Who | Western Illinois (0-2, 0-0) vs. Eastern Washington (2-0, 0-0)

When | Saturday, Sept. 18 - 3 p.m. CT

Where | Macomb, Ill. (Hanson Field)

Radio | Q 98.1 and Leatherneck Sports Network (Mixlr) - Dr. Tom Cody and Randy Larson

TV | ESPN +

Social Media | Twitter + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH
 

Quick Hits

• Western Illinois football will take over its own turf for the first time this fall, as week three (Sept. 18) brings Eastern Washington to Macomb for the Leathernecks' home opener.

• WIU suffered a 42-7 loss on the road at Montana this past Saturday (Sept. 11).

•  Saturday will be the first meeting ever between Western and Eastern Washington. It will also be WIU's second consecutive matchup against an FCS Big Sky Conference opponent.

The Last Outing | Week two of the 2021 fall season saw Western Illinois football (0-2, 0-0) on the road again. A test against the #4 Montana Grizzlies (2-0, 0-0) took up Saturday evening (Sept. 11), ending as a 42-7 loss for WIU.

On its second drive, Montana struck first in the scoring column around the four-minute mark in the opening quarter, running in a 7-yard carry. Three penalties hurt the Leathernecks, and the opposing defense kept WIU on its side of the field during the first 15 minutes. However, with seconds remaining in the first frame, the Western defense saw light after Dallas Martin recovered a fumbled ball.

Big plays from the WIU defense helped prevent another score by the home team early in the second period, as the Grizzlies could not convert a 50-yard field goal attempt. Penalties continued as a detriment for Western, as a touchdown catch by Dennis Houston was called back due to an illegal block in the back. Minutes later, Montana completed an 8-play, 96-yard drive by flying in a 12-yard pass to the right side of the end zone with just over six minutes before halftime. Less than a minute later, Michael Lawson swooped in to intercept a pass by the Grizzlies and return it to the house for a whopping 75 yards, cutting the lead to 14-7. The quarter's frenzy was capped off with another Montana touchdown on a last-second, 18-yard pass. This momentous play gave the host a 21-7 halftime edge.

A 39-yard pass upped Montana's advantage to 28-7, just three minutes into the third. Jumbled play then occurred with Western throwing an interception and Lawson responding with his second pick of the night on Montana's next drive. A fumble recovery by the Grizzlies led to another score at 6:27 in the quarter.

The second play of the fourth quarter resulted in Montana's fifth passing touchdown, which would be its final points of the evening.

Gameday at Hanson | On Monday (Sept. 13), Leatherneck Athletics unveiled its football gameday protocols for the 2021 fall season. One can find the full release here.

Some important details include:

• Tickets will be sold on gameday at all three gates and can also be purchased in advance at LeatherneckTickets.com or by calling 309-298-1190.

• WIU will continue its Clear Bag Policy this year.

• Tailgating will be permitted at Leatherneck football games this season. Q Lot will open five hours before the scheduled start time, and stadium gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff. 

• Concessions and alcoholic beverages will also be available inside the stadium for purchase. 

• Re-entry into the stadium, for any reason, will not be permitted.

• Spectators are encouraged to wear masks and socially distance themselves during games. 

• Due to limited spacing, media personnel will not be permitted inside the press box at Hanson Field. A media workroom has been created in one of the university halls. Seating is limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

• Masks are required for entry inside the workroom and must be properly worn at all times when inside the facility. 

• Media will be permitted to film/shoot from a select area in the visiting seating section inside Hanson Field. Media members will also have field access for photos, as a field marker will be within a certain radius outside of the team boxes.

Taking it Away | WIU collected four takeaways against Montana during week two, resulting in its most in a single game since a 2018 win at Southern Illinois. The first came as a fumble recovery -- the team's second of the year -- picked up by Dallas Martin. Three interceptions happened in the final three quarters, one of which went to Darius Joiner for his first career pick.

Monster Mike | Game two was a career night for Michael Lawson. The senior registered 13 tackles (eight solo), two interceptions, and a forced fumble. One of those interceptions resulted as a pick-six for a 75-yard touchdown. That particular interception return places ninth-best on the all-time single-game list. Michael is the first Leatherneck to return an interception for a touchdown since Quentin Moon did at North Dakota State in 2017 (43 yards). Michael is also the first player to record two interceptions since Eric Carrera ironically did the same against Montana in 2018. It was the first multi-interception game of his career. 

In the first two games, Lawson has totaled 27 tackles (17 solo), three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. His forced fumbles total leads the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

FCS Standouts | Through two weeks, WIU continues to see a few of its players ranked in statistical categories within the FCS:

• Michael Lawson: forced fumbles (1st), solo tackles (3rd), and total tackles (4th).

• Dennis Houston: all-purpose yards (15th), receiving yards (3rd), and receptions per game (4th).

• Connor Sampson: completions per game (7th), completion percentage (12th), and passing yards (25th).

• Darius Joiner: total tackles (5th) and solo tackles (21st).