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Western Illinois University Athletics

Steve McShane
WIU Visual Productions Center
38
Winner Western Illinois WIU 1-0
21
Eastern Illinois EIU 0-1
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
1-0
38
Final
21
Eastern Illinois EIU
0-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WIU Western Illinois 14 10 7 7 38
EIU Eastern Illinois 7 0 14 0 21

Game Recap: Football | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Run Past Panthers in Season Opener

Steve McShane rushes for a career-high 207 yards in the 38-21 win


PHOTO GALLERY

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Sophomore Steve McShane rushed for a career-high 207 yards and 20th-ranked Western Illinois pulled away late in the game to secure a season-opening 38-21 win at Eastern Illinois on Thursday (Sept. 1). It marked the first WIU victory for head coach Charlie Fisher.
 
McShane, who saw limited practice time during Fisher's initial spring drills due to baseball, earned his first collegiate start and nearly ran for as many yards as he did during his true-freshman campaign. His 168 yards in the second half finished as the fourth-highest rushing total in a half in program history, and his 110 yards in the fourth quarter was the sixth-most in a quarter in program history.
 
It was the first 200-yard effort by a Leatherneck since Herb Donaldson ran for 273 yards at Missouri State in 2008, and the Leathernecks last won a season-opener on the road in 2009 (at Sam Houston State).
 
"It's a good feeling. I'm happy for our staff and our players in particular. It's hard to win a game, it takes a lot of work," said Fisher. "We stayed the course. It wasn't perfect by any means, it wasn't always pretty but first games can get like that a little bit.
 
"We were able to stay patient and run the ball. That is something I've emphasized since I got here, which is to have a running game on a regular basis," said Fisher. "We need to run and we need to be able to make the runs and we did tonight."
 
Eastern took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards on seven plays, getting a 19-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mitch Kimble for an early 7-0 lead.
 
After a 3-and-out forced a punt, Eastern took over deep in its own territory. Steve Mercado forced a fumble of Kimble and the Leathernecks recovered in the redzone. Five plays later, McShane plunged across from a yard out on 4th-and-goal for his first collegiate touchdown. Nathan Knuffman made it a 7-7 game midway through the first.
 
This time it was Western forcing a 3-and-out. Thanks to a penalty on the punt return, Western took over inside EIU territory. Sean McGuire took it himself on third down and scored a 5-yard touchdown run, capping the 11-play, 48-yard drive.
 
In a quick 14-second span, the Leathernecks made a statement late in the first half. Facing third down, Kimble dropped back to pass and Brett Taylor intercepted his third career pass. He returned it inside the redzone. Western capitalized with a McGuire touchdown pass to Tony Harper from two yards out and 21-7 lead.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Luke Otto launched a high kick that landed untouched and a backspin allowed Timothy Smith to recover. Knuffman matched a career-long 43-yard field goal to close out the half.
 
Western forced a turnover on Eastern's first drive of the second half. But on the second set, Eastern took advantage of a personal foul penalty and 53-yard touchdown pass from Kimble to Ben Odugbesan, to cover 77 yards on two plays. That made it 24-14 with 8:56 left in the quarter. The Panthers used another big play to make it a one score game when Kimble found Korliss Marshall down the left sidelines on a 79-yard TD with 3:36 remaining.
 
Wasting no time with an answer, the Leathernecks marched 66 yards in seven plays to extend the lead back to 10. Devon Moore took a draw play and went untouched six yards up the middle for his 10th career touchdown and 31-21 lead.
 
In the fourth quarter, McShane broke down the right sidelines and scored from 70 yards out to put the game away. It was the longest run by a Leatherneck in 16 years.
 
McShane added four receptions for 56 yards to his 207 yards on 28 attempts. McGuire completed 13-of-28 passes for 109 yards and a TD along with his rushing TD.
 
"He's an explosive guy. He kept chipping away and getting yards. He was hot, you're not going to take a hot back out of the game," said Fisher. "Demo (Devon Moore) did a good job, he made some big runs for us. He had some runs on the first drives that were huge… Obviously that touchdown run was huge. It swung momentum and got things going our way."
 
Taylor led the defensive attack making 14 tackles with a sack. Xavier Rowe recorded a career-high 11 tackles.
 
Knuffman turned in one of his best-ever kicking efforts, averaging 40.2 net yards on his seven punts and matching his career-best 43 yards on the field goal. He also converted all five extra point attempts.
 
Kimble completed 18-of-29 passes for 323 yards and two scores. Marshall caught four passes totaling 11 yards. Eastern out-gained WIU 468-347 but committed three turnovers.
 
Western returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 10, playing host to nationally-ranked Northern Arizona. Kickoff at Hanson Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: Western won its fifth straight season-opener and 12th in the last 13 opportunities against an FCS foe… WIU has now forced a turnover in 35 of its last 38 games… Western saw 11 players see their first game action as a Leatherneck. Mike Viti was the only true-freshman to play. Harper was one of the new players, and his touchdown matched the TD total by tight ends from all last year… Four offensive players made their first collegiate start (McShane, Drew Wagner, Adam Conrady and Tyler Slamans) and three on defense (Khalen Saunders, Mick Nelson, Jordan Veloz)… Isaiah Lesure had five receptions in all 2015, and he finished the first half with three… Veloz forced a fumble on Eastern's first drive on the third quarter, the first of his career, and Nelson recovered. That was Nelson's third career recovery, putting him one shy of a tie for seventh place all-time… The last time Western rattled off a 70-yard run was by Frisman Jackson at Southern Illinois in 2000, a 77-yard run that set a WIU quarterback record… Lance Lenoir caught his only pass in the second half (15 yards), extending his streak to 31 consecutive games… Joey Borsellino took sole possession of fourth place all-time with 146 career receptions… Knuffman moved into a tie for fifth place all-time with 26 career field goals.  
 
 
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