MACOMB, Ill. -  The Western Illinois Fighting Leatherneck football team will host North Dakota State for a 1:05 p.m. kickoff, Saturday, at Hanson Field as Western celebrates Hall of Fame weekend and Senior Day.

Saturday's game is a battle for the win as both the Leathernecks (1-6, 0-4 MVFC) and the Bison (1-7, 0-5 MVFC) have yet to accomplish a victory in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season.

The Leathernecks play not only for a win on their schedule, but they also play for their seniors. There are 12 seniors as a part of this year’s class to include Nick Daly, Sam Dancer, Buddy Dudczak, Dre Gibbs, Stephen Moore, Chris Riley, Ed Roberts, Daniel Speight, Patrick Stoudamire, Kyle Thierry, Trokon Tompo and Matt Warner.

Fresh Legs in Carley: Western Illinois’ current leading rusher is senior running back Dre Gibbs, who averages 112.3 yards rushing per game with four 100-yard rushing games this season. However, true freshman Marva Carley entered the second half of last week’s game and recorded 45 yards rushing on nine carries and a touchdown in only his second game as a Leatherneck. Carley also had a career-long rush of 21 yards in the game.

A Defensive Force: Junior linebacker (and team captain) Kyle Glazier leads the Leatherneck defense with 74 total tackles this season. Last game, Glazier registered a career-high 16 tackles and just behind Glazier was nose tackle Abe Koroma with a career-high 10 tackles.

Heartbreakers: Western Illinois has suffered losses in each of its last two games as both games were decided by a field goal or less.

Hall of Fame Class of 2009: Western Illinois will induct five new members into its Hall of Fame in Friday night’s ceremony to include Randy Ball (head football coach, 1990-98), Jerry Cremer (contributor), Daralyn Niedospial-Duffy (volleyball, 1978-82), Todd Hutcheson (men’s basketball, 1980-84) and Venus Taylor (softball, 1994-97). All inductees will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s game.

The Leatherneck Sports Network Broadcast

Web • GoLeathernecks.com
Live WIUS radio broadcast (Free)
Tape delayed wiutv3 broadcast (Free)
Live Stats (Free)
Live Rocky Vision Audio/Video Broadcast (subscription)

Television • wiutv3 (Ch. 3, Macomb) Tape Delayed
Kyle Schassburger, play by play
Julio Rausseo, color analyst

The Series
Series Record: The series is tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 11, 2008
    The Leathernecks defeated the Bison, 27-22, in Fargo.
Note: The only time the teams played each other at Hanson Field, North Dakota State defeated Western Illinois, 41-28. However, Western defeated the Bison on their home turf last season.

Game Notes
In Western’s Last Game vs. the Sycamores...
Indiana State had the final say in a scoring battle that went back and forth as a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive with 8:35 left in the game lifted the Sycamores over the Fighting Leathernecks, 17-14.

Western’s last attempt to make a comeback fell short as Wil Lunt threw an interception to Andre Blackmon with 16 second left in the game.

Gibbs capped a 16-play, 69-yard opening drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown for a 7-0 lead in the Fighting Leathernecks’ opening drive, it was the first time Western had scored on its opening drive all season.

Season-Ending Injury for Barr
Left-handed quarterback Matt Barr was forced to the sidelines during the second quarter in the game against Southern Illinois (10/3) due to a sprain to his throwing hand. Later, the X-Rays showed a chip in the bone, which Barr underwent surgery for Monday (10/12). The injury will most likely keep Barr off the field for the remainder of the season. The junior QB had eight consecutive starts under his belt with a continuation from last season and owns 24 career starts.

Taking on Barr’s role is redshirt-freshman Wil Lunt. Out of Rochester High School, Lunt ended his high school career (2007) as the No. 2 passer in the country with 3,383 yards and became the all-time leading passer in Illinois history with 8,393 yards.

In his last outing against the Sycamores, Lunt went 12-for-24, but had three interceptions and had his third-straight 100-yard game (139).

Another possibility at the QB position is redshirt freshman Cody Reardon, who was named Offensive Scout Team Co-Player of the Year last season.

A Leading Rusher in Gibbs
Senior running back Dre Gibbs leads Western in the rushing game averaging 112.3 yards per game with 786 total yards on 174 carries and five touchdowns this season. His average is the fourth best in the Valley and sixth best rushing average in the nation. Gibbs has recorded four games with over 100 rushing yards and has scored a rushing touchdown in the last four games this season. He had a career-high 39 carries against Missouri State and came close with 33 last game. Gibbs has recorded six 100-yard rushing games in his career with a career-best 173 yards last season against Quincy.

Senatus with the Catch
Lito Senatus averages 86.9 receiving yards per game, No. 20 in the nation, but the second-highest average in the Valley, just behind Illinois State’s Eyad Salem, who averages 94.0 yards per game. Averaging 6.1 receptions per game, Senatus holds the third-highest average in the league. His career 235 yards receiving on 11 catches came in the opening game of the season against Sam Houston State. Senatus had two touchdown receptions in that game and added one more against Youngstown State.

Stoudamire Defends the Pass
Cornerback Patrick Stoudamire averages 2.29 passes defended per game with a career-best 15 so far this season. Stoudamire had registered nine PDs in each of the last two seasons and currently sits atop the Valley with 11. In last week’s game, Stoudamire had a career-high four pass breakups to add to his season-total 15 PBUs.