Illinois State football to take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Saturday

Image courtesy of goredbirds.com

NORMAL- With both teams coming into the game with a 0-3 record, it will be the first time they have met winless against each other since 1906. The Redbirds have played back-to-back top-five teams on the road but will return home this weekend. In those two games, ISU put up a combined score of just 23 points compared to their opponent’s 42 points.

The Redbird defense has kept them in games, forcing six turnovers but the offense has not helped with 13 of their own. After going down 14-0 to North Dakota State last week, ISU crawled its way back into the game thanks to a Tanner Taula four-yard touchdown pass and fullback Tyler Pennington with a one-yard rushing touchdown. When momentum seemed to shift, the Bison blocked the tying field goal and would go on to win the game 21-13.

Junior Cornerback Charles Woods ranked second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) with 17 pass breakups and is off to another great start this season. Woods has proven he is a lockdown corner, already second this season in the MVFC with 7 passes defended and two interceptions.

Head coach Brock Spack has a career record of 10-2 against Western Illinois, winning last year’s matchup 28-14 in Macomb. Since taking over for Western Illinois in 2018, head coach Jared Elliot’s record now stands at 6-20. Elliot and the Leathernecks did have two top-25 wins in 2018, but none since then.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, with pregame coverage starting at 10:50 on 103.3 and right here on WZND.com