Defensive back Jouvenson Romulus had two interceptions on a day when Western Illinois turned five turnovers into 24 points in a 45-7 victory against Gardner-Webb. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Barry Bottino
MACOMB – Linebacker Justin Buckner’s initial college plans didn’t include Western Illinois.
“We signed him the day before the last signing period,” WIU head coach Joe Davis said. “He was about to go to a Division II school. He came here as a partial scholarship guy. He’s since earned a full scholarship, along with other things, simply by acting and not talking.”
Buckner’s actions Saturday at Hanson Field helped Western win its fourth game in a row – the program’s longest winning streak since 2008 – and remain in the hunt for at least a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title and a potential playoff spot.
Buckner had two strip sacks and a fumble recovery on Western’s first four defensive snaps to kick off the Leathernecks’ rousing 45-7 OVC victory against Gardner-Webb.
“I just went with speed,” said Buckner, a Chicago St. Rita High School graduate who originally was headed to D-II University of Indianapolis. “Coach came up to me during the week and said, ‘Just see ball, hit ball.’ That’s what I thought the whole time.”
Buckner forced two of his team’s five turnovers as Western (7-4 overall, 5-1 OVC) stayed in a first-place tie with Southeast Missouri with one game left in the season.
“These guys continue to amaze me,” Davis said. “This team was ready to play. Our momentum has been building week after week.”
Western travels to Lindenwood – which fell out of a three-way, first-place tie with a 38-31 loss to UT Martin on Saturday – for a 2 p.m. kickoff Nov. 21 in the regular-season finale.
Wins by WIU and SEMO, who plays at UT Martin Nov. 21, would mean the teams finish as co-OVC champions. In that scenario, SEMO (7-4, 5-1) would receive the league’s automatic playoff berth because of its 40-30 victory against Western on Oct. 17.
A Western win and a SEMO loss, however, would give the Leathernecks both the league title and the OVC’s playoff berth.
“This football team has earned the right to play for a championship next week in St. Louis,” Davis said.
Buckner made a big impression with 11 tackles, two sacks — which increased his team-leading total to 5.5 — and a fumble recovery.
“As an offensive coach, I would not want to go against him,” Davis said during WIU’s postgame press conference. “He’s very difficult to block. He’s blown up many practices in offense vs. defense.”
That comment elicited a nodding head from WIU quarterback Kennedy McGill, who was two seats away from the game’s defensive star.
Buckner’s strip sacks set up McGill and Western’s offense at the Gardner-Webb 31- and 10-yard lines, respectively. Those led to an 8-yard McGill-to-Israel Hiraldo TD pass and a 4-yard scoring run by running back Ihson Jackson-Anderson.
“It was incredible to start the game in plus territory because our defense was going out and playing nasty,” McGill said. “That was a complete team win.”
Meanwhile, McGill rushed for 102 yards, surpassing 100 yards for the sixth game in a row, and passed for touchdowns of 8, 89, 9 and 20 yards. His 89-yard connection to a wide-open Christian Anaya came on a one-play drive late in the first quarter after Gardner-Webb (3-8, 2-4) downed a punt at the WIU 11.
Anaya, who caught five passes for a career-best 162 yards credited “the O-line giving time to Kennedy and then Kennedy making his reads.”
Safety Jouvenson Romulus added two of WIU’s three interceptions Saturday.
His first interception, which came in the second quarter, led to a 36-yard Ronan Culkin field goal and a 24-0 WIU halftime lead.
Romulus played the last two weeks without a large cast protecting a hand injury. He has three interceptions over the past two games.
“You can see what I can do with two hands,” Romulus joked. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Game changers
10:05, 1st quarter: Buckner forced his second fumble on Gardner-Webb’s first four offensive plays on another strip sack, which led to a Western TD and a 14-0 lead.
2:29, 1st quarter: After starting a drive at its own 11 via a Gardner-Webb punt, the Leathernecks respond with a McGill-to-Anaya 89-yard scoring pass.
12:02, 4th quarter: WR Aric Johnson caught a 20-yard TD pass from McGill for a 38-0 Western lead.
What it means
The Leathernecks stayed alive for the conference title and a possible playoff spot.
Nifty ‘Necks
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Western Illinois players in the game:
McGill, QB: WIU’s fifth-year quarterback compiled 317 total yards, threw four TD passes and rushed for more than 100 yards for the sixth consecutive game.
Buckner, LB: His two first-quarter strip sacks led to a pair ow WIU touchdowns. He finished with 11 tackles and a pair of sacks, increasing his team-leading total to 5.5.
Anaya, WR: Thanks to the 89-yard TD catch, he compiled a career-high 162 receiving yards on only five catches.
What’s next?
The Leathernecks finish the regular season Nov. 21 at Lindenwood with a 2 p.m. kickoff with a potential OVC title and playoff spot on the line.
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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