WESTERN ILLINOIS 2017 FIGHTING LEATHERNECK FOOTBALL @Wiufootball | @Wiuathletics
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WESTERN ILLINOIS 2017 FIGHTING LEATHERNECK FOOTBALL @WIUFootball | @WIUAthletics GAME at NDSU Oct. 21, 2017 • 2:30 p.m. CT No. 10/12 WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS Fargo, N.D. (5-1 overall, 2-1 MVFC) FargoDome Head Coach: Charlie Fisher 7 WIU trails 2-6 Record at Western Illinois: 11-6 (2nd season) Career Record: 47-23 (7th season) BROADCAST INFORMATION LIVE STATS ............www.GoLeathernecks.com LIVE VIDEO ..................................... ESPN3.com No. 2 NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON LIVE AUDIO ......................www.WRMSFM.com (6-0 overall, 3-0 MVFC) MOBILE DEVICE ... TuneIn Radio app (WRMS) Head Coach: Chris Klieman Record at North Dakota State: 46-5 (4th season) RADIO (Leatherneck Sports Network) Career Record: 49-12 (5th season) ANNOUNCERS ...Scott Kornberg, Dr. Tom Cody Beardstown: WRMS 94.3 FM (Flagship) Macomb: WJEQ 102.7 FM Galesburg: WAIK 1590 AM With 49 points last week, Over the last three contests, Quincy: WPWQ 106.7 FM Western Illinois has three Western has 37 plays of at Clinton, Iowa: KCLN 1390 AM outbursts of at least 40 least 20 yards. They had 19 40 points this season, their most 37 such plays through their first since recording five in 2010. three games of 2017. TELEVISION NETWORK ..............................................ESPN3 VIDEO THE SERIES: Heading into the ninth meeting all-time between Western Illinois and North Fans can watch the game live via ESPN3. Links Dakota State, the Leathernecks trail the series between the two schools 6-2. After splitting can be found on the football schedule page on their first two meetings, Western Illinois has lost four in a row to North Dakota State. In fact, GoLeathernecks.com. two of Western’s last three defeats to the Bison have come by one score, as the Leather- necks fell 17-10 in 2014 and 21-13 last season. Interestingly enough, Western Illinois is MOBILE / TABLET DEVICES The game can be heard by downloading the Tu- 2-1 all-time inside the FargoDome. neIn Radio app on iTunes and Google Play, then searching for WRMS radio. THE RANKINGS: Western Illinois ranks 10th in the STATS FCS ‘Top 25’ poll and 12th in the FCS Coaches poll. North Dakota State is ranked second in both polls. SOCIAL MEDIA In-game tweets are available by following Leath- ANOTHER HOT START: With Western Illinois’ 49-30 victory over Missouri State, the erneck Football on Twitter @WIUFootball. Fans Leathernecks have started their season 5-1 for the second consecutive year. Prior to these can use the #WIUGameday or #W1U hashtag for last two campaigns, Western Illinois had not begun a season 5-1 since 2003. This marks comments or re-tweets. the first time since 2002 and 2003 that the Leathernecks have recorded consecutive 5-1 starts to a campaign. Western actually hit that 6-1 plateau six times in a nine-year span from 1997-2003. On Saturday in Fargo, Western Illinois will look to begin a season 6-1 for the first time since starting 11-1 in 2002. 2017 SCHEDULE / NOTES Date Opponent Time/Results All-Time Series Game Notes / Meeting Highlights A31 at Tennessee Tech W 41-14 WIU leads 1-0 Norris: 133 rush yards; Defense: 3 Takeaways in 24 pt 3Q S9 at Northern Arizona W 38-20 WIU leads 2-1 Acklin: 166 all-purpose, 2 TDs; Defense: Fumble rec. for TD S23 at Coastal Carolina (E3) W 52-10 WIU leads 2-1 WIU: 8th win against an FBS school, 52 points most since 2010 S30 • South Dakota (E3) L 33-38 WIU leads 5-3 Acklin: 19 rec., 343 yards, 3 TD; Taylor: 28 tackles O7 • at Northern Iowa (E3) W 38-29 WIU trails 15-31 WIU: Consecutive UNI-Dome wins for first time since 2000, ‘02 O14 • Missouri State (E3) W 49-30 Series tied 17-17-1 WIU: 282 rush yards (7.4 avg), 4 TD; McShane: 143 rush yards, TD O21 • at North Dakota State (E3) 2:30 WIU trails 2-6 WIU owns 2-1 record in the FargoDome O28 • South Dakota State (E3) 1:00 WIU trails 5-9 WIU defeated Jacks at Hanson Field in 2015 finale N4 • at Illinois State (E3) 12:00 WIU leads 50-46-3 100th game between the two programs N11 • Indiana State (E3) 12:00 WIU leads 24-15 WIU has won four straight in the series N18 • Southern Illinois (E3) 1:00 WIU leads 35-23-4 Leathernecks won two of last three at home versus SIU N25 NCAA FCS Playoffs Opening Round E3 - ESPN3 live broadcast (ESPN3.com or WatchESPN app) Western Illinois Football at NORTH DAKOTA STATE Charlie Fisher CAREER COACHING RECORD Western Illinois (11-6 / 2 years) 2017: 5-1 Charlie Fisher enters his second year 2016: 6-5 (3-5 MVFC) in charge of the storied Leatherneck Football Richmond (Assistant Coach) program. The Leathernecks look to take the 2014-15 2 FCS Playoff appearances next step during year two and “Finish This Penn State (Assistant Coach) Fight” (program’s motto started during the off- 2012-13 season). Miami (Ohio) (Assistant Coach) The Leathernecks jumped out to a 2011 3-0 start during the 2016 season, winning all Vanderbilt (Assistant Coach) three non-conference games, including a 28-23 2002-2010 FBS win at Northern Illinois - the program’s first since 2003 - and got off to a 6-2 mark. Western Temple (Assistant Coach) jumped to as high as seventh in the national 2000-2001 rankings in 2016. Two players were named North Carolina State (Assistant Coach) All-American under Fisher, wide receiver Lance 1998-1999 Lenoir, Jr. (all-time leading receiver in WIU West Georgia (36-17 / 5 years) history and most catches in MVFC history) and 1991-1997 (1993-97 as head coach) linebacker Brett Taylor, who finished seventh in the Buck Buchanan Award voting. 