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Western Illinois University Athletics

Sam Crosa
Larry Dean
34
Winner Western Illinois WIU 5-4 , 4-2
31
Southern Illinois SIU 2-7 , 1-5
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
5-4 , 4-2
34
Final
31
Southern Illinois SIU
2-7 , 1-5
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WIU Western Illinois 7 7 0 20 34
SIU Southern Illinois 7 10 14 0 31

Game Recap: Football |

Crosa Ends Saluki Road Drought with Game-Winning Field Goal

Western trailed by 17 points in the final quarter, but Sam Crosa sealed the team’s victory with a 33-yard field goal in the final 13 seconds.

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Western Illinois football (5-4, 4-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) hasn't won a game inside Saluki Stadium since Oct. 7, 2000. That changed, Saturday (Nov. 3), as Sam Crosa split the uprights with 13 seconds remaining to lift the Leathernecks to a 34-31, comeback victory over Southern Illinois.

The visitors trailed by 17 points entering the final quarter before outscoring the Salukis, 20-0. 

"We did an amazing job, keeping calm, staying posed, no panic, just kept chipping away," said head coach Jared Elliott. "We kept saying 'All we need is one score and we're going to flip momentum here' and then we stacked some good plays and our defense got a turnover. 

"I'm just so proud of our guys, how they fought and how they finished. They never lost faith, they just keep fighting, and they believed, and when you believe you give yourself a chance."

Gifted 60 yards on SIU defensive penalties, the Leathernecks pushed downfield for the game-tying touchdown reception to Adam Conrady in the final five minutes of the game. The next drive saw Western's defense limit the Salukis on a three-and-out, capped by a sack by LaCale London, before Crosa's field goal.

"There's a lot that we're going to learn from this game, and we've got to play a heck of a lot better, but what you can't replace is just the guts of this football team. I'll take that any day of the week. I don't care how we look, as long as we get it done. We know we've got to clean some stuff up and get better in every phase of the game, but you can't fix guts. You can't fix finish, you can't fix guys that just believe and have an undeniable will, and sure enough, we hung in there, and good things happened." 

Early struggles saw the first three possessions of the game end in turnovers in SIU territory. Shabar Wilson forced and recovered a fumble on the Salukis' opening drive, and a tipped pass landed in the hands of the SIU defense on Western's first opportunity before Darron Wheeler returned the favor with an interception of his own. 

None of the takeaways resulted in points, but the quarter ended in a 7-7 stalemate. 

The Leathernecks broke the tie in the early goings of the second frame behind a nine-play, 64-yard drive and heroics by offensive lineman Jared Ross. His quick reaction saved a fumble at the SIU 15-yard line and led to a 14-yard touchdown pass from Sean McGuire to Clint Ratkovich. 

The score marked Western's final of the half, and on the opposite sideline, Southern Illinois pieced together 24 unanswered points. 

Crosa ended Western's scoring drought with a 34-yard field goal with 13:33 remaining in the game and the team received a breath of new life on the next drive as Kyle Williams forced a fumble and Wilson recovered at the SIU34. 

Western crowned the ensuing possession with a four-yard touchdown run by Steve McShane, hyped by conversions on third and fourth down, and Conrady and Crosa closed the game. 

In their final road game of the regular season, the Leathernecks will head to South Dakota State next Saturday in a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Notes

•    Southern Illinois previously won eight-straight home games over the Leathernecks, dating back to 2000
•    Western is currently in the midst of a three-game winning streak
•    Nathan Kaufman was the last Leatherneck to record a game-winning field goal (vs. Southern Illinois, 2015)
•    Tony Tate returned from injury after a three-game hiatus; his first reception went for 43 yards. He finished the game with a team-high 71 receiving yards
•    Max Norris was nine yards shy of 100 rushing yards 
•    Andre Whitley (1.0), Quentin Moon (1.0), Pete Swenson (2.0) and LaCale London (1.0) each got their hands on the Saluki QB for a sack
 
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