Who | Western Illinois (1-4, 0-0) vs. #9 Tennessee Tech (4-0, 0-0)
When | Saturday, October 4th – 12:00 p.m. CT 
Where | Tucker Stadium | Cookeville, TN 
 

OVC Player of the Week
Western Illinois kicker Antonio Chadha has been one of the bright spots of the season, earning conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks. Chadha has delivered in pressure situations, showing both consistency and range.

Last Week – Eastern Illinois Recap
Western Illinois football opened OVC–Big South conference play on Saturday at Hanson Field, falling 31–23 to Eastern Illinois.

Western Illinois (1–4, 0–1 OVC–Big South) ran 80 plays and held the ball for over 35 minutes but couldn't overcome Eastern's explosive runs. Freshman quarterback Cason Carswell completed 16 of 22 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns to senior tight end Alex Williams, who caught three passes for 20 yards. Senior tight end Tristin Duncan led all receivers with 10 catches for 78 yards, and running back Markell Holman rushed for 91 yards on 23 carries.

Scouting Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech enters the matchup at 4-0 and 1-0 in conference play, coming off a strong opening month that has put them among the favorites in the league. The Golden Eagles are coached by Bobby Wilder and have leaned on a dominant run defense, a deep backfield, and opportunistic playmaking on both sides of the ball.

What's at Stake
Western Illinois has an opportunity to make a statement this week. Tennessee Tech comes into the game undefeated at 4-0 and riding the momentum of a team viewed as one of the hottest in the conference. A win over the Golden Eagles would not only hand Tennessee Tech its first loss of the season, but it would also send a message that Western Illinois is capable of knocking off the league's best.

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