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Storied Rivalry Continues Saturday

Meeting for the 103rd time, Western Illinois and Illinois State both seek their first win of the spring season.

Who | Western Illinois at Illinois State 
When | Saturday, March 20 | 11 a.m. 
Where | Normal, Ill. (Hancock Stadium)    
Radio | Mixlr - Dr. Tom Cody & RJ Larson  
TV | ESPN+ 
Social Media | Twitter #TRADITIONofTOUGH

The Series | Saturday's game between Western Illinois and Illinois State will mark the 103rd all-time meeting in their storied rivalry. The series dates back to 1904 and the Leathernecks lead, 51-48-3. 

The Last Game | Western Illinois played its second ranked opponent of the season in No. 3 North Dakota and fell by a score of 38-21. 

- In his first career start, freshman Iosefa Pua'auli found the endzone twice on a pair of rushing touchdowns; he is the only Leatherneck to score two touchdowns in a game this season.
- Adam Fellner booted a 71-yard punt in the first quarter, the seventh-longest in WIU history. Retired NFL veteran Mike Scifres was the last Leatherneck to record a punt of 70-plus yards (75/72 vs. Southern Utah, 2002) 
- Dallas Daniels scored a touchdown for the second time in as many games and leads WIU's wide receiver corp with two. 
- Dennis Houston finished with 108 receiving yards on eight receptions, his third career game with 100-plus.
- Justin Nutof and Michael Lawson were the only athletes with 10-plus tackles, recording 13 and 12, respectively; the total tied Nutof's career-high and also marked his fourth career game with 10 or more. 
- Connor Sampson completed 33 passes, the third most in school history. He currently holds the top three single-game marks after posting 34 in the season-opener against Missouri State and 34 at Illinois State a year ago. Sampson finished Saturday's game 33-for-47 with 336 yards.

Versus the Ranked | Western Illinois is 45-88-1 all-time against ranked opponents, with a 30-68 mark in conference play. Its last ranked win occurred in a 37-17 decision over No. 17/23 Northern Iowa in 2018.  

The Leathernecks have played two ranked teams this season in South Dakota and North Dakota. Two future opponents were ranked in the latest STATS Top 25 poll, while two others received votes. 

at RV Illinois State | March 20
vs. No. 10 Northern Iowa | March 27
at No. 5 Southern Illinois | April 10
at RV South Dakota | April 17

Catch Up | The Leathernecks hold three of the top four spots in the MVFC in receptions per game. Dennis Houston leads the Valley and ranks third in the nation, with 8.7 catches, and is followed by teammates Tony Tate and Dallas Daniels. 

The rankings should come as no surprise, as Connor Sampson is averaging 32 completions per (second in the NCAA) and 298.3 passing yards (sixth in the NCAA). 

Receptions Per Game
Dennis Houston (8.7 / 3rd in the NCAA / 1st in the MVFC) 
Tony Tate (6.7 / 15th in the NCAA / 2nd in the MVFC)
Dallas Daniels (6.0 / 22nd in the NCAA / 4th in the MVFC)

Receiving Yards Per Game 
Dennis Houston (84.3 / 24th in the NCAA / 3rd in the MVFC)
Dallas Daniels (69.3 / 41st in the NCAA / 5th in the MVFC)
Tony Tate (62 / 61st in the NCAA / 10th in the MVFC)

Youth Movement | Several true freshmen are receiving substantial minutes in their first season of college football. Braylen Brooks and Matt Muetterties have started all three games this season, joining redshirt freshman Ty O'Janovac who has lined up every game at center. 

Braylen Brooks (CB) | 13 tackles (11 solo); 1 INT; 1 FF; 1 FR
Ludovick Choquette (HB) | 2 rushes, 4 yards
Juan DelaCruz (LB) | 1 solo tackle 
Matt Muetterties (OL) | 3 starts
Iosefa Pua'auli |71 rushing yards; 2 TDs 
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