Western Illinois Leathernecks NCAA Football News

UNI lineman shares MVFC defensive award. By JOHN BOHNENKAMP jbohnenkamp@thehawkeye.com Northern Iowa's James Ruffin was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference's defensive co-player of the year when the league's all-conference team was announced Wednesday.

MACOMB, Ill. a ' The 12th-ranked South Dakota State University football team made a final statement toward locking up a Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth Saturday afternoon, downing Western Illinois, 27-7, at Hanson Field.

The third time had better be the charm. After failing to do so in each of the past two weeks, South Dakota State will again try to gain an eighth win of the season that would likely lock up a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and thus end the school's 30-year postseason drought.

St. Patrick's 2009 season may have ended, but that hasn't stopped head coach Dan Galante from being a regular at football games.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Wil Lunt gets tackled by sophomore defensive lineman Darren Branch in the first quarter.

Of all five Illinois state schools, Western Illinois' junior quarterback Matt Barr has been selected to receive the Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Award.

Senior running back Dre Gibbs has averaged 111.9 yards a game and 4.5 yards per carry so far this season.

If it seemed Missouri State linebacker Antoine Wilkinson made a tackle on every play Saturday, it's because he nearly did.

North Dakota State edges Western Illinois 14-7 Eds: APNewsNow. North Dakota State 14, Western Illinois 7. Eds: Wil Lunt is cq.

Senior running back Dre Gibbs rushed for 168 yards last Saturday and has gained 811 yards total in seven games this fall.

If Homecoming hope was ever going to go from springing eternal to equaling a victory for the Indiana State football team, today's game against Western Illinois would seemingly be the time for it to happen.

There were plenty of brilliant performances in another weekend of great Football Championship Subdivision play, but two games simply defied logic.

Joe Allaria caught an 86-yard touchdown pass from Paul McIntosh to highlight Southern Illinois' 27-8 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday.

The streak is over at Indiana State. The Sycamores won for the first time in more than three years on Saturday, ending the nation's longest losing streak at 33 games on Saturday with a 17-14 victory over Western Illinois.

UNI can't afford another loss. By JOHN BOHNENKAMP jbohnenkamp@thehawkeye.com Mark Farley wasn't in the mood to talk about the distant future.

Missouri State tight end Clay Harbor has been named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week, while kicker Matt Hottelman is the MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the league announced Sunday.

Ask the two old college teammates about their relationship these days, and both start with the obvious.

Matt Ryerson/The Hawk Eye Western Illinois wide receiver Lito Senatus catches a pass for 29 yards in the first quarter against Missouri State Saturday at Hanson Field in Macomb, Ill.

Matt Hottelman kicked a 37-yard field goal with 36 seconds left to push Missouri State past Western Illinois 17-16 Saturday.The kick gave Missouri State its only lead.

The marquee game in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this weekend pits Southern Illinois at Northern Iowa .