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Devon Moore Game Winning TD
WIU Visual Productions Center
Devon Moore scored the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run.
38
Winner Western Illinois WIU 5-1 , 2-1
35
Missouri State MSU 3-3 , 1-2
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
5-1 , 2-1
38
Final
35
Missouri State MSU
3-3 , 1-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WIU Western Illinois 10 7 14 7 38
MSU Missouri State 0 7 7 21 35

Game Recap: Football | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Rally in Final Minute for MVFC Victory

Devon Moore’s 1-yard run on fourth down gave WIU the lead, Xavier Rowe gets game-clinching interception


PHOTO GALLERY

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Devon Moore's second effort on 4th-and-goal from the one helped Western Illinois regain the lead with 43 seconds left, and Xavier Rowe's interception sealed the 38-35 victory at Missouri State on Saturday (Oct. 15). The 12th-ranked Leathernecks (5-1 overall, 2-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) ended a five-game losing streak to the Bears.
 
At the start of the fourth quarter, Western held a 31-14 advantage. However, the Bears (3-3, 1-2) stormed back. In the third quarter, Western pinned MSU at its own one after a Nathan Knuffman punt. Forced to punt again, this time WIU got a piece of the ball and it was downed on the MSU 44. Lance Lenoir caught a Sean McGuire pass and was pushed out-of-bounds to the three. Jamie Gilmore hit the right corner on the next play to make it 31-14.
 
LeMarcus Stewart broke a couple of tackles and raced in for a 49-yard touchdown. On Western's next play, McGuire was charged with a fumble on the exchange. Four plays later from the WIU 22, Brodie Lambert threw his fourth TD pass of the game and the extra point made it 31-28 with 11:43 remaining. MSU took the lead on Lambert's career-high fifth TD pass, 11 yards to Deion Holliman with 4:22 left.
 
McGuire started the game-winning drive with completions to Gilmore (9 yards) and Lenoir (17). The sophomore quarterback found Gilmore again to move the chains down to the MSU 39. Facing a 3rd-and-17, McGuire hit Joey Borsellino down the middle, and the senior wide receiver made a diving catch down to the 10-yard line.
 
Two plays later, McGuire hit Gilmore for four yards before the quarterback had a keeper down to the goal line. On 4th-and-goal, Moore hit the right side, was initially stopped but his second effort plunged across the goal line. Knuffman's extra point regained the lead back to a three-point margin.
 
Lambert's second pass attempt of Missouri State's final drive was picked off by Rowe, the sophomore's first career interception to clinch the come-from-behind victory.
 
"Just great resilience. I said before the game we've got talented players, but it takes more than talent to win games… resilience, resolve, perseverance, character, integrity… all those words you want to use you have to have those on your football team to respond at crucial times," said head coach Charlie Fisher. "We dropped our shield, we let them back into the game, credit to them. At the crucial moment we had to respond we did."
 
Western's defense got a 3-and-out to start the game. A punt into the wind gave the Leathernecks decent starting position at their own 34. It took 10 plays to cover those 66 yards, capped by Steve McShane's 3-yard touchdown run. Knuffman's extra point made it 7-0.
 
After holding MSU again, Western again got into the redzone but a pass break-up on third down sent on Knuffman, who converted a 33-yard field goal late in the first quarter for a 10-0 lead.
 
Western drove again into the redzone, but consecutive sacks after getting 1st-and-10 at the Bears' 15 pushed WIU back. Knuffman's 40-yard field goal into the wind went right. The Bears took over and needed four plays to cut the deficit to 10-7 midway through the second quarter. Lambert found Erik Furmanek on a 6-yard touchdown following the 63-yard run by Jason Randall.
 
Forcing another punt with three minutes left in the half, Western's offense took over on its own 37. McShane gained 12 yards on a run. Then, on the next play, McGuire found Lenoir on a 27-yard completion down to the three. Two plays later, Isaiah Lesure made a sliding catch near the endline, and after review, his touchdown catch was confirmed. Knuffman's point after made it 17-7 with six seconds remaining in the half.
 
MSU held the Leathernecks at midfield on their opening drive of the second half, and reached the endzone again on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Lambert to Holliman just over the reach of two WIU defenders.
 
The offense responded on their next drive. Gilmore took a short kickoff and returned it 27 yards to near midfield. McGuire found Lenoir on a 38-yarder to get WIU inside the 10. Gilmore took it from there on three rushes to score, the last from a yard out thanks to a second effort. Western increased its lead to 24-14 midway through the third quarter.
 
Quentin Moon recorded a career-high 14 tackles and recorded his first-ever interception. Brett Taylor added 11 stops. Rowe added five tackles to go with his first career pick.
 
McGuire finished with his sixth career 300-yard passing game, going 24-for-41 for 323 yards and both a touchdown and interception. He added 31 yards on a career-high 12 rushing attempts. Lenoir got his 13th career 100-yard receiving game, seven catches for 142 yards. McShane added 63 yards and a touchdown.
 
"I always have a good feeling with #18 (McGuire) at quarterback. He's a winner, he knows how to get it done. He responds every time," said Fisher. "The throw to Joey Borsellino on 3rd-and-17 down the seam and he dives out. That's a championship effort and a great throw. What a great catch by a senior who has invested so much in this program. My hats off to #1 (Borsellino)."
 
Gilmore set a career-high with his two rushing TDs, finishing with 42 yards and four catches for 45 yards.
 
Knuffman averaged 48.4 yards on his five punts, including two that was downed on the 1-yard line. Western out-gained MSU 461-395 in total yards, and held the ball for 13:40 longer.

Lambert threw for 290 yards and five touchdowns but also threw three interceptions. Stewart finished with 95 receiving yards. Dylan Cole recorded a game-high 16 tackles.
 
The Leathernecks return to Hanson Field, beginning a stretch of three of the next four games at home. Western plays host to North Dakota State, kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: The current 5-1 start is the best start to the season since the 2003 team also started 5-1… Aaron Diggs made his first appearance (and start) since the season-opener returning from an injury… Knuffman's field goal in the first quarter was the 30th of his career… Lenoir (36 games/WIU record) and Borsellino (29) extended their streak of consecutive games with a catch. Borsellino moved into a tie for third-longest streak (Reggie Gray)… Knuffman had two of his punts downed on or inside the 1-yard line… Attendance was 12,639… Lenoir moved into a tie for third place all-time in MVFC history with his 242nd career catch, tying UNI's Mike Furrey. He is now eight shy of the record… Lenoir also moved into fourth place in WIU career all-purpose yards (4,435).
 
 
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