.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
W. Illinois to visit Weber St. in first-round matchup
(STATS) - In what has to be one of the most intriguing first-round matchups, Western Illinois at Weber State figures to be a battle of strength versus strength - no matter who has possession.
That's because the ninth-ranked Leathernecks and the 11th-ranked Wildcats will have their share of standouts on both sides of the ball Saturday when Weber State will try to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
"This is a great team coming in here and we're super excited about the matchup," Wildcats coach Jay Hill said. "If you're going to make a run in the playoffs, you're going to have to play some really hard teams and this is a great first-round opponent for us because they're just that. It will prepare us for future success down the road if we can take care of business."
Weber State (9-2, 7-1) claimed a share of the Big Sky title last Saturday by closing out the regular season with a fifth straight win, 35-7 over Idaho State. The Wildcats rank 12th nationally with 35.7 points per game behind a balanced rushing attack.
Treshawn Garrett, a third-team all-Big Sky selection, headlines a group of four with at least 369 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Garrett has run for 671 yards and six scores, while Kevin Smith has 416 and five and David Jones 369 and three.
Quarterback Stefan Cantwell has been an exciting dual threat for the Wildcats, rushing for 402 yards and six touchdowns while passing for 2,255 and 18. The senior had just two interceptions in 10 games before throwing three picks Saturday.
He'll have to take better care of the ball against Western Illinois, which has thrived on forcing turnovers. The squad's plus-15 turnover margin is the best mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and fourth nationally. Its 26 total takeaways are the sixth-most in the country and it has outscored foes 96-17 off turnovers.
Linebacker Brett Taylor, the MVFC defensive player of the year, leads the unit with a nation-best 13.6 tackles per game and his 90 assisted stops are the third-most in WIU history. The Leathernecks (8-3, 5-3) are playing their best at the right time, allowing 28 total points during their three-game winning streak.
WIU is road-tested, entering this contest with a nation-best six road wins. This is its second postseason appearance in three seasons after Saturday's 28-14 victory over Southern Illinois gave the program its first eight-win campaign since 2003. In 2015, the Leathernecks won 24-7 at Dayton before falling 36-19 at Illinois State in the second round.
"We've got a bunch of veteran players who understand what's at stake," said Western Illinois coach Charlie Fisher, a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award. "We like to look at it as win and win - win and move on. We have the mindset that we can go on the road and play a good team. The cool thing is we've best battle-tested on the road."
Wideout Jaelon Acklin had another big game Saturday with six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. The senior ranks sixth nationally with 74 receptions, fourth with a school-record 1,253 yards and tied for 13th with 10 receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Sean McGuire has done a nice job getting him the ball while throwing for an average of 240.9 yards with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
The Leathernecks, who rank 13th nationally with 35.5 points per game, may have to keep throwing the ball against Weber State. The Wildcats boast the top rushing defense in the Big Sky, yielding 117.3 yards per game. Defensive back Taron Johnson, the conference's defensive player of the year, could be locked into an exciting matchup with Acklin. Linebacker LeGrand Toia should make an impact as he has a team-high 61 tackles and five sacks, while All-Big Sky first-team tackle McKay Murphy tops the Wildcats with 13 tackles for a loss.
This is the third meeting all-time between the schools and first since the Leathernecks' 21-19 home win in 1976.
