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Western Illinois University Athletics

Brett Taylor FP
5
Eastern Illinois EIU 0-1
33
Winner Western Illinois WIU 1-0
Eastern Illinois EIU
0-1
5
Final
33
Western Illinois WIU
1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
EIU Eastern Illinois 3 0 2 0 5
WIU Western Illinois 7 7 16 3 33

Game Recap: Football | | WIU Athletic Communications

Western Illinois Cruises Past EIU

Brett Taylor returns an interception for a touchdown, Lance Lenoir, Jr. records 280 all-purpose yards in the 33-5 win

PHOTO GALLERY

MACOMB, Ill. – Lance Lenoir, Jr. caught a touchdown pass and recorded a career-high 280 all-purpose yards while the Western Illinois defense recorded five takeaways in a 33-5 season-opening victory over Eastern Illinois Thursday night (Sept. 3) at Hanson Field.
 
Eastern entered the game ranked 25th in the FCS Coaches preseason poll. Dating back to the 2014 season-finale win versus #18 Indiana State, Western recorded consecutive wins in consecutive games versus a Top 25 opponent for the first time since the first two rounds of the 1998 NCAA playoffs.
 
Lenoir opened the game with a 34-yard kickoff return but the drive was stalled following a fumble. Eastern threatened when they drove down to the WIU two-yard line. With 1st-and-goal at the 2, Jalen Whitlow fumbled the snap and John LaChapelle recovered to stop the scoring threat. That would be the closest that the EIU offense would get to the goal line.
 
Western, however, wasn't able to capitalize on that turnover, or on the next EIU offensive play when redshirt-freshman Timothy Smith recorded an interception. The Panthers finally scored first when Nick Bruno kicked a 33-yard field goal late in the first quarter.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Lenoir went a career-high 71 yards on the return to set up 1st-and-10 on the EIU 25. Three plays later Trenton Norvell hit Lenoir on a 19-yard touchdown. Nathan Knuffman's extra point made it 7-3.
 
Midway through the second quarter, deep in EIU territory, Eddy Holtschlag caught a Whitlow pass -deflected by Kris Harley – and got it to the 14. The nine-play drive was capped by the first of two rushing TDs by Devon Moore, a 1-yard plunge.
 
Western stopped an EIU drive at the end of the first half, and when the Panthers started the second half with the ball, the Leathernecks used another big play. Holtschlag sacked Whitlow and forced a fumble that Brad Blumenshine recovered. Knuffman kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 17-3 lead.
 
Later in the third, Brett Taylor dropped back in coverage and picked off a Whitlow pass. The sophomore linebacker raced 42 yards in for a touchdown, the first interception and touchdown of his collegiate career. Knuffman's extra point was blocked and Bradley Dewberry picked up the loose ball and went the other way for a two-point defensive extra point return.
 
On the ensuing EIU drive that stalled, Lenoir took a punt and returned it a career-best 42 yards to the 15. A personal foul penalty on the return put Western 1st-and-goal from the seven. Moore eventually scored from four yards out, extending the lead to 30-5. Knuffman's 26-yard field goal early in the fourth closed out the scoring.
 
"Obviously you never complain about a win but it was a very well played football game. First of all, I want to give a lot of credit to our defense. That's a good offensive football team. That's a team that averaged 31 points per game last year and we held them without a touchdown. We forced five turnovers and that was difference in football game. I thought we played very consistently. They ended up with 150 yards rushing but I think a lot of that came on that last series," said third-year head coach Bob Nielson. "I thought our defense played really well the entire game and showed some tenacity even when they presented a couple of opportunities that we didn't capitalize on. That is one of the things that we have talked about, and that is being relentless."
 
Redshirt-freshman Xavier Rowe, true-freshman Quentin Moon and sophomore Aaron Diggs led the Leathernecks in tackles with seven each. Redshirt-freshman Michael Bishoff and Taylor each added six tackles. Holtschlag had two tackles for loss, a sack, forced fumble and interception.
 
Lenoir recorded his seventh career 100-yard receiving game, totaling 10 catches for 124 yards. He logged 51 yards on three punt returns and 105 yards on two kickoff returns.
 
Norvell finished 18-of-35 for 189 yards with a touchdown and interception. True-freshman Steve McShane gained 52 yards on 14 attempts. Moore tallied 33 rushing yards and set a career-high with two TD rushes.
 
Knuffman matched his career-high of two field goals and averaged 44.2 yards on four punts.
 
"I'm disappointed offensively. We have to be a better team, we didn't get much going and give Eastern some credit. I think they confused us a bit defensively, these first games you never quite know what to expect. We didn't execute well," said Nielson. "We had opportunities to make some plays where we either missed an open receiver, and against what they were doing you're going to have to get some big plays on them. We have to find a way to run the ball with better effectiveness than we did tonight."
 
Whitlow finished 17-of-36 passing for 153 yards and three interceptions. Jerron Seymour gained 59 yards on the ground. Seth McDonald recorded a game-high 17 tackles and Vince Speller added 12 stops.
 
Western remains in the state to face Illinois on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff versus the Fighting Illini is scheduled for 11 a.m. and the game can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
 
GAME NOTES: Western's five takeaways on defense were the most since Coach Nielson's debut versus Hampton in the 2013 season-opener (9). The last two home games Western has registered nine takeaways… Western won its fourth straight season-opener, all at home, and 15 straight when opening the season at home… Five true-freshmen suited up for Western and 19 played for the first time in a Leatherneck uniform… The last three meetings versus Eastern (2002 and 1997), Western has allowed just 14 points… Smith, Taylor and Holtschlag each recorded their first career interception… The attendance was 5,985 and the game time lasted 3:40… Taylor's interception return for a touchdown was the first by a Leatherneck since Kevin Kintzel at UNI in the 2013 season finale.
 
 
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