West Central Reporter

After a successful debut in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference, Western Illinois University's football team is set to host UT Martin for their Homecoming game. The matchup is scheduled for Saturday, October 12, at 3 p.m. at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois.

Western Illinois (2-3, 1-0) will face UT Martin (3-3, 1-1), following their recent victory over Charleston Southern with a score of 31-20. In that game, Nathan Lamb completed 17 out of 23 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Cameren Smith contributed significantly with 101 rushing yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. Eli Aragon added another touchdown with his ten catches totaling 129 yards.

UT Martin comes into this game after securing their first league win against Gardner-Webb with a decisive score of 35-17. The Skyhawks managed to accumulate over 400 yards of total offense, including an impressive ground game performance of four rushing touchdowns.

The Leathernecks are averaging 26.4 points per game while allowing an average of 46.8 points against them. Their offensive strategy includes rushing for an average of 139.4 yards and passing for approximately 209.8 yards per game.

In contrast, UT Martin averages scoring around 29 points per game and allows about the same number defensively. Their offensive stats include rushing for an average of over 150 yards and passing close to the same figure.

Historically, Western Illinois has faced UT Martin twice before, splitting the results with one win each. The last encounter saw UT Martin emerge victorious in the season opener in September last year.

Looking ahead, Western Illinois will host Tennessee Tech on October 19 at Hanson Field.