West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University will host Charleston Southern for its Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 18, at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois. Both teams enter the matchup with records of 1-6 overall and 0-3 in OVC–Big South play.

The Leathernecks return home after a narrow loss to UT Martin last week. In that game, Western Illinois trailed by one point late in the fourth quarter but saw their comeback hopes end when a field goal attempt was blocked in the final minute. Freshman quarterback Cason Carswell threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Demari Davis contributed 109 receiving yards and a touchdown. Junior running back Markell Holman rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Christian Pierce and Justin Richardson led with nine tackles each, and Kevin Washington Jr. added eight tackles and a sack.

Cason Carswell received recognition as one of the conference's Co-Freshmen of the Week for his performance, marking his second consecutive week earning the honor. "Carswell continued his strong play in his second career start, throwing for 327 yards and two touchdowns in the Leathernecks' matchup at UT Martin. His steady command of the offense and ability to make plays downfield have been key to the Leathernecks recent offensive surge," according to the university. Demari Davis's one-handed touchdown catch was featured as No. 2 on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays.

Charleston Southern comes into the game after a 27-13 home loss to Tennessee Tech, where they struggled offensively, gaining only 63 rushing yards and about 209 total yards. Quarterback Zolten Osborne has completed around 55% of his passes this season but has had difficulty leading consistent drives. Running back Ke'Marion Baldwin had a standout game earlier this season with 122 yards and two touchdowns against SC State. On defense, Charleston Southern has allowed significant yardage to opponents' running games, though punter Gilbert Brown has been a strong point for their special teams.

Key factors for Western Illinois include establishing a balanced rushing attack to control possession, protecting the football to limit turnovers, and focusing on stopping Charleston Southern’s run game to force passing situations.

A win for Western Illinois would be important for building momentum during Homecoming and could provide a boost ahead of next week's road game before their bye week.