West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University’s football team will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face Northwestern on Friday, September 5 at Martin Stadium. Both teams are looking for their first win of the season after opening losses.

In their season opener, Western Illinois fell 52-3 to #12 Illinois in Champaign. Quarterback Chris Irvin completed 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards and ran for an additional 20 yards. Receiver Demar Davis led with four catches totaling 65 yards. Kicker Antonio Chadha made a field goal for the team’s only points.

Defensively, Esteban Guillory led the Leathernecks with nine tackles against Illinois, placing him third in total tackles within the OVC-Big South Football Association after week one.

Demari Davis was the top receiver for Western Illinois in week one with four receptions and a long catch of 36 yards. He is currently ranked seventh in receiving yards in the conference.

Several Leathernecks received preseason recognition from Phil Steele. "Demari Davis, Christian Anaya, Christian Pierce, and Antonio Chadha were recognized on the 2025 Phil Steele Preseason All-OVC/Big South Teams. Davis and Anaya both earned third-team offensive honors, while senior linebacker Christian Pierce was named to the second team on the defensive side. Chadha moves up to the first team honors after his first season with the Leathernecks. Chadha was named to the third team in 2024."

Senior kicker Antonio Chadha was also named to the Fred Mitchell Award Preseason Watch List: "Senior kicker Antonio Chadha was named to the Fred Mitchell Award Preseason Watch List. The Fred Mitchell Award recognizes 35 placekickers for their excellence on the football field throughout the 2024 season and for their off-field contributions throughout the year. Chadha appeared in all 12 games, making 15 field goals with a long of 50 yards."

The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), together with the Big South Conference, announced its preseason players to watch list which included seven Leathernecks on offense and six on defense. In preseason polls, WIU was picked fifth; Tennessee Tech was projected as conference favorite.

Chris Irvin enters his second year at WIU but takes over as starting quarterback after backing up Nate Lamb last season: "Chris Irvin steps into his second season in a Leathernecks jersey in a different role than last year. After spending last season behind all-conference quarterback Nate Lamb, Irvin is set to take the reins of Western Illinois ' high-powered offense. Irvin is no stranger to the WIU offense, appearing in seven games last season, completing 17 of 29 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns."

Northwestern opened its own campaign with a loss at Tulane by a score of 23-3 and struggled offensively due to turnovers—throwing four interceptions and losing one fumble. The two teams have played once before; Northwestern won that meeting in 2014 by a score of 24-7.

Fans can follow updates about Western Illinois football at GoLeathernecks.com or through social media channels including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.