West Central Reporter

St. Charles, Missouri – Western Illinois University's football team experienced a tough loss against Lindenwood on Saturday with a final score of 49-38. Despite the defeat, quarterback Nathan Lamb delivered an impressive performance by setting a new single-game program record with 564 passing yards and 42 completions. His five touchdown passes tied for second-most in the program's history.

Matthew Henry also made his mark by securing 15 receptions, ranking second in the program's records, and gaining 226 yards, which ranks sixth. The Leathernecks' offense executed 86 plays for a total of 713 yards, marking the second-highest in their history since achieving 743 yards against Carthage in 1951.

The game was marked by high offensive output from both teams, combining for a total of 87 points and 1285 yards. After Lindenwood scored on their opening possession, Western Illinois responded quickly with Lamb connecting to Henry for a touchdown.

Throughout the game, both teams exchanged leads multiple times. However, three fourth-quarter fumbles and penalties hampered Western Illinois' efforts to secure victory. Despite taking a lead at various points during the match, Lindenwood ultimately secured their win with a decisive late-game touchdown following a critical holding penalty against Western Illinois that nullified what could have been a go-ahead score.

On defense, Ryan Crandall led with eight tackles while Jordan Anderson contributed six and Mayo Bola added five.

Western Illinois will face Eastern Illinois next Saturday in Charleston as they continue their season.

"NOTES: The performances of Henry and Aragon made them the first WIU receiving duo to have over 100 yards receiving in a game since Jay Parker and Jaylin Jackson did it vs. Lindenwood last year … Lamb set a new single-game program record in passing yards (564) and completions (42) while his five touchdown passes tied for second-most … Matthew Henry also established himself in the record books as his 15 receptions now rank second and his 226 yards rate sixth … As an offense, the Leathernecks ran 86 plays for 713 yards. The total yards were the second-most in program history behind the 743 put up against Carthage in 1951."

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