WIU quarterback Nate Lamb (right) passed for 352 yards and two touchdowns Saturday in a 45-28 victory against Gardner-Webb in Macomb. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Barry Bottino
Locked in a halftime tie Saturday in Macomb against Gardner-Webb, Western Illinois decided to step on the gas.
“We said at halftime that our best players have to touch the ball every play,” WIU head coach Joe Davis said. “That’s Nate (Lamb). That’s Matt Henry. That’s Eli Aragon. Good things happen when those guys have the ball.”
Leaning on its playmakers, Western scored 31 points and piled up 291 second-half yards to roar past Gardner-Webb, 45-28, in its 2024 finale. The Leathernecks scored touchdowns on four of their first five second-half drives.
The victory gave Western a 4-8 season record (3-5 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association) after they went 0-11 in 2022 and 2023.
“We’ve talked a lot over the last six or seven months – and certainly this week – about leaving the house better than you found it,” Davis said. “A win to culminate this season certainly does that.”
Lamb passed for 352 yards and two touchdowns to become on the fifth WIU player in school history to reach 3,000 yards in a season.
Henry caught six passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns to finish the season with 1,179 receiving yards. Henry is the first WIU receiver since Dennis Houston in 2021 to surpass 1,000 yards.
Aragon caught eight passes for 113 yards and a score.
Less than 4 minutes into the second half, Henry scored from 78 yards out on a double pass from fellow receiver Christian Anaya.
Playing without leading rusher Cameren Smith, Western got 60 rushing yards and two TDs from backup Torrance Farmer Jr.
True freshman linebacker Jonathon Williams had a game-high 12 tackles, along with four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Game changers
11:42, 3rd quarter: Less than 4 minutes after halftime, Anaya connected with Henry on a 78-yard double pass trick play for a score.
10:45, 4th quarter: Lamb tossed a 23-yard TD to Aragon to put the Leathernecks ahead for good, 35-28.
8:54, 4th quarter: Farmer scored on a 1-yard run for his second TD of the game.
What it means
The Leathernecks completed their first season under Davis with four wins, including three in the Big South-OVC.
Nifty ‘Necks
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Western Illinois players in the game:
Henry, WR: The junior’s big day put him over 1,100 receiving yards for the season.
Lamb, QB: The senior passed for 352 yards and two scores.
Farmer, RB: The reserve running back rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
What’s next?
According to FBSchedules.com, Western will open the 2025 season Aug. 30 at FBS Illinois in Champaign.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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