MACOMB, Ill. - The Missouri Valley Football Conference's leading rushing team showed why they hold that title, as No. 15 ranked Western Illinois pounded the Hanson Field grass for 333 yards rushing on way to topping Indiana State by a score of 56-0 on Saturday afternoon. The Sycamores (0-7, 0-3 MVFC) could muster only 135 yards in total offense, while giving up 452 total yards to the Leathernecks (5-2, 3-1 MVFC).
Antoine Brown led ISU with 18 carries for 60 yards, with a long run of 14 yards in the fourth quarter. Freshman Ryan Roberts, seeing his first action of the season at quarterback, had 10 carries for 18 yards on the ground while going 2-for-4 for five yards through the air. Roberts had been a defensive back this season, but with the injury to Charles Dowdell and the suspension of Calvin Schmidtke, he was thrust into duty after Matt Seliger was ineffective in his fourth start of the season.
Quinton Scott once again led the Sycamore defense with 11 tackles on the day and Donye McCleskey added 10 stops. Scott and McCleskey each registered eight solo tackles, while McCleskey added a tackle for loss and forced a fumble.
After the Sycamores went three-and-out on their first drive, the Leathernecks went to their All-American candidate Herb Donaldson, who rushed it five times in the first drive, moving the ball to the four-yard line. Dre Gibbs took it over from there, completing a seven-play, 49-yard drive to make it 7-0 in favor of Western Illinois.
The Sycamore offense could get nothing rolling on their second drive and the Leathernecks took over on their own 43 yard line. After three carries by Donaldson, Zack Wells hit Lito Sentaus on a 44-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0.
The Sycamores started to get the ball rolling on offense on their third drive of the game, as Brown picked up 12 yards on two carries and a 10-yard run by quarterback Seliger put the Sycamores near mid-field. But a two-yard loss on first down, a two-yard carry by Brown and an incomplete pass gave the ball back to WIU after a punt by Gabe Mullane
Donaldson converted on fourth-and-one keep their the ensuing WIU drive alive and then added runs of 10 and five yard before going in from five yards out for the touchdown to cap off a nine-play drive to make the score 21-0.
Another ISU punt gave the Leathernecks the ball at their own 41 yard line. Donaldson again carried the load, completing a seven play drive with a 17-yard touchdown run, his second of the day, to make it 28-0. It later became 35-0 when Wells hit Drew Halt for a 12-yard touchdown pass with 2:04 left in the 2nd quarter.
Indiana State's only sustained drive of the half came right before halftime, as Roberts gained eight yards for a first down. The freshman then had a 12-yard gain and connected with Ryan Patrick for a 12-yard completion. After an incompletion, the ISU drive was ended by a turnover as Seliger was picked off by WIU's Tim Franken.
In the third quarter, Western Illinois took the opening kickoff right down the field and capped off an eight-play drive that took 3:55 off the clock with a two-yard touchdown run by Chris Porter to make the score 42-0 in favor of the Leathernecks. Porter then added a 57-yard touchdown run with 5:53 left in the fourth quarter and finished off the scoring with a one-yard plunge with 1:03 left to make the final score 56-0.
Indiana State returns home next weekend, when the Sycamores face off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Homecoming at ISU. Kick off is set for 2:00 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium.
