over and needed 10 plays to march 65 yards for a 21-7 lead. Justin Jackson scored a 21-yard touchdown run after breaking a tackle with 9:39 in the third.
 
Another fumble, one of four by WIU in the game, set up a 29-yard field goal by Jack Mitchell for the final margin.
 
"A great effort by our players, but you cannot make mistakes. You play a good team like Northwestern you can't make the mistakes we made. We had a punt blocked, I think we turned the ball over four or five times and that's going to beat you against a good team," said Nielson. "We played offensively and defensively most of the game well enough to win but those mistakes are going to cost you football games no matter who you play."
 
Norvell completed a career-high 29 passes (on 49 attempts) for 292 yards and a touchdown with his interception. He nearly matched the most completions by a Leatherneck quarterback since Sam Clemons (30) in 2001, and almost accounted for his second career 300-yard passing game.
 
Lance Lenoir, Jr. set career-highs recording 11 receptions totaling 115 yards.
 
Hi-C Scott equaled his personal-high of six catches totaling 47 yards. Quadarias Mireles was the third Leatherneck receiver to improve on their game-high total reception total, recording five catches for 64 yards.
 
J.J. Raffelson made a season-high 10 tackles. Kevin Kintzel, Gino Durley, Jr., and Luke Venegoni added nine tackles each.
 
"Our defense was put in a lot of bad positions today… I think we gave up the ball three or four times inside our 40-yard line. You do that, you're going to give up points, you're going to give up scoring opportunities," said Nielson. "It certainly wasn't our defense that cost us the football game today, it was our inability to execute at critical times."
 
Trevor Siemian completed 15-of-25 passes for 117 yards. Jackson led the rushing attack with 92 yards and a score. Chi Chi Ariguzo recorded a game-high 12 tackles.
 
The Leathernecks open Missouri Valley Football Conference play at nationally-ranked Southern Illinois next Saturday (Sept. 27). Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: Quadarias Mireles made his first start as a Leatherneck… Western scored on its opening drive for the second time this year… True-freshman Jaelon Acklin made his first appearance as a Leatherneck. After entering the game he made a 4-yard catch… Western ran 20 more plays than Northwestern… The attendance was called 32,016.
 
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