1997: 8-2 Tied 1st GSC (6-1) Western Illinois becomes the second head coaching stop for Fisher. From 1993-97 he was 1996: 9-3 2nd GSC (5-2) the head coach at West Georgia and posted a 36-17 record with a share of the 1997 Gulf South 1995: 8-3 2nd GSC (7-1) Conference championship and two postseason appearances. He coached 45 All-Gulf South Con- 1994: 7-3 Tied 2nd GSC (6-1) ference performers and seven All-Americans. With more than 30 years of college coaching experience, Fisher spent time as an assistant 1993: 4-6 3rd GSC (4-3) coach at: Richmond, Penn State, Miami (Ohio), Vanderbilt, Temple, North Carolina State, West Lenoir-Rhyne (Assistant Coach) Georgia, Lenoir-Rhyne, Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky. He was a graduate assistant on the 1982 1985-1990 1 Conference Title Eastern Kentucky team that won the FCS national championship. Mississippi (Graduate Assistant) Fisher earned his bachelor’s degree from Springfield College and a master’s degree at East- 1983-1984 1 Bowl Appearance ern Kentucky. He and his wife Julie have two sons: Brian and Brett. Eastern Kentucky (Graduate Assistant) 1982 FCS National Champion FISHER’S 2016 START: Over the past 60 years, Charlie Fisher became the eighth head coach in Career Totals: 47-23 7 years Western history to win his debut. The Leathernecks’ captured a 38-21 season-opening win at in-state rival Eastern Illinois... Fisher joined Don Patterson and Bill Shanahan as the only coach to win his debut when playing on the road in that same span... Having started his first year as a Leatherneck 3-0, Fisher joined three others to start their WIU career at least 3-0: Patterson (1999), Shanahan COACHES AND STAFF (1976, 4-0) and Wes Stevens (1954, 4-0-2). CHARLIE FISHER ......................HEAD COACH @CoachFish_RipIt ANOTHER UPPER DIVISION WIN: WIU head coach Charlie Fisher notched his third victory ver- JARED ELLIOTT ..Co-Offensive Coordinator (QB) sus an upper-division program following Western’s 2016 win at Northern Illinois. While at Division @_CoachElliott II West Georgia he secured a 15-14 win over then-FCS Georgia Southern in 1994 and victory at Jacksonville State in 1996. DOUG MALONE ... Co-Offensive Coordinator (TE) @DMaloneWIUFB FISHER’S NFL CONNECTIONS: Charlie Fisher has coached numerous players that have gone onto NFL careers. Those current players include: Jordan Matthews (WR) Buffalo Bills; Christian TONY GRANTHAM ....Defensive Coordinator (DB) Hackenberg (QB) NY Jets; Matt McGloin (QB) Philadelphia Eagles; Zac Dysert (QB) Dallas @CTonyGrantham Cowboys (currently on IR); Jay Cutler (QB) Miami Dolphins (had as Pass Game Coordinator at Vandy); Lance Lenoir (WR) Dallas Cowboys; Brian Brown (WR) Dallas Cowboys; Tyler Ferguson BEN HODGES . Special Teams Coordinator (OLB) (QB) Tennessee Titans... @CoachBHodges Fisher has coached three other notable NFL players who turned in impressive pro careers, including: JP BOUDREAUX ........................Running Backs Torry Holt (WR) NC State and Rams; Koren Robinson (WR) NC State and Seahawks, Packers; @Coach_Boudreaux Earl Bennett (WR) Vanderbilt and Bears TY HOWLE .................Recruiting Coordinator (OL) DID YOU KNOW? @CoachTHowle Charlie Fisher earned DEION MELVIN .....................Inside Linebackers his bachelor’s degree @CoachMelvin_WIU from Springfield Col- lege. Another famous DAVID ROCCO ..........................Wide Receivers alum from Springfield @DRoccoWIUFB (Mass.) College is WIU former head TYLER STOCKTON .................... Defensive Line coach and Athletic @Coach TsTock Director Ray ‘Rock’ Hanson... Western’s Nick Brautigam ...Graduate Assistant Defensive .....Graduate Assistant Operations field is named after Holden Boyle Willie White ........Graduate Assistant Video Ops Rock Hanson. 2 2017 Western Illinois Football Western Illinois Football at NORTH DAKOTA STATE WESTERN QUICK FACTS QUARTERBACKS DEFENSIVE BACKS Founded .................................................... 1899 Returning Letterwinners: Sean McGuire Returning Letterwinners: Eric Carrera, Aaron Enrollment .............................................. 10,373 Returning Squad Veterans: None Diggs, Justin Fitzpatrick, David Griffith, Xavier Nickname........................ Fighting Leathernecks Redshirts: Connor Sampson Rowe, Josh Smith, Tim Smith, Mike Viti School Colors ........................