Leatherneck Nation

Leathernecks Break Drought: Western Illinois Dominates Season Opener 65-14.
From WGEM Sports:
https://www.wgem.com/2026/08/28/leather ... ner-65-14/
 

jtrinaldi wrote: Fri Aug 28, 2026 7:10 am

meganeck wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 11:34 pm

wiu712 wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 11:09 pm Western wins 65-14

#5 Cason Carswell was 5 of 8 for 24 yards.  0 Touchdowns.  1 Interception.

#17 Kennedy McGill was 15 of 17 for 194 yards.  2 Touchdowns.  0 Interceptions.

Western had 539 Total Yards:  218 yards Passing.  321 yards Rushing.

Attendance at Hanson Field = 2,353



 

I didn't listen or watch, but not sure what is up with Carswell but do we have a new number #1 QB?


 

It’s the joe Davis rollercoaster experience, hoping carswell is the starter the rest of the year as he was a stud last year. 

on a more important note, the spread was 39.5. Western Illinois covered it by a point. Good teams win, great teams cover. 
 

 

We covered the spread by 11
 

From the first post, here are the predictions I found before the game:  
Massey Ratings gives us a 90% chance of a win, with a projected score of 35-14 (spread of 21)
/r/FCS Projections predicts 33-17 win for the Leathernecks (spread of 16)

Where was the 39.5 listed?

Regardless, we won by 51, so I think we rolled over just about every spread out there, which is always nice considering the struggles that some other teams had against lower-division schools last night.

The interesting thing to pay attention to this weekend is how well Illinois State does against St. Francis (IL) on Saturday. Northwestern (IA) was ranked #24 in NAIA and St. Francis (IL) is in the ORV section, so not too far behind. So, Illinois State takes on a roughly comparable NAIA team to who we played this weekend, and then we host Illinois State next weekend. That game is at 6 PM on Saturday on ESPN+ for anyone who's interested in scouting our next opponent.

Any word on the two players who left the game with injuries last night?

Very disappointing turn-out for an opening game.  Only 2,359 in attendance.

Thursday games are problematic for those out-of-towners who work on Thursday and / or Friday.

Perhaps there would have been a larger crowd if the game had been played on Saturday.
 

Wasn't able to watch but followed the live stats on ESPN app.  Looks like total dominance.  500+ yards and excellent on 3rd down both sides of ball.  Agree this was nice to see comparing what happened to many teams yesterday vs lower levels.  Is McGill that good?  Defense was basically dominant.  Any overall assessments from those that attended?

https://prairiestatepigskin.com/2026/08 ... thwestern/

“That’s one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever faced,” Northwestern head coach Matt McCarty said. “He’s an elite athlete. His ability to get out of jams and keep drives moving (was key). We got them to third downs, but we just couldn’t get them off the field.”