YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS (3-3, 1-2)
at #23 WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS (4-2, 2-1)
Saturday, October 16  •  6 p.m.  •  MACOMB
Hanson Field (Grass/16,368 capacity)
All-Time Series: WIU trails 15-10
Last Meeting: @YSU 31, WIU 21 (10/10/09)

THE GAME: Following two straight road games, Western returns to Hanson Field for Family Weekend... The Leathernecks are 3-0 at home this year, and this will be the second night home game... Western comes into the game nationally ranked in: rushing offense (8th), total offense (4th), scoring offense (8th), turnover margin (3rd) and scoring defense (tied 9th)... A win Saturday would also end Youngstown State's six-game win streak in the series... This marks Western's final regular season night game... The game is part of the MVFC 'Game of the Week' package.

THE RANKINGS: Western enters the game ranked 23rd in the FCS Coaches poll. The Fighting Leathernecks received 280 votes (27th place) in The Sports Network/Fathead.com poll... Youngstown State received 11 votes in The Sports Network/Fathead.com poll and two points in the FCS Coaches poll.

THE SCHEMES: Western Illinois will line up in a multiple formation on offense and 3-4 alignment on defense... Youngstown State runs a spread formation on offense and 4-3 alignment on defense.

THE COACHES: Mark Hendrickson is in his 12th year with the Leatherneck Football program, first as the head coach. He owns a 4-2 record this season, 9-12 record in three years (parts of two years as acting head coach)... Eric Wolford is 3-3 in his first year at Youngstown State and overall as a head coach.

ALL-TIME SERIES: This is the 26th meeting between Western Illinois and Youngstown State... Western has lost six straight in the series, the last victory a 54-20 win on the road in 2003... The Leathernecks have dropped three straight at home to Youngstown.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS: Youngstown State has dropped two straight (both in conference play) after starting the year 3-1 with the only loss at Penn State... The Penguins are the top-ranked team in the country averaging 27.8 yards per punt return... Rushing offense ranks 18th nationally (217.3) while the team's 32.2 points per game puts them 20th in the country... YSU stands 44th nationally in turnover margin (+2) and allowed only one sack per game, good for 20th... Jamaine Cook ranks 18th nationally averaging 103 yards on the ground, however, he finished with only 39 yards on nine carries last weekend. Cook also stands 21st in all-purpose yards... In their last game, the Penguins took a one-point lead with 51 seconds left but North Dakota State marched down the field and won the game on a 45-yard TD pass just 17 seconds later in the 34-29 decision... Youngstown rolled up 499 yards of offense, converted 11-of-16 on third down, and held the Bison to 2-of-8 on third down but still came up short... Adaris Bellamy rushed for a game-high 156 yards and a touchdown... Kurt Hess completed 22-of-31 passing for 252 yards and a score... Dominique Barnes was on the receiving end totaling 10 receptions for 151 yards and a score... Donald D'Alesio recorded 10 tackles, including seven solos.

PROGRAM RECORD TIED: It took only four games as Western tied a program record when the third different Leatherneck recorded a 100-yard rushing game... Bryce Flowers rushed for 128 yards in his debut against Valparaiso... Matt Barr finished with 125 yards against Sam Houston State, setting a Western record for most rushing yards by a QB... During the rainy Indiana State game, Flowers (192) was joined by Caulton Ray (115) rushing for 100-plus yards. In fact, that marked the 11th time ever two Leathernecks rushed for at least 100 yards in the same game... In 2007, Barr joined Herb Donaldson and Alex Douglas in setting the record... In 1994 Tim Ardis, Greg Scott and Kendall McDonald all rushed for a 100 yards.

ALL-TIME AT HANSON FIELD: On September 23, 1950, Hanson Field was dedicated and became the home of Leatherneck Football... In those 60 years, Western has compiled a 217-103-7 record at home. In 48 of those years Western finished at least .500 at home, including this year having already clinched no worse than a .500 mark.

HOME SWEET HOME: After going winless at Hanson Field last year, this year's Leathernecks have been simply dominating at home in the first three games.

• The offense is scoring 47 points per game at home while the defense is allowing 7.0 ppg...
• The offense has scored in all 12 quarters at home; the defense has shutout the opposition in 10 of the 12 quarters...
• The rushing game has tallied at least 300 yards in all three home games; the defense allowed 180 or fewer yards of total offense twice...
• The offense had kept control of the ball at least 34 or more minutes in two of the games...
• The defense has recorded nine takeaways at home.
• And it has rained at some point during the day of every game. The Valparaiso and Indiana State games were played in a constant rain all game long.

SENATUS REACHES CENTURY MARK: Senior wide receiver Lito Senatus recorded his 100th career reception during Western's opening drive at South Dakota State. He finished with 10 receptions totaling 125 yards and matched a career-high with two TDs (second straight game with two TD catches)... During the SDSU game Senatus moved into a tie for fifth place in receptions (109), tied for sixth in TDs (13) and from unranked to eighth in receiving yards (1,457)... He was named Honorable Mention performer this week by the College Football Performance Awards website.

CRUMP SHATTERS PERSONAL-BESTS: Junior wide receiver Terriun Crump turned in the best game of his Western career at South Dakota State... He caught 10 passes totaling 183 yards and a touchdown... His previous highs were five catches (twice) for 75 yards earlier this year... In fact, Crump nearly matches his sophomore year totals in one game (18 rec/235 yards)... He's 35th nationally in yards and tied for 45th in receptions per game... He was named Honorable Mention performer this week by the College Football Performance Awards website.

RECORD DAY FOR GLAZIER: Kyle Glazier started off with seven tackles in the first quarter alone at South Dakota State. The senior linebacker would eventually shatter his personal-best and finish with 21 stops... He tied for the fifth-most tackles in a game by a Leatherneck (most since Jerome Bennett in 2007).

GLAZIER LEADS DEFENSE AGAIN: Linebacker Kyle Glazier contributed a game-high and personal-best 21 tackles at South Dakota State... In his four-year career he has recorded double-digit tackles 15 times... Glazier had four games in 2008, seven last year and four times this season... Glazier leads the defense with 6.5 tackles for a loss and ranks second making two sacks... The senior moved up to 16th nationally in tackles per game and stayed 80th in tackles for a loss... He finished his sophomore and junior year as the team's leading tackler.