Western Ilinois Athletic Communications Contact: Patrick Osterman (309) 298-1133 [email protected] www.GoLeathernecks.com @WIUAthletics @WIUFootball 2015 SCHEDULE Date Opponent ...........................Time ...... TV S3 #25 EASTERN ILLINOIS ....W 33-5 .. E3 S12 at Illinois ..............................L 0-44 .. BTN S19 at #1 Coastal Carolina ........L 27-34 O3 • SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ......W 37-36 E3 O10 • SOUTH DAKOTA ..............W 40-21 E3 O17 • at #12 UNI .........................W 24-19 E3 O24 • at #3 Illinois State .............L 28-48 . E3 O31 • #24 YOUNGSTOWN ST. ..L 21-23 . E3 N7 • at #5 North Dakota State ..2:30 ........ E3 N14 • at Indiana State .................12:05 ...... E3 N21 • SOUTH DAKOTA STATE ..1:00 ........ E3 N28 FCS Playoffs Opening Round • Missouri Valley Football Conference game North Dakota State Western Illinois All time central and subject to change E3 - ESPN3 broadcast Bison Fighting BTN - Big Ten Network broadcast (6-2, 4-1 MVFC - #5/6) Leathernecks INFORMATION - GAME #9 (4-4, 3-2 MVFC - RV/RV) DATE/TIME November 7 / 2:30 p.m. LOCATION Fargo, North Dakota games in the overall se- career rushing touch- STADIUM Fargodome ries with North Dakota downs by Nikko SURFACE Artificial Turf LIVE STATS www.GoLeathernecks.com State won by the home Watson, good for ninth LIVE VIDEO ESPN3.com 0 team. 18 place all-time. LIVE AUDIO www.WRMSFM.com MOBILE DEVICE TuneIn Radio app (WRMS) ALL-TIME SERIES WIU trails 4-2 THE SERIES: Western Illinois trails the series with North Dakota State 4-2... The Leather- necks are looking to snap a two-game losing streak to the Bison, and in the process remain RADIO (Leatherneck Sports Network) undefeated in the Fargodome. ANNOUNCERS ...Scott Kornberg, Dr. Tom Cody Beardstown: WRMS 94.3 FM (Flagship) Western Illinois head coach is in his third year with the Macomb: WJEQ 102.7 FM THE COACHES: Bob Nielson Galesburg: WAIK 1590 AM Leathernecks. He owns a 13-19 record at Western and 183-78-1 in his 23rd year as a Quincy: WPWQ 106.7 FM head coach... North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman is 21-3 in his second year in Clinton, Iowa: KCLN 1390 AM charge of the Bison and 24-10 in his third year overall as a head coach. Monroe City, Missouri: KWBZ 107.5 FM THE RANKINGS: Western is receiving votes (153 points/30th place) in the STATS FCS TELEVISION poll and FCS Coaches poll (6 points/34th)... North Dakota State is tied for 5th in the FCS NETWORK ......................WIU-TV3 (tape delay) Coaches poll and is 6th in the STATS FCS poll. .............................Redrick Terry and Danny Frey LEATHERNECKS CONTINUE WITH NATION’S TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: Once again VIDEO based off the NCAA rankings, Western Illinois has the nation’s toughest schedule according Fans can watch the game live on ESPN3 (Watch to the NCAA Division I FCS... The Fighting Leathernecks are one of seven MVFC teams ESPN app). among the ‘Top 14’ ranked... Despite two non-conference opponents losing last weekend, Western still ranked first with a .708 cumulative opposition winning percentage, ahead of MOBILE / TABLET DEVICES Elon (.656) and Villanova (.625)... Of the teams nationally-ranked in the FCS Coaches Statistics are available on iPhone and Android phones by clicking on Live Stats link at GoBison. poll, nine of the Top 25 have a Strength of Schedule of 50 or more... Only two teams in the com. ‘Top 25’ have a strength of schedule in the top nine - and both are MVFC teams (UNI, 7th; The game can be heard by downloading the South Dakota State, 8th). TuneIn Radio app on iTunes and Google Play, then searching for WRMS radio. MORE RANKED OPPONENTS: Last year Western played a program-record eight ranked teams in the 12-game schedule... The 2015 season picked up where last year left off, play- SOCIAL MEDIA ing #25 Eastern Illinois, at #1 Coastal Carolina, at #12 UNI, at #3 Illinois State and against In-game tweets are available by following #24 Youngstown State... The future opponents rankings this week include (highest ranking): Leatherneck Football on Twitter @WIUFootball. North Dakota State (5th), Indiana State (23rd) and South Dakota State (11th). Fans can use the #WIUGameday or #W1U hashtag. Western Illinois Football #5 NORTH DAKOTA STATE CAREER COACHING RECORD Western Illinois (13-19 / 3 years) 2015: 4-4 2014: 5-7 2013: 4-8 Minnesota-Duluth (100-26 / 10 yrs) 2012: 10-2 Division II Playoffs (0-1) 2011: 11-3 Division II Playoffs (2-1) 2010: 15-0 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2009: 11-2 Division II Playoffs (1-1) 2008: 15-0 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2003: 8-3 2002: 11-1 Division II Playoffs (0-1) 2001: 9-3 2000: 7-4 1999: 3-8 Wisconsin-Eau Claire (22-11 / 3 yrs) December 2012-Present Head Coach, Western Illinois 1998: 10-3 Division III Playoffs (2-1) • Enters 2015 season tied for 25th among NCAA active coaches career