GAME EIGHT
Who | Western Illinois at Youngstown State
When | Saturday, October 26 at 1 p.m.
Where | Stambaugh Stadium - Youngstown, Ohio
TV | ESPN+
Radio | WRMS (Danny Frey, Dr. Tom Cody)
Social Media | Twitter + Facebook #TRADITIONofTOUGH, #DANGEROUSandRELENTLESS
The Series | The Penguins lead the all-time series 19-13. Saturday's game is the first in Stambaugh Stadium since 2014, which resulted in a 30-24 Leatherneck victory.
Slinger | With 34 completions recorded against No. 10/11 Illinois State, Connor Sampson set Western's program record for the most in a single game. The mark was set 32 seasons ago by Paul Singer, and Sean McGuire tied it with 32 completions against South Dakota in 2017.
Sampson went 34-for-50 for 270 yards.
The Last Time Western ...
Attempted 50 or more passes........................................................................ 50 - Trenton Norvell at Northern Iowa, 2013
Completed 30 or more passes.......................................................................... 31 - Sean McGuire vs. South Dakota, 2017
Milestones | Thirty-two Leathernecks have surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards, and Clint Ratkovich recently added his name to the list with 1,007.
Western's captain achieved the feat in the home matchup against Illinois State (Oct. 19), where he caught seven passes for 93 yards. He also manages 329 career rushing yards.
National Rankings | Western Illinois maintains the following "Top 30" national rankings.
Punting (Adam Fellner)
No. 20 FCS; No. 2 MVFC | 42.9 YDS
Combined Kick Returns (Justin Hall)
No. 31 FCS; No. 1 MVFC | 383 YDS
Passes Defended (Marquis Smith)
No. 12 FCS; No. 3 MVFC | 1.4 PG
Defensive Back | Against Illinois State, Eric Carrera recorded 10 or more tackles for the third time in his career and also added an interception. He finished the game with a career-high 11 tackles and is Western's active leader in the category with 152.
