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Zach Muniz

Leathernecks Trek to Missouri State Saturday

Western seeks its first road victory at Missouri State Saturday.

Western Illinois (2-4, 1-2 MVFC) at Missouri State (4-2, 2-1 MVFC)
Date/Kickoff: Oct. 20, 2018 | 2:00 p.m.
Location: Springfield, Mo.
Site: Robert W. Plaster Stadium
Radio: WRMS (Scott Kornberg, Dr. Tom Cody) | Listen Live 
Watch: ESPN+ 
Follow: Live Stats | @WIUFootball on Twitter 
Game Notes:  Western Illinois | Missouri State | MVFC 

The Series: The current series between Western Illinois and Missouri State is deadlocked at 17-17-1. The Leathernecks maintain a record of 8-10 inside of Hanson Field and are seeking their third straight win this Saturday. 

In last year's meeting, the Leathernecks put up 49 points, the second most versus the Bears, en route to a 49-30 success. The game included a 99-minute weather delay and saw the Western score two touchdowns in the final four minutes. 

Western's Last Outing: The Leathernecks played host to the top-ranked team in the nation North Dakota State, and turnovers proved to the deciding factor. The Bison scored half their points on Western miscues – a fumble recovery and a pair of interceptions – and all three occurred in Leatherneck territory. 
 
Isaiah LeSure finished the game with a career-high, game-high 170 receiving yards and posted the Leathernecks' lone touchdown in the 34-7 setback.  

Notes
•    Isaiah LeSure finished the game with a career-high, game-high 170 receiving yards on 12 catches; it marked the second 100-yard performance of his career
•    Steve McShane recorded a 55-yard kick return Saturday to mark his second 50-plus yard return of the season 
•    Quarterback Connor Sampson entered the game in the fourth quarter and went 4-for-7 with 78 yards

Troubling Turnovers: Western is 2-0 on the season when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent. In its 45-38 victory over Youngstown State, the team didn't commit a single turnover and recorded three. 

The Big Man: Khalen Saunders posted a career-high 11 tackles against North Dakota State to mark his first career game in double figures. He finished the outing with 3.5 TFLs that combined for a loss of 20 yards, which included 2.5 sacks. 

Saunders currently ranks ninth all-time in Western history with 16 career sacks, and he's also known to line up for the offense from time-to-time. The 6-foot, 300-pound lineman's first career catch versus Youngstown State (9/29) resulted in a touchdown, and he recorded the team's first TD of the season in 2017 with a one-yard rush. 

1K for LeSure: Isaiah LeSure's stellar performance against No. 1 North Dakota State also captured a career milestone. He recorded his 10th career receiving touchdown in the matchup, the most on Western's active roster, while also surpassing 1,000 career receiving yards. 

He finished the game with a career-high 170 receiving yards, and currently manages 1,012 career yards on 72 receptions. 

Swenson Stops: Pete Swenson leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference and ties for fourth in the nation with 12.0 tackles for loss. He notched a season-high 3.5 TFL at Illinois State and sits ninth all-time in program history with 37 in his career. 

Swenson also ranks fifth in the Leathernecks' history books with 18.5 career sacks.

Holding Firm: Western lays claim to one of the best defenses in the MVFC, currently ranking third in the Valley in total defense with 333.8 yards allowed per game. When it comes to tackles for loss, the Purple & Gold are averaging a league-leading 7.5 per game for a combined loss of 165 yards. 

Both categories place the Leathernecks 24th in the nation. 

The Best in the FCS: For the third straight week, Quentin Moon continues to pace the FCS in solo tackles per game (7.2). He tabbed a career-high 11 solo tackles at Illinois State earlier this season and has finished with 10 or more tackles in all but one game. He sits eighth in the nation in total tackles. 

McGuire & Milestones: Sean McGuire became Western's career leader in passing yards and touchdowns at Illinois State (Oct. 6), and currently manages 8,478 and 65, respectively. 

Paul Singer, who played at Western from 1985-88, previously sat atop the record book in passing yards (8,257) and touchdowns (62), and still holds the all-time marks for completions (678) and attempts (1,231). 

McGuire matched his career-high with four touchdowns thrown in the Leathernecks' Missouri Valley Football Conference opener against Youngstown State. He was named the MVFC Offensive Player of the Week for the game, adding a rushing TD while completing 22 of his 34 passes with no interceptions.


 
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