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Leathernecks Head To Weber State For First Round Of FCS Playoffs

November 22, 2017

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Western Illinois set for second postseason appearance in last three seasons

By WIU Athletics

Game 12

Western Illinois Leathernecks at Weber State Wildcats
FCS Playoffs First Round • November 25, 2017 • 3 p.m. CT • Ogden, Utah • Stewart Stadium

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THE SERIES: Saturday's FCS Playoffs first-round matchup between Western Illinois and Weber State is the third meeting all-time between the schools. The Leathernecks went to Ogden in 1975 to beat the Wildcats by a final of 19-10. Western Illinois then edged Weber State 21-19 the next year in Macomb.

THE RANKINGS: Western Illinois finished the regular season ranked ninth in the STATS FCS 'Top 25' poll and 10th in the FCS Coaches poll. Weber State placed 11th in the STATS FCS 'Top 25' poll, and eighth in the FCS Coaches poll.

LEATHERNECKS RETURN TO THE POSTSEASON: Western Illinois is making its 11th all-time trip to the FCS Playoffs, where they will face Weber State in the first round. The Leathernecks' postseason appearance is their second in the last three seasons, the program's best run of success since going to three playoffs in four campaigns from 2000-03. Only 13 FCS schools can boast more postseason appearances in their history than Western Illinois.

During their last trip to the FCS Playoffs in 2015, the Leathernecks knocked off Dayton 24-7 on the road before succumbing at Illinois State 36-19 in the second round. Western Illinois is 7-10 (.412) all-time in the postseason.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: A very balanced team, Weber State ranks 11th in the nation in scoring defense (16.6 ppg) and 12th in scoring offense (35.7 ppg). Offensively, the Wildcats have thrived off their running attack, 196.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks 25th in the FCS. Four different Wildcats have run for at least 350 yards, with Treshawn Garrett's 671 leading the pack. He has registered 5.6 yards per carry and six touchdowns. Quarterback Stefan Cantwell has totaled 24 scores, 18 coming through the air against only five interceptions. He has completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,255 yards. His leading receiver is Andrew Vollert, who has caught 44 passes for 557 yards and three touchdowns. Weber State boasts the top rushing defense in the Sun Belt, yielding just 117.3 yards per game. LeGrand Toia is the team's leading tackler with 61 stops, 8.0 tackles for a loss and 5.0 sacks. McKay Murphy tops the Wildcats with 13.0 tackles for a loss, and Jordan Preator has picked off a team-high four passes. In the return game, Rashid Shaheed has taken two kicks back for touchdowns and is averaging 31.7 yards per kick return.

TAYLOR NAMED FINALIST FOR BUCHANAN AWARD: Middle linebacker Brett Taylor is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the National Defensive Player of the Year. He finished seventh in the voting last year, and was one of three linebackers among the top seven point total leaders - and the only one who was not a senior. This season, Taylor leads the nation with 13.6 tackles per game, 150 total tackles and 90 assisted stops. Taylor has registered double-digit tackles in all but three games in 2017, and dating back to last year, has now at least tied for the team lead in stops in 15 of the last 16 contests, including 10 of the 11 games this season. His 90 assisted stops are the third-most in a single season in school history. Through 11 games this year, the Macomb native has won four Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week awards. The first came after he finished with a game-high eight tackles, two for a loss, with a quarterback hurry at Coastal Carolina. The very next week, he won again by tying a program record with 28 stops, 2.5 for a loss. Taylor's also earned the award after 16 tackles, two for a loss, a sack and two pass breakups against Missouri State. He then made 16 more tackles, one for a loss, to win the honor after the regular season finale against Southern Illinois.

CRAZY EIGHTS: Western Illinois closed the regular year with a 28-14 win over Southern Illinois. The victory was the Leathernecks' eighth of the campaign, marking the program's most regular season wins since also securing eight in 2003. In the first round of the FCS Playoffs, Western Illinois will also be looking for their eighth postseason win in program history. A triumph would mark the Leathernecks' ninth win of the season, which would also be their first nine-win campaign since 2003.

FISHER NAMED FINALIST FOR COACH OF THE YEAR: Western Illinois head coach Charlie Fisher has been selected Monday as a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award, which honors the FCS Coach of the Year. Fisher has led the Leathernecks to an 8-3 record and a berth in the FCS Playoffs, where Western Illinois will travel to Weber State for a first-round matchup at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 25). The Leathernecks have recorded eight regular season wins for the first time since 2003.

The second-year head coach at Western Illinois has thrived on the road, posting a 10-3 record away from Macomb. The Leathernecks' six road wins this season is a program record, and Western Illinois began this campaign with three road wins in their first three contests for the very first time in program history. One of those away victories was a 52-10 throttling of Coastal Carolina on Sept. 23, which thanks to a 28-23 triumph at Northern Illinois last year, gave the Leathernecks back-to-back FBS wins for the first time since 2002-03. Western Illinois is the second head-coaching stop for Fisher, who is 14-8 during his tenure with the Leathernecks. From 1993-97, Fisher was the head coach at West Georgia, where he posted a 36-17 record with a share of the 1997 Gulf South Conference Championship and two postseason appearances.

DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS: Western Illinois followed up a five-sack game at Illinois State, their most since recording six in the 2015 FCS Playoffs at Dayton, with five more sacks against Indiana State. A year after recording just 13 sacks, the Leathernecks have now put together a 30-sack campaign this year. Western Illinois' 2.73 sacks per game rank 24th nationally. The Leathernecks also had 11 tackles for a loss against the Sycamores, their second straight contest with double-digit TFLs and their fourth this season. Western Illinois is compiling 8.0 tackles for loss per game, 14th in the FCS.

ROAD TRIP: In the 113 prior seasons of Western Illinois football before this campaign, the Leathernecks had never won more than five road games in one season. However, Western Illinois' 45-0 shutout of Indiana State marked their program-record sixth away triumph this season. During head coach Charlie Fisher's tenure, the Leathernecks are now 10-3 on the road.

ON THE OFFENSIVE: Western Illinois racked up 45 points in their victory at Indiana State, marking the fourth time this season that the Leathernecks have tallied 40 or more points. It also represented the sixth occasion with at least 38 points scored. The last time Western Illinois scored 40 or more points in a game that many times in a season was during the 2010 campaign when the Leathernecks mustered five outbursts or 40-plus points.

THIRD EYE BLIND: The Leathernecks' defense has limited opponents to just 4-for-23 (17.4 percent) on third downs over the last two weeks, continuing a trend of Western Illinois being one of the best third down teams in the nation this season. The Leathernecks rank 16th nationally in third-down defense by holding opponents to a 32.2 percent success rate. Meanwhile, on offense, Western Illinois' 43.2 percent conversion rate on third down is 20th in the FCS.

TAKE IT AWAY: Western Illinois' +15 turnover margin is the best mark in the MVFC and fourth-best in the nation. The Leathernecks' 26 takeaways are sixth-highest nationally, and Western's 11 giveaways are the 10th-lowest in the FCS. In fact, the Leathernecks are outscoring opponents 96-17 in points off turnovers. Western Illinois has now forced at least one turnover in 51 of their last 58 games. They have multiple takeaways in 18 of the last 29 contests, including 29 total over the past 12 games.

POINTS OF VIEW: Backing Western Illinois' 8-3 record is a strong +146 point differential (391-245), meaning the Leathernecks have been 13.3 points per game better than their opponents this season. Interestingly enough, Western Illinois has been significantly better in the second half than the first half this year. The Leathernecks have narrowly outscored their opponents by a 146-124 in the first half this year. However, over the final 30 minutes of contests, that figure has swelled to 245-121. Thus, the Leathernecks average 22.3 points per second half, and yield just 11.0.

CATCH A STAR: Wide receiver Jaelon Acklin entered this season with 21 career catches for 364 yards and two receiving touchdowns. However, the senior has blown up in 2017, catching 74 balls for 1,253 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. The Mountain View, Mo., native is fourth in the nation in receiving yards (1,253), sixth in both receiving yards per game (113.9) and total touchdowns (14), 11th in receptions per game (6.7), 12th in all-purpose yards per game (134.64) and 13th in receiving touchdowns (10). Acklin's 1,253 receiving yards are a single-season school record. His 74 receptions are fourth-most in a single season in program history, three from sole possession of second and 10 from sole possession of the top spot. Acklin's 10 touchdowns are tied for the fifth-most in a single season in WIU history, two from tying for second and four from tying for first.

WE'VE BEEN HAVING A RECORD YEAR: In addition to Jaelon Acklin, several other Leathernecks have entered single-season 'Top 10' lists. Quarterback Sean McGuire has passed for 2,650 yards, the seventh-most in a single season in school history. He is 242 away from sole possession of sixth place and 265 from passing his 2,914 yards from last season. The Franklin, Wis., native's 24 touchdown passes are tied for third in a single season in program history, three away from tying Matt Barr's 2010 record. McGuire's 198 completions place eighth and his 303 attempts rank in a tie for 10th. On defense, Brett Taylor's 90 assisted tackles are the third-most in a single season in WIU history, while Xavier Rowe's 11 breakups rank in a tie for 10th.

RED ALERT: Western Illinois has taken advantage of nearly every opportunity when bringing the ball inside the opponent's 20-yard line this season. The Leathernecks are third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and rank 21st nationally in red zone scoring at 87.2 percent. Western Illinois has only missed in the red zone five times this season in 39 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line. The best red zone performance of the season for the Leathernecks came at Coastal Carolina, where they finished 7-for-7 in the red zone.

