Western Illinois receiver Xavier Coleman has moved into the starting lineup. The Providence Catholic High School graduate has 11 receptions in the last two games. (Photo via Instagram)
By Dan Verdun
Western Illinois true freshman receiver Xavier Coleman has become an exception for the Leathernecks – seeing substantial playing time as a rookie.
That marks a considerable change from last season.
“At times, we were playing 12 to 15 freshmen (last fall). This year, there’s only a couple, Xavier being one of them getting significant snaps,” WIU head coach Joe Davis said.
Coleman came to Macomb from Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, where he was a first-team all-state selection.
“Xavier was a highly recruited player for us,” Davis said. “We were not surprised when we started our summer training. We could see flashes of him becoming a starting-caliber receiver. Each week, his role has increased to where he is out there starting.”
Coleman will line up as a first-team player when WIU hosts UT Martin at 3 p.m. Saturday in Ohio Valley Conference play. The game is also Western’s Homecoming.
UTM (3-4 overall) is tied with Southeast Missouri atop the league standings with a 2-0 record. Western is 3-4 overall, 1-1 in the OVC. The Leathernecks lost, 40-30, to SEMO last weekend.
In the past two OVC games, Coleman has caught 11 passes for 139 yards. He has 16 receptions for 197 yards this fall.
“My route running and attention to detail (have improved). That’s something the coaches harp on,” he said.
Although Coleman attended Western’s summer camp as a high school player, he was “more focused on his production” rather than hitting the recruiting camps as a prep athlete.
Coleman certainly produced for Providence Catholic, catching four passes for 107 yards and a touchdown in last fall’s 5A state championship game.
Though he had offers from Southeast Missouri and Division II Minnesota State, Coleman chose to attend WIU.
“Comfortablity,” he cited as a major reason. “It was a lot closer to home. I was very comfortable with the coaching staff.”
Both Davis and Coleman said there’s plenty of room for improvement in Coleman’s game.
“No coach on our staff wants us to be the same person as last week,” Coleman said. “They’re always working to get us better.”
Kickoff: 3 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: Q981fm.com
Key matchup to watch
WIU run defense vs. UTM ground game
The Leatherneck defense allowed SEMO to rush for 238 yards and average 5.2 yards per carry. The Redhawks controlled the clock in the deciding final quarter and outscored WIU, 18-0, to secure the win.
“One of the things that was such a key factor in the fourth quarter was their ability to run the football and hold onto it and keep our offense off the field,” said Davis, who also cited a disparity in time of possession.
What’s at stake
Saturday is a pivotal game in the OVC schedule. A Western win puts the Leathernecks right back into league title contention and deals Martin – the preseason pick to win the conference – a blow.
Quick hits
Despite the loss to SEMO, Western quarterback Kennedy McGill won his second OVC Offensive Player of the Week award. The transfer from Division II Central Washington accounted for 447 yards of total offense against the Redhawks. McGill passed for 264 yards while rushing for 183 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted twice. … McGill, a fifth-year player, leads all FCS quarterbacks with 680 rushing yards. That total is 11th among all FCS rushers. He ranks sixth nationally in total offense (310.1 yards per game), 11th in rushing touchdowns (8) and 20th in points responsible for (14.9). … Asked to identify the biggest surprise of the season thus far, Davis said, “I’m surprised we’re 3-4. I looked at our schedule and our team. There was a very realistic opportunity for us to be 4-3 or 5-2 headed into Homecoming. We’re a few plays away. . . . It frustrates me. I know it frustrates our players. We have the talent here to win a championship. We are that good. We have to figure out a way to put it all together here this weekend.” … UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said that since Davis took over the WIU program three seasons ago “they’ve improved every year.” Simpson added that he admires McGill’s production and stamina. “Basically 350 yards goes through him – 250 passing, roughly 100 yards rushing,” Simpson said, “and to be durable enough to carry it 27 times against SEMO and bounce back and play the next week. That’s impressive.”
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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