Western Illinois broke a 27-game losing streak, the longest in school history, with a 49-32 victory Saturday night at Hanson Field. Cameren Smith (25) rushed for 199 yards and two touchdowns. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Dan Verdun
MACOMB – The first head coaching win for Joe Davis was also the first for Western Illinois in 28 games spanning nearly three years.
“It does (mean something),” said Davis, who took over at WIU following more than two decades as a well-traveled assistant coach. “It’s our first win. We set out every single week with a winning mindset, with a victory attitude. Our goal is to go 1-0 every week.”
All of that became reality as the Leathernecks (1-3) defeated McKendree (2-2) Saturday night at Hanson Field, 49-32.
It had been 1,064 days between WIU wins. The last previous victory was Oct. 30, 2021, against Illinois State.
The victory meant perhaps even more to players like defensive lineman Brian Bruce and linebacker Juan DelaCruz, who have been with the program throughout the losing streak.
“It means a lot because we’ve had multiple coaching staff changes,” said Bruce, who has played under four position coaches and three different head coaches. “Many guys have come through (the program), in and out, and the culture has been down over the years, but (this) sparks something new.”
Bruce said Davis and his staff has rekindled the fighting spirit in the Leathernecks.
“The sideline was different (tonight),” he said. “It’s not the same as it was in previous years with guys turning against each other or blaming and pointing fingers and things of that nature. Everybody had their head on right.”
DelaCruz, one of the 20 seniors honored prior to kickoff, echoed his teammate’s sentiments.
“For me and Bruce, we came in together in that COVID year and it’s just been a long ride. We’ve been through so much, (but) something like this feels good.”
Bruce and DelaCruz are the only current Leathernecks that played in the 2021 win against ISU, according to the WIU athletic website.
Western’s 49 points are the most since the Leathernecks suffered a 62-56 loss to Eastern Washington Sept. 18, 2021. WIU scored 40 points in a loss to Lindenwood last season.
Big plays spark win
The Leathernecks utilized explosive plays to claim the non-conference win.
Receiver Demari Davis had two of the scores.
First, the junior caught a Nate Lamb pass at WIU’s 42, cut back to middle of the field and outraced the McKendree secondary for a 74-yard touchdown.
“I’m taught to just catch and go and get vertical,” Davis said. “I saw the corner had pretty good leverage on me outside, so I cut it in.”
Later, Davis found the end zone on a 17-yard run off a reverse.
Freshman Avery Knight broke tackles at the line of scrimmage and raced 20 yards for a third-quarter touchdown.
Receiver Eli Aragon reeled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Chris Irvin in relief of Lamb, who had limped to the sidelines a play earlier.
Cameren Smith broke loose for a 64-yard run to the McKendree 3-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Two plays later, the senior scored on a 7-yard run.
Smith put an exclamation on the Western win with a 47-yard touchdown run with 1:44 left in the game. He finished with 199 yards.
“We set out offensively with the mindset to try to impose our will. We wanted to force the running game,” Davis said. “Lots to build on from this game. Lots to clean up, but excited for our program to get this first win.”
Game changers
3:33, 2nd quarter: Davis grabbed a pass from Lamb and sprinted 74 yards for a touchdown. Antonio Chadha’s extra point boosted WIU’s lead to 14-6.
0:34, 2nd quarter: Davis scored on a 17-yard run off a reverse. Chadha added the PAT, giving Western a 21-6 lead.
12:06, 3rd quarter: DelaCruz and K.J. Coleman combined to drop McKendree quarterback Caleb Fisher for a 4-yard loss. The stop forced the Bearcats to settle for a field goal.
Nifty ‘Necks
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three WIU players in the game:
Smith, RB: The transfer from Missouri S&T rushed for a career-high 199 yards and two touchdowns. The last WIU rusher over 200 yards was Steve McShane against Eastern Illinois in 2016.
Davis, WR: In addition to his two touchdowns, the junior caught two passes for 85 yards. He rushed for 17 yards on his TD carry.
Ryan Crandall, LB: The junior led the Leathernecks with 14 tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
What it means
WIU stopped the longest losing streak in school history at 27 games.
What’s next?
Western Illinois plays its first ever game as a member of the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Association when the Leathernecks travel to Charleston Southern for an Oct. 5 game.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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