West Central Reporter

DEKALB, Ill. – The Western Illinois University football team opened its season with a defeat on Saturday, falling to Northern Illinois University 54-15.

The Leathernecks (0-1) held their ground for the first quarter, trailing only 6-3. However, the Huskies (1-0) dominated the second quarter, outscoring WIU 28-0 and leading 34-3 at halftime.

NIU extended their lead to 47-3 before Western Illinois' special teams contributed two significant scoring plays. Mayo Bola blocked a Huskie extra point attempt, allowing Fredrik Greenhoward to return the ball over 100 yards for a two-point conversion. Subsequently, Antonio Chadha's 46-yard field goal made it a 47-8 game. This was Chadha's second successful field goal of the game after converting a 44-yard kick in the first quarter.

Following another Huskie touchdown, Western Illinois scored its first touchdown of the season with Nathan Lamb throwing a 27-yard pass to Torrance Farmer Jr., marking both players' first touchdown as Leathernecks.

In their initial drive, WIU went three-and-out while NIU capitalized on their next possession by scoring and leading 6-0. A missed field goal attempt by WIU kept NIU ahead early on. The Leathernecks later recovered a fumble forced by Braylen Brooks and managed to score three points from Chadha's field goal after an eleven-play drive covering 61 yards.

Nathan Lamb completed 17 of his 29 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown. Tristan Duncan led receivers with five catches totaling 68 yards. Cam Smith was the top rusher with 51 yards on fourteen carries; overall, WIU rushed for ninety-four yards across twenty-nine attempts.

Defensively, Willie Jones recorded a career-high thirteen tackles, including eight solo efforts and five assists. Ryan Crandall added six tackles while Noah Epley contributed five.

On special teams, Toriano Tate returned nine kickoffs for one hundred sixty-four yards. Punter Jared Campbell averaged thirty-seven yards per punt over six punts with a long of forty-five yards. Antonio Chadha made two out of three field goals and converted his lone extra-point attempt.

Western Illinois will play Indiana next Friday at six p.m., marking the first meeting between these two schools.

Notable performances include Antonio Chadha’s pair of field goals—most by a Western Illinois kicker since Owen Valek last season—and Mayo Bola’s blocked extra point return for a score by Fredrik Greenhoward—the fourth such occurrence in Leatherneck history since November eighth, two thousand fourteen.