Freshman cornerback Don Paul Keith (34) has been a mainstay in the Western Illinois lineup this season. He is tied for the team lead with six pass breakups. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Barry Bottino
Long before Don Paul Keith took over as a starter on the Western Illinois defense, head coach Joe Davis and his staff saw it coming.
“I won’t forget when our defensive staff, probably a week or so into (fall) training camp, was saying, ‘Hey, we think the freshman might be our best corner,’” Davis said.
Three months later, Keith has started six games in a row, is tied for the team lead in pass breakups and earned the OVC-Big South Football Association’s co-Freshman of the Week honor Nov. 10.
Keith is slated to start for a seventh time Nov. 22 when the Leathernecks (3-8 overall, 2-5 OVC-Big South) travel to Gardner-Webb (7-4, 5-2) in the regular-season finale for both teams.
“He’s one of the most improved players on our team,” Davis said. “When you’re a freshman cornerback, you’ve got a little bit of a target on your back. People are going to throw at you. He just plays with more and more confidence each week.”
A former high school track standout in River Rouge, Mich., near Detroit, Keith’s experience – but not belief in himself – was in short supply when he arrived in Macomb.
“Confidence-wise, that’s been there,” Keith said. “I never felt overwhelmed. I thought I was going to come in and watch the other guys and learn from them. For a true freshman, (starting) is a big accomplishment.”
Along with 27 tackles, Keith has one interception and a fumble recovery. In a 24-21 victory Nov. 8 against Lindenwood, Keith collected three tackles and two pass breakups. Also playing as a gunner on the WIU punt team, he recovered a muffed punt late in the game to help secure the victory.
Two days later, Keith was honored by the OVC-Big South.
Davis said the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Keith has “embraced the physicality” of playing cornerback while leaning on his confidence.
“You have to have a little bit of swagger to play that position,” he said. “He’s not an arrogant young man. But he is confident. The future and the ceiling for Don Paul is incredibly high.”
This week’s opponent
Carson Gresock is the No. 2 back in Gardner-Webb’s rotation, but he’s No. 1 in the conference and No. 10 in the nation with 13 rushing touchdowns. The Ohio native rushed for four touchdowns last month against Lindenwood and had TD runs of 64 and 55 yards earlier this season against Eastern Illinois. … Junior defensive back Josiah Harris leads the conference with five interceptions. … A win Saturday would give the Runnin’ Bulldogs an 8-4 record and a complete flip from last season’s 4-8 mark.
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: Q981fm.com
Key matchup to watch
Gardner-Webb RBs vs. WIU defense: Quasean Holmes (931 yards, five TDs) and Carson Gresock (715 yards, 13 TDs) rank No. 1 and No. 3 in rushing yards in the conference this season. WIU’s defense, meanwhile, ranks last against the run in the OVC-Big South.
What’s at stake?
A victory would give Western three wins over the last four games of the season and match last year’s win total.
Quick hits
Western has played six one-possession games in conference play this season. The Leathernecks have a 2-4 record in those games. “The common thread is the inability to make enough plays at the end of the game to win it,” said Davis, whose team was shut out in the second half of last week’s 22-17 loss to Southeast Missouri. “That’s well below the standard of offense here that’s been set.” Davis cited dropped passes, overthrows to receivers and blitz pickups as three issues that doomed the team against SEMO. … Injuries have dogged the Leathernecks all season. Davis expects the team to feel those losses again this week. “We’re going to be starting a new set of receivers Saturday and another configuration of offensive linemen,” he said. Despite the impact on WIU’s depth, Davis praised his team for being competitive. … Saturday’s game will determine the OVC-Big South’s leading rusher this season. Gardner-Webb’s Quasean Holmes currently ranks first in the league with 931 yards, while WIU’s Markell Holman is slightly behind at 926. Holman’s rushing total is a career high, thanks to four 100-yard games. … With 13 tackles for loss, WIU linebacker Christian Pierce ranks sixth in the conference.
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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