McGUIRE, ACKLIN NAMED TO WATCH LIST: Western Illinois quarterback Sean McGuire and wide receiver Jaelon Acklin have each been named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Midseason Watch List for the FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy. The Leathernecks are the only team to have two players on the list, which is made up of five student-athletes. McGuire ranks seventh nationally in passing efficiency (161.2), eighth in yards per attempt (8.77), 11th in completion percentage (65.2), 13th in passing touchdowns (24), 20th in passing yards (2,650), 22nd in passing yards per game (240.9) and 32nd in total offense per game (244.9). Overall, the junior quarterback has fired 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. Acklin is fourth in the nation in receiving yards (1,253), sixth in both receiving yards per game (113.9) and total touchdowns (14), 11th in receptions per game (6.7), 12th in all-purpose yards per game (134.64) and 13th in receiving touchdowns (10).

McGUIRE'S ON FIRE: With 6,723 career passing yards, Western Illinois quarterback Sean McGuire is just 277 passing yards away from becoming just the third Leathernecks signal caller to reach 7,000 career passing yards. He is currently in fourth place in school history in that category, 254 from moving into the top three all-time. Additionally, McGuire's 220.4 yards of total offense per game is the best in program history, with his 210.1 career passing yards per contest placing second. He was named MVFC co-Offensive and Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 24 and Oct. 8, respectively. Additionally, against South Dakota, McGuire's 441 passing yards were the third-most in a single game in program history, with his 31 completions one away from tying the record.

RACK UP THE YAC: Through the first three contests of the year, Western Illinois registered 19 plays of at least 20 yards, a rate of 6.3 per game. However, over their last eight contests, the Leathernecks have compiled 73 plays of 20-plus yards, an average of 9.1 per game. Wide receiver Jaelon Acklin has been responsible for 29 plays of 20 or more yards, with 25 of those coming on passing plays. He has 11 touchdowns of at least 20 yards.

DEFENSE MECHANISMS: Western Illinois' historic 45-0 win at Indiana State saw the Leathernecks pitch their first shutout since 2010. In the effort, the Leathernecks held Indiana State to just 43 rushing yards on 36 carries, the third game this year that the Leathernecks have held an opponent below 50 rushing yards. Prior to this season, Western Illinois hadn't had such a contest since 2014. Western Illinois also forced Sycamores quarterback Cade Sparks to just 8-of-17 passing for just 90 yards and two interceptions, marking the first time since 2013 that Western's defense kept an opponent below 100 passing yards. The Leathernecks followed that up by holding Southern Illinois to just 62 passing yards. In total, Indiana State recorded just 133 total yards, the first time since 2010 that Western Illinois held an opponent below 200 yards of total offense. Prior to a Saluki touchdown with 6:06 left in the season finale, the Leathernecks had gone more than 150 minutes without allowing a point.

STRENGTH OF THE VALLEY: The 2017 season was another dominant campaign for the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The league boasted an FCS-high seven top 30 teams by the NCAA's simple rating system, 18 top-30 victories (next closest was Big Sky at seven) and not consequently, the most teams in the FCS Playoffs field with five. Against the entire field, the MVFC's 11 wins dwarf the second-place Colonial Athletic Association's five.

LEATHERNECK QUICK HITTERS:
• Western Illinois is 43-78-1 (.352) all-time against ranked opponents, including 29-59 (.330) in conference play. This season, the Leathernecks earned a win at then-No. 21 Northern Iowa and No. 12 Illinois State. Western Illinois has lost to then-No. 10 South Dakota, No. 2 North Dakota State and No. 8 South Dakota State.

• Thanks to the efforts of Steve McShane, Western Illinois leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally with 18.4 yards per punt return. McShane, who returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown at Indiana State, - the seventh-longest punt return in Western Illinois history, and the longest for a score since 2009 - is averaging 20.2 yards per return.

• Time of possession is a very important stat to Leathernecks head coach Charlie Fisher. Western Illinois has won the time of possession battle six times this year, holding the ball for a season-high of 39:03 at Northern Arizona. Last year's season-best was 36:50 at Missouri State. The Leathernecks rank 19th nationally in time of possession with their 31:57 average.

• Western Illinois ranks in the top 40 in scoring offense (13th, 35.5 points per game), passing offense (27th, 244.9 yards per game), third down conversion rate (20th, 43.2 percent) and total offense (39th, 405.2 per game). On defense, the Leathernecks boast a strong rush defense that ranks 24th nationally by yielding 119.9 yards per game on the ground.

• In 32 career games (26 career starts), Sean McGuire has registered 10 career 300-yard passing games. The Franklin, Wisconsin native's 50 career passing touchdowns are third in school history, just four away from passing former teammate Trenton Norvell for second place. McGuire is also tied for third place in program history for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (eight), four away from Steve LaFalce in second place in school history.

• On his first career field goal attempt, Western Illinois kickoff specialist Nathan Erickson blasted a 52-yarder at North Dakota State, becoming the first Leatherneck to boot a 50-plus yarder since Taylor Rowan connected from 54 yards in the FargoDome in 2008. Erickson, normally the kickoff specialist for the Leathernecks, has recorded 36 touchbacks this season, tied with Sacramento State for the most in the nation.

• The Leatherneck defense held the Salukis to just 62 yards passing last week, the second straight contest holding an opponent below 100 passing yards. Prior to this stretch, Western Illinois hadn't done that in any game since 2013.


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