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Riggs Baxter
Larry Dean

Leathernecks Make Home Debut This Saturday

Western Illinois welcomes No. 15/16 Montana to Hanson Field in its 2018 home opener.

Sept. 15 • 3 p.m. • Hanson Field • Macomb, Ill. 
Game 3 vs. Montana
Family Day
Western Game Notes | Montana Notes
 
Promotions: Join the WIU School of Agriculture and the University Union Board as they present the first annual Food, Family, Farming, Football BBQ Competition.
 
Click here to purchase tickets for the BBQ tasting and discounted football admission. Family deals of three are available for as low as $65 and include three t-shirts, three game tickets, and six tasting tickets. 
 
The Series: Western leads the all-time series against Montana, 2-1, with their only matchup at Hanson Field occurring in the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs. The Leathernecks won the game, 52-9, and the point total still sits atop WIU's playoff records for most points and most points scored in a quarter (31).
 
The teams haven't met since the first round of the 2003 NCAA Playoffs where Western posted a 43-40, double-overtime victory.
 
Home Cooking: Playing at Hanson Field has been a tough task for non-conference teams in recent years. The Leathernecks are 33-4 against non-MVFC teams since 1999, including a current 11-game win streak following a 1-0 record during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
 
All-Time at Hanson Field: On September 23, 1950, Hanson Field was dedicated and became the home of Leatherneck Football. In the last 68 years, Western has compiled a 237-122-7 record at home. In 52 of those years, Western finished at least .500 at home, including a perfect 6-0 record in 2010.
 
Scouting the Opponent: Montana improved to 2-0 on the season after putting up 38 second-half points in a 48-16 victory over Drake. The Grizzlies edged Missouri Valley Football Conference foe Northern Iowa, 26-23, during week one, and the fast start has Montana ranked 15th in the STATS FCS media poll and 16th in the FCS coaches poll.
 
Junior linebacker Dante Olson claimed back-to-back Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors to start the year, leading the team in total tackles (29), tackles for loss (4.5) and sacks (3). Offensively, the Griz are paced by the junior duo of quarterback Dalton Sneed and wide receiver Jerry Louie-McGee. The pair has already connected for 18 receptions, 184 yards, and one touchdown through two games. Sneed is 57-86 throwing the ball with 526 yards and three touchdowns, and adds two rushing scores.
 
Western's Last Outing: The Leathernecks took on FBS competition at Illinois this past Saturday, dropping the decision, 34-14, but posting their first-ever points against the Illini.
 
The very first drive of the game featured seven points for WIU, and the visitors found themselves inside the Illini 20-yard line twice in the second half (the 16 and the eight), but a forced fumble and turnover on downs put an end to the opportunities.
 
McGuire's Milestones: Sean McGuire moved to second all-time in Western's career passing yards (7,365) and touchdowns (55) after his performance at Illinois, where ironically enough, he got his first taste of collegiate football back in 2015.
 
Both marks sit behind Paul Singer who played for Western from 1985-88. Singer sits atop WIU's all-time marks in passing yards (8,257), completions (678), attempts (1,231) and touchdowns (62).
 
We Did It First: WIU has been the first to score in each of its first two games this season. At Montana State, it was a three-yard touchdown by Steve McShane on its second drive, and at Illinois, Western put seven on the board on its very first drive – a 20-yard touchdown pass from Sean McGuire to George Wahee.
 
Q-Moon: Quentin Moon posted a career-high, game-high 15 tackles at Illinois and 11 were solo. In his four-year career, the Leatherneck captain has recorded 10 or more tackles in seven games. 
 
Congratulations, Grads: The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame released its annual list of student-athletes who are playing college football this fall with their undergraduate degrees already in hand, and Western Illinois ranked second in the FCS with 10.
 
Michael Bishoff, LaQuay Brown, Matt Clark, Jared Drake, Grant Kasal, Thomas Kirsch, Sean McGuire, Zach Muniz, Reno Rosene, and George Wahee were named alongside 1,200 student-athletes from 235 schools around the nation.
 
They will be pursuing master's degrees in:
Michael Bishoff - Business Administration
LaQuay Brown - Sports Management
Matt Clark - Sports Management
Jared Drake - Law Enforcement
Grant Kasal - Biology, Medical Sciences
Thomas Kirsch - Engineering Technology
Sean McGuire - Law Enforcement
Zach Muniz -  Sports Management
Reno Rosene - Sports Management
George Wahee - Science-Public Health
 
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