SPECIAL EVENTS: 1988 Team Reunion & Celebrate Halloween
• Free candy for all fans in costume.
• Craziest costume contest.
• Free T-Shirts for the first 200 WIU students.
CHANGES TO Q-LOT PARKING ENTRANCE
1988 TEAM AND COACH CRADDOCK HONORED: WIU honors former Leatherneck head coach Bruce Craddock and the 1988 football team which finished the season 10-2 overall, and earned the 1988 Gateway Conference Championship with a 6-0 conference record. During Craddock's time as head coach at WIU, he accumulated a 41-35-1 (.539) overall record. His 41 victories ranks fourth all-time. Craddock is also honored annually as the Missouri Valley Football Conference named their 'Coach of the Year' award after him. The annual honor is known as the Bruce Craddock 'Coach of the Year' award.
ALL-TIME SERIES: WIU trails 18-12
THE SERIES: Western Illinois trails all-time against Youngstown State 18-12. However, the Leathernecks captured a 30-24 win on the road last year... Western owns an 8-6 record versus the Penguins at Hanson Field.
GAMES WHEN RANKED: This weekend will mark the eighth time in 31 meetings Western and Youngstown will face each other when nationally-ranked... The last instance was November 10, 2007, when #23 WIU lost 31-24 at #21 YSU... Western holds the all-time lead with a 4-3 record when both teams are ranked.
THE COACHES: Western Illinois head coach Bob Nielson is in his third year with the Leathernecks. He owns a 13-18 record at Western and 183-77-1 in his 23rd year as a head coach... Youngstown State head coach Bo Pelini is 3-4 in his first year at YSU and 70-31 overall in eight full years as a head coach (one game in 2003).
THE RANKINGS: Western is ranked 23rd in the STATS FCS poll and receiving votes (27th place) in the FCS Coaches poll... Youngstown State is tied for 24th in the FCS Coaches poll and 25th in the STATS FCS poll.
MORE RANKED OPPONENTS: Last year Western played a program-record eight ranked teams in the 12-game schedule... The 2015 season picked up where last year left off, playing #25 Eastern Illinois, at #1 Coastal Carolina, at #12 UNI and at #3 Illinois State... The future opponents rankings this week include (highest ranking): Youngstown State (24th), North Dakota State (6th), Indiana State (21st) and South Dakota State (13th).
BACK IN THE POLLS: For the first time since the end of 2010, Western Illinois found itself back in the 'Top 25' poll last week. A span of 66 polls were released since the last time Western received national 'Top 25' recognition.
NATION'S TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: For the fourth week in a row, Western Illinois has the nation's toughest schedule according to the NCAA Division I FCS rankings... The Fighting Leathernecks are one of five MVFC teams among the 'Top 9' ranked.
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS: Youngstown State won its MVFC opener, extending its streak to three straight wins, but following an overtime loss at Southern Illinois the Penguins have dropped three straight... YSU led by 11 with just over five minutes left but Southern rallied to tie the game in the final seconds on a field goal, then struck first in overtime... YSU had 507 yards of total offense compared to Southern's 459... Hunter Wells threw for 324 yards and Martin Ruiz added 94 rushing yards... Jameel Smith led with 13 tackles... The Penguins rank second nationally allowing just 118 passing yards per game, and the team is third nationally allowing less than one yard per punt return... The defense enters the game 19th nationally allowing 305 yards per game, and seventh in first downs defense (98 allowed)... YSU is also showing discipline by leading the MVFC with just 4.6 penalties per game.Â
LEATHERNECK NOTES:
• Western's 3-1 start to the MVFC is the best start since the 2010 team opened with the same record during the midway point of the schedule.
• Another similar item from 2010 - Western debuted in the poll that year at 20th, then after a loss dropped to 23rd. This year the Leathernecks opened at 20th and now after last week's loss fell to 23rd... The 2010 team won its game following the drop to 23.
• The last time Western ran 90-plus plays in a game was 2011 at UNI (91). Western recorded 90 plays at Illinois State.
• Over the past eight games, Western has registered 21 takeaways (13 interceptions/8 fumble recoveries) and owns a +9 advantage in turnover margin. The defense scored three touchdowns this year alone, including the 95-yard interception return by Aaron Diggs.
• Western ranks 11th nationally in fumble recoveries (8), led by national leader Brett Taylor (3)... The 17 turnovers gained this year leads the MVFC and good for 7th nationally.
• Brett Taylor ended one shy of tying a Missouri Valley Football Conference record with his two fumble recoveries at Illinois. He picked up another loose ball and scored a touchdown versus Southern Illinois. Taylor leads the nation with three fumble recoveries.
• Nikko Watson's seven rushing touchdowns (in five games played) lead the team and are 25th nationally. He surpassed his previous season-high of five TDs in his 10 games played during the 2013 season.
• Speaking of Nikko Watson, if he met the national requirement for percentage of team games played, his 127.4 rushing yards per game would rank fifth nationally. As it stands, he is third in the MVFC and 27th nationally with 637 yards. His season-high yardage is 660 in 11 games during the 2012 campaign.
• Nikko Watson's 35 rushing attempts at UNI were the most by a Leatherneck since Dre' Gibbs rushed 39 times against Missouri State on October 17, 2009... six years to the exact date.
WINS IN OCTOBER: The 2015 Leathernecks are continuing to turn around a trend in recent years of which October has not been kind... Western logged just four October wins from 2011-14, but this year the Leathernecks are 3-1 following the game at Illinois State... During the Division I era, there have now been 15 years in which Western won at least three games during October.
• 5-0 in 1998 and 1988
• 4-0 in 2000, 1997 and 1991
• 4 wins in 1992
• 3-0 in 2008
• 3 wins in 2015, 2010, 2007, 2002, 1996, 1994, 1993 and 1987
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