GAME 3

DATE: Saturday, September 15

TIME: 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Ames, Iowa

STADIUM: Jack Trice Stadium (55,000)

SURFACE: Natural Grass

ALL-TIME SERIES: First Meeting

LAST MEETING: First Meeting

LIVE STATS: www.GoLeathernecks.com

LIVE AUDIO: Click Here

RADIO (Leatherneck Sports Network)

ANNOUNCERS.... Beau Spencer/Mark Bloom (pregame starts 45 minutes before kickoff)

Macomb: WIUS 88.3 FM (Flagship)

Macomb: WJEQ 102.7 FM

Galesburg: WAIK 1590 AM

Quincy: WPWQ 106.7 FM

Clinton, Iowa: KCLN 1390 AM

Monroe City, Missouri: KWBZ 107.5 FM

TELEVISION                                        

NETWORK................... WIU-TV3 (tape delay)

ANNOUNCERS... Aaron Viner/Josh Gleason

VIDEO                                                  

Available pay-per-view on Cyclones.com

MOBILE                                                

Stats available on iPhone and Android phones with mobile app download. Search WIU Leathernecks app on iTunes and Google Play.


THE GAME: Western Illinois hits the road for the first time in 2012, traveling to Iowa State... It's the first-ever meeting between the two programs... This marks the second straight year Western will battle a team from the Big 12 Conference (Missouri in 2011)... The Leathernecks will play three of their next four games on the road (1 in Iowa, 2 in South Dakota)... It's the final regular season non-conference game before Missouri Valley Football Conference play begins next week at Hanson Field.

THE RANKINGS: Western Illinois received 11 votes in the Sports Network ‘Top 25' poll... Iowa State received five votes in the AP ‘Top 25' poll and 10 points in the USA Today Coaches' poll.

THE COACHES: Mark Hendrickson is in third year as full-time head coach with a 12-14 record, and his 14th year with the Leatherneck Football program (17-24 overall record including parts of 2008/2009 season as acting head coach)... Paul Rhoads owns a 20-20 record in his fourth year at Iowa State and overall as a head coach.

LEATHERNECK FOOTBALL
• All-time winningest Division I program in the state of Illinois (.543).
• Nine appearances in the Division I Playoffs (1988, ‘91, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, 2000, ‘02, ‘03, ‘10).
• In 2012, the Leathernecks will face all three non-conference foes for the first time.
• Head coach Mark Hendrickson (Pekin HS), wide receivers coach Gunnard Twyner (Bettendorf/Pleasant Valley HS), tight ends coach Derek Moore (Newton), and offensive linemen Nick Eversmeyer (Wapello) and T.J. Palme (Clive) are Iowa natives.
• The Leathernecks own a 223-106-7 record at Hanson Field (since 1950).
• Of the 6 times in Missouri Valley Football Conference history an offensive/defensive ‘Player of the Year' earned First Team Academic All-Conference honors, four have been a Leatherneck (Russ Michna: Offensive 2002, 2003), Herb Donaldson (Offensive 2008), Matt Barr (Offensive 2010), Kyle Glazier (Defensive 2010).

GAME PREVIEW: This marks the first meeting between the two programs... Western has never faced either Football Bowl Subdivision team in Iowa (Iowa State or Iowa)... This marks the 30th game for the Leathernecks against a Division I FBS program (6-23 record)... Western is 0-5 all-time against the Big 8/Big 12 Conference.

SCOUTING THE CYCLONES: Iowa State held on late and picked up a key road win at in-state rival Iowa, 9-6 last week... It was the first win in Iowa City in 10 years for the Cyclones... Steele Jantz rushed for a team-high 40 yards and threw for 241 (24-of-36, INT, TD)... James White caught seven passes for 65 yards while Aaron Horne had six receptions totaling 73 yards and the only TD in the game (5-yard pass)... The Cyclones defense did its part, overcoming four turnovers by the offense (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles)... Iowa was held to 68 net rushing yards and only 5-of-17 on third downs... Durrell Givens recorded a team-high nine tackles... A.J. Klein added eight stops... The defense recorded four tackles for a loss and two interceptions... In the national rankings, ISU stands 12th in pass efficiency defense (85.82) and 32nd in scoring defense (14.5).

LAST TIME WESTERN 2-0: The last time Western started the year 2-0 was in 2003, finishing 9-4 overall and advancing to the second round of the Division I playoffs... This marks the eighth time in the Division I era beginning 2-0...
Year - 1st Loss (Game #) Overall W-L
2003 - at #11 LSU, 35-7 (3) 9-4
2002 - at Southern Illinois, 54-52 (5) 11-2
1999 - at #15 Youngstown State, 28-24 (4) 7-4
1997 - at Marshall, 48-7 (4) 11-2
1996 - at Indiana State, 10-7 (5) 9-3
1989 - at #10 Missouri State, 31-24 (3) 4-7
1988 - at Northern Illinois, 16-6 (10) 10-2

QUICK HITTERS:
• A win at Iowa State would snap a 7-game road losing streak for Western, and also mark the first win over a FBS team since 2003 (34-12 at Eastern Michigan).
• Western is one of 23 teams in the FCS that has started the year off at 2-0, and four of those teams are from the Missouri Valley Football Conference (North Dakota State, Youngstown State and Illinois State). The Leathernecks are trying to match those three MVFC teams in getting a win over a FBS program this season.
• Of the eight FCS-over-FBS wins nationwide this year, three have come from the MVFC.
• The Leathernecks' defense is one of six MVFC teams among the ‘Top 32' nationally in scoring defense (16 ppg).
• Western is tied for 14th nationally in turnovers lost (2), and tied for 20th in turnovers gained (5). That combination places Western tied for 11th in the country in turnover margin.
• The Leathernecks surpassed a 2011 total in the Indianapolis game, scoring on their first drive. Western accomplished the feat five times in 2010, but only once last year. The team has scored on the opening drive in consecutive games to start the year.
• Through eight quarters so far, the Leathernecks have not allowed more than one scoring drive per quarter, and blanked the opposition in three of the eight quarters.
• Pat Smith holds the MVFC lead for field goals and is one of five kickers in the country with five field goals. However, the junior is the only one to convert on all five attempts. Three others nationally are 4-for-4... Smith also ranks 28th nationally in scoring (10 ppg).
• Smith's career-long 46-yard field goal versus Indianapolis was the longest made in four years by a Leatherneck kicker... It was his second-longest attempt at Western. He missed from 48 yards last year against Jacksonville.
• Despite just missing out on another 100-yard game (99 yds vs. Indianapolis), Caulton Ray moved up to 22nd nationally in rushing at 102.5 ypg.
• Thanks to his career-high (and first-ever) two interceptions in the win over Indianapolis, Martinez Davis is tied for the MVFC lead and tied for second nationally. Davis was named Honorable Mention performer by the College Football Performance Awards.
• Redshirt-freshman J.J. Raffelson moved up to 25th nationally in tackles (10.5).
• Kevin Kintzel is tied for second in the conference and tied for 31st nationally in tackles for loss (3.5/1.75 pg).
• Kieron James and Antoine Ford are tied for 26th nationally in interceptions.