Meet the Opponent: Struggling Western Illinois Travels to Indiana

Western Illinois football opened the 2024 season with a 54-15 loss to Northern Illinois, allowing 706 yards of total offense. The Leathernecks haven’t won a game since Oct. 30, 2021.

Western Illinois lines up against Northern Illinois in Week 1. / Rachael Keating, Western Illinois

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana has a favorable lead-up to Big Ten play in 2024, and that continues with a Week 2 matchup against FCS opponent Western Illinois.

The Hoosiers handled Florida International comfortably on Saturday, opening the Curt Cignetti era with a 31-7 victory. All signs point to an even bigger win on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

Western Illinois began its season with a 54-15 loss to Northern Illinois, which extended its losing streak to 25 games. The Leathernecks went 0-11 in both the 2023 and 2022 seasons, and it has won just four games since the beginning of the 2019 season.

Western Illinois is in its first season under coach Joe Davis, who was previously the offensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois.

“Couple bright spots throughout the game, but certainly not the result we were hoping for,” Davis said Tuesday, reflecting on his team’s loss to Northern Illinois. “Looking to make a big jump when it comes to an execution standpoint here going into Week 2.”

Indiana has won 14 straight games against FCS opponents and has a 17-1 all-time record in such matchups, including a 41-7 win over Indiana State last season. 

Here’s a look at Western Illinois’ top players and insight from Davis.

Key offensive players

Quarterback Nathan Lamb won the starting job after beginning his Western Illinois career as a backup in 2023. He joined the Leathernecks after three seasons at College of the Sequoias, a community college in Visalia, Calif., where he threw for 2,166 yards and 22 touchdowns with a 64.4% completion percentage. 

In his first start for Western Illinois, the 6-foot-3 Lamb completed 17-of-29 pass attempts for 204 yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers. His lone touchdown of the game was a 27-yard pass to Torrance Farmer Jr. with 2:59 left in the fourth quarter. Indiana will have to be mindful of Lamb’s rushing ability after he picked up 28 yards on eight attempts in Week 1, including one 15-yard rush.

Western Illinois lost all seven of its 100-plus yard receivers from last season, but Lamb’s favorite target on Saturday was Tristin Duncan. The 6-foot-1 transfer from Saddleback College made five catches for 68 yards, including a 29-yard reception. Duncan is one of two walk-ons that started that game, but Davis has been intrigued by what he has brought to the team.

“Tristan’s a guy that we’ve used a little bit as an example to our team because he practices how he plays,” Davis said. “He practices very, very hard. He’s always flying around the field. He plays whatever position is asked of him, and you’re able to see some bright spots with him on Saturday. … He’s fast, he’s got good hands, he’s smart, he’s tough, he blocks, he’s a physically strong football player and definitely a guy we look to continue to build on.”

It’s also a new-look running back room after losing the top two rushers from 2023. Last week, it was Missouri S&T transfer Cameren Smith leading the team with 14 carries for 51 yards, good for 3.6 yards per carry. 

With none of its top quarterbacks, wide receivers or running backs returning from last season, the Western Illinois offense is a work in progress. The group generated 298 yards of total offense last week, 131 of which came late in the third and fourth quarters when it already trailed by 39 points. The Leathernecks registered a 51.0 grade for offense, which ranked 96th out of 113 graded FCS teams, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). 

Key defensive players

Unlike the offense, Western Illinois’ defense returns a few of its top producers from last season. Defensive back Bradyn Smith returned after leading Western Illinois with 73 tackles in 2023, but he did not play in Week 1. Linebacker Juan De La Cruz is back after finishing third among Leathernecks in tackles last season, but he didn’t play in Week 1, either. 

Linebacker Ryan Crandall was second on the team with 66 tackles and first with 5.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback hits in 2023. He’s back, too, and on Saturday he finished second with six tackles and had the team’s highest tackling grade (81.8), per PFF.

Defensive back Willie Jones could be primed for a breakout season after starting five games for Western Illinois in 2023 and beginning his career at Bowling Green. Against Northern Illinois, he led the team with 13 tackles.

Outside linebacker Thomas Bruner received the team’s highest grade for defense (72.3) in Week 1. He accounted for one of Western Illinois’ two tackles for loss. Another pass rusher to monitor is linebacker Diego Neri, who had the team’s highest pass rush grade (69.2).

Western Illinois’ defense allowed 706 yards of total offense to Northern Illinois, 394 through the air and 312 on the ground. That led to a 50.0 grade for defense, which ranked 103rd out of 113 FCS teams graded in Week 1.

“I was a little surprised, really, at the lack of defensive execution Saturday,” Davis said. “I thought just from what I had seen in fall camp, just a little more tenacity from our defense. … The ability to limit explosive plays is going to be a massive emphasis for us.” 

Kickoff between the Hoosiers and Leathernecks is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. Davis has coached against Cignetti before at the Division II level and in the Colonial Athletic Association. He called him a detailed coach that has built winners everywhere he’s been.

“This is a really, really good football team that has done an excellent job of adding a lot of value through the transfer portal,” Davis said. “And certainly the head coach bringing a good number of players with him from an extremely successful Group of Five program.”

“Especially on the defensive side of the ball, the players he brought from James Madison, they look like Big Ten guys. They’re big, they’re strong, they’re fast. On the offensive side of the ball, having a veteran kid that was a first-team All-MAC kid at Ohio is going to pay big dividends for them throughout the year. We’ve got our hands full on Saturday.”

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