MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois football overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Tennessee State 28-21 Saturday afternoon at Hanson Field, using a fourth-quarter defensive touchdown and a late scoring drive to secure the Ohio Valley Conference victory.
The Leathernecks opened the scoring with a 24-yard field goal from Ronan Culkin at the 6:47 mark of the first quarter. Tennessee State responded with a 25-yard touchdown reception from Cam Bulluck to take a 7-3 lead.
Western Illinois answered with a strong offensive drive, highlighted by a 30-yard run from Kennedy McGill and a 15-yard completion to Avery Knight. The drive continued into the second quarter, where McGill connected with Ihson E. Jackson-Anderson for a 33-yard touchdown. Culkin's extra point gave the Leathernecks a 10-7 advantage.
Tennessee State regained momentum before halftime. The Tigers scored on a four-yard rushing touchdown from Daylin Lee with 44 seconds remaining in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead into the break.
The Tigers extended their lead to 21-10 midway through the third quarter when Lee connected with Bulluck for a two-yard touchdown.
Western Illinois continued to battle and cut into the deficit with an 11:50 mark field goal from Culkin in the fourth quarter, making it 21-13.
The Leathernecks' defense then delivered a game-changing play. Jake Kruger intercepted Lee and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown with 11:08 remaining. McGill converted the two-point attempt to tie the game at 21-21.
Western Illinois came up with additional defensive stops, including a fumble recovery by Jouvenson Romulus and a late interception by DonPaul Keith, giving the offense an opportunity to take the lead.
With less than five minutes remaining, the Leathernecks began a drive at their own 45-yard line. McGill helped move the offense downfield with key completions to Xavier Coleman and Christian Anaya before adding a 22-yard run to reach the Tennessee State 21-yard line.
After Jackson-Anderson gained five yards, McGill broke through for a 16-yard rushing touchdown with 52 seconds remaining. Culkin's extra point put Western Illinois ahead 28-21.
Tennessee State attempted to respond in the final minute, but Keith intercepted Lee with 21 seconds remaining to seal the Leathernecks' comeback victory.
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