victories 1997: 7-3 • Improvement in win/loss from 2012 and then again from 2013 to 2014 1996: 5-5 • Coached 16 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honorees Wartburg (39-14 / 5 yrs) • 1 Academic All-American and NCAA Postgraduate Scholar (Jimmy Holtschlag) 1995: 9-1 • Named Chair of the NCAA Football Rules Committee 1994: 10-2 Division III Playoffs (1-1) 1993: 9-2 Division III Playoffs (0-1) 1999-2012 Head Coach/Director of Athletics, Minnesota-Duluth 1992: 5-5 • Head football coach from 1999-2003; 2008-2012 1991: 6-4 • Record at UMD: 100-26 in 10 seasons, including 11-4 record in the playoffs Ripon (9-8-1 / 2 yrs) • Career coaching record: 170-59-1 in 20 seasons 1990: 7-2 • 2008 NCAA Division II National Champion (15-0) 1989: 2-6-1 • 2010 NCAA Division II National Champion (15-0) • Six Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships Career Totals: 183-78-1 23 • Six NCAA Division II Playoff appearances, streak of 5 straight at end of tenure • 2010 Division II National Coach of the Year Career NCAA Playoffs Record: 14-7 • 2008 Division II National Coach of the Year • Coached Isaac Odim, Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America Player of the Year COACHES AND STAFF • Over final five seasons program has produced two Harlon Hill finalists (Division II BOB NIELSON ................................HEAD COACH National Player of the Year), four Academic All-Americans, two NCAA Postgraduate @WIUFootball Scholars, more than 12 All-Americans, and five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Confer- ence ‘Player of the Year’ awards. STEVE CRUTCHLEY ......... Associate Head Coach @CoachCrutchley .......................Running Backs 1996-1998 Head Coach, Wisconsin-Eau Claire A.J. BLAZEK .................Run Game Coordinator • Record in three years: 22-11 @CoachBlaz ................................Offensive Line • Produced six All-Americans, 22 All-Conference picks, and 50 Academic All-Confer- TED SCHLAFKE ........... Passing Game Coordinator ence honorees @CoachSchlafke ........................... Quarterbacks • 1998 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year • Team won 1998 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title (first in 15 years) PHIL OCKINGA ................ Recruiting Coordinator • NCAA Division III Playoff appearance in 1998 @CoachO_WIU ..........................Wide Receivers ANDREW PREVOST 1991-1995 Head Coach/Director of Athletics, Wartburg College @CoachPrevost .................................Tight Ends • Record in five years: 39-14 TYLER YELK ............ Co-Defensive Coordinator • Program made consecutive NCAA Division III Playoff appearances (1993, 1994) @TylerYelk .............................................Safeties • 1993 Iowa Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year award • 1993 team won the Iowa Intercollegiate Conference title ATIBA BRADLEY ...... Co-Defensive Coordinator • Program produced nine All-Americans, 34 All-Conference picks, four Academic All- @CoachBradleyWIU ........................Linebackers Americans, and two NCAA Postgraduate Scholars BRIAN MOHNSEN .. Asst. Head Coach for Defense @CoachMooseWIU ..................... Defensive Line 1989-1990 Head Coach, Ripon College • Record in two years: 9-8-1 MARK WATSON @CoachMarkWatson ......................Cornerbacks • 1990 team went 7-2, first winning season in eight years JASON ENOS EDUCATION @CoachEnos ...............Assistant Defensive Line 1982 - Bachelors Degree from Wartburg College (graduated with 4.0 GPA) DAVID MILKE 1988 - Masters Degree from University of Northern Iowa @CoachMilke .....Director of Football Operations 2 WESTERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL Western Illinois Football #5 NORTH DAKOTA STATE WIU ..........................STATS ......................NDSU SCOUTING THE BISON: North Dakota 4-4 (3-2) ............ Overall Record ............ 6-2 (4-1) State moved up to fifth in this week’s poll 26.2.................. Scoring Average ..................31.6 following a 35-29 win at Southern Illinois... 162.......................First Downs ......................180 NDSU out-gained SIU 535-398 in yards, 386.9...................Total Offense ..................434.4 139.6..................Rushing Yards .................219.6 led by King Frazier’s 177 on the ground... 247.2..................Passing Yards .................214.8 Freshman quarterback Easton Stick rushed 20.8................... Kickoff Returns ...................23.6 for 130 yards and threw for 138 and two 8.4.......................Punt Returns ......................7.8 TDs on 12-of-17 passing... RJ Urzendowski 29.3......................Net Punting .....................39.0 caught five passes for 93 yards and two 28:46..............Time of Possession .............36:34 touchdowns... Nick DeLuca recorded 20 55-133 (41%) .. 3rd Down Conversions ..64-124 (52%) tackles and Robbie Grimsley added