Western Illinois established its running game on its first offensive possession in Saturday’s 51-30 win against Valparaiso at Hanson Field in Macomb. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Dan Verdun
Fresh off their home-opening win, the Western Illinois Leathernecks hit the road for the third time in four weeks.
“(It was) a really positive night for our program, for our campus and for our community,” second-year head coach Joe Davis said of WIU’s 51-30 win against Valparaiso. “That was one of the bigger home crowds we’ve had in my short time here.”
The victory came after losses to Big Ten members Illinois and Northwestern to open the season.
“It meant a lot to win our home opener. Our coaches talk about defending our home field,” defensive back Christian Pierce said. “Now, it’s on to what’s next.”
That next is a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Eastern Washington (0-3), which will close out WIU’s non-conference schedule.
Davis certainly would like to see his Leathernecks carry over their solid performance from last weekend into Saturday night.
“We really challenged our players throughout the week to get back to the foundation of our program, and that’s running the football and stopping the run,” he said.
Western scored on its opening possession.
“We had an 84-yard drive that was all running the football,” Davis said. “It was nice to see (running back) Markell Holman break out.”
Holman, a St. Francis transfer, rushed for 69 yards on that opening drive, including a 49-yard burst deep into Valparaiso territory.
The Leathernecks ran for 306 yards and averaged 6.7 yards per carry for the game. Holman led the way with 139 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts.
After establishing the run game, quarterback Chris Irvin threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a TD and was only sacked once.
“Defensively, we were very solid with our first unit through about three quarters,” Davis said. “There were a lot of positives.”
This week’s opponent
Big Sky Conference member Eastern Washington will play at home for the first time this season. The Eagles are coming off a 17-14 road loss at Northern Iowa of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
EWU’s other two losses were against FCS nationally ranked Incarnate Word (31-21) and FBS Boise State (51-14).
Redshirt sophomore Nate Bell took over at quarterback against Northern Iowa following an injury to Jared Taylor.
The dual-threat Bell rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 159 yards against UNI. He is the Eagles’ top rusher on the season.
Redshirt junior Marceese Yetts (15 receptions, 96 yards) and redshirt senior Noah Cronquist (13 receptions, 138 yards) are EWU’s top receivers.
Safety Drew Carter leads the Eagles with 22 tackles. The redshirt junior also has a fumble recovery on his ledger.
Kickoff: 6 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: Q981fm.com
Key matchup to watch
WIU defense vs. EWU pass game
Western allowed 192 passing yards and one touchdown to a pair of Valparaiso QBs Saturday. Valpo completed 58 percent of its passes. The Leathernecks had one sack.
By contrast, the Eastern Washington quarterback duo has combined for a 67 percent completion percentage. Bell, who has thrown two interceptions, has a 54.9 percent completion rate.
EWU has yet to throw for a touchdown this season.
Meanwhile, WIU team captain and defensive end Peyton Bradford will miss the game with an injury.
“(We) don’t know the extent of his injury or how much time he’s going to be out,” Davis said.
What’s at stake
Western seeks not only a second straight non-conference win against an FCS opponent in 2025, but also to gain momentum heading into its Sept. 27 OVC-Big South opener against rival Eastern Illinois.
Quick hits
Eastern Washington is known throughout college football for its red field, known as “The Inferno.” Davis said, “(I) love the fact that different college and high school teams can change up their turf. It provides a little bit of nostalgia. It provides some interest nationally.” … Holman leads Western Illinois with 211 rushing yards on 44 attempts. …Senior Demari Davis is the top pass catcher with 11 receptions for 210 yards and a touchdown. … Five different Leathernecks have hauled in TD passes – receivers Davis and Christian Anaya, tight ends Brandon Lanier and Alex Williams along with Homan. … Defensive backs Pierce and Buju Aumua-Tuisavura lead WIU with 23 tackles. … Linebacker Kevin Washington Jr. and defensive back Esteban Guillory top the team with 11 solo tackles. … Seven of kicker Antonio Chadha’s 12 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks this season.
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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