Defensive back Esteban Guillory celebrates a big play Saturday night in Macomb during WIU’s 51-30 victory against Valparaiso. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Barry Bottino
Western Illinois had not scored a point until the fourth quarter in two season-opening games against Big Ten teams.
The Leathernecks changed that quickly Saturday night, scoring four first-half touchdowns to roll past Valparaiso, 51-30, for their first win of the season. The victory gave WIU back-to-back wins in home openers for the first time in nine years.
“It’s a big positive for our program,” WIU head coach Joe Davis said. “Defending Hanson Field is really important. We ran the football pretty consistently. I’m very proud of our guys.”
Western (1-2) piled up 507 yards of offense, including 247 in the air by senior quarterback Chris Irvin to outrun Valpo (1-2), a member of the non-scholarship FCS Pioneer League.
The 51 points was the first time WIU surpassed the 50-point mark in a game since 2021.
The Leathernecks also rushed for 246 yards in a game that featured five different running backs with at least five carries.
Markell Holman rushed for a team-high 74 yards and a TD, and his only reception was on a 15-yard scoring pass from Irvin at the 4:40 mark of the second quarter. That TD gave Western a 28-0 lead.
“That was part of the game plan. We needed to come out of the gates hot and spark us a bit,” Irvin said. “That was huge to help us keep going throughout the game.”
Irvin connected with tight end Alex Williams on a 17-yard score early in the third quarter. Eight minutes later, running back Brinston Williams scored on a 21-yard TD run to boost the lead to 44-10.
Tight end Brandon Lanier scored on a 14-yard pass from WIU reserve QB Antwon McKay Jr. with 4:47 left in the game to push Western over the 50-point plateau.
The WIU offensive line allowed only one sack in the game while helping the team surpass 500 yards.
The Beacons scored 21 fourth-quarter points, including a TD on a 100-yard kickoff return.
Game changers
14:18, 2nd quarter: Irvin threw his first TD of the season when he connected with WR Demari Davis for a 29-yard score.
4:40, 2nd quarter: Holman caught a short pass, dodged one defender, bounced off another and plowed into the end zone to give WIU a 28-0 lead.
8:42, 3rd quarter: Williams caught a quick pass from Irvin and raced down the west sideline for a 17-yard TD.
Noteworthy ‘Necks
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three players in Saturday’s game:
Davis, WR: The senior wideout nearly matched his entire receiving yardage output from 2024 in one half. Davis caught five passes for 106 yards in the opening two quarters and caught his first TD of the season.
Irvin, QB: The senior threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns.
Christian Pierce, DB: Last season’s leading tackler piled up seven tackles Saturday night, including one of six WIU tackles for loss.
What it means
The Leathernecks earned their first victory of the season to kick off the FCS portion of their schedule.
What’s next
Western takes its longest trip of the season – to Cheney, Wash. – for a Sept. 20 road game at Eastern Washington. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
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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