Neckst Level Leathernecks | A Western Illinois Leathernecks Dynasty (NCAA 06)

[TheAStev]

2005 Western Illinois Football Season Preview
A look into WIU's first season of Division I-A play

As the 2005 NCAA season gets closer, Western Illinois is preparing for its first taste of Division I-A play. While they do not yet have a conference to call home, the team is ready to take on some new opponents and start to build the foundation of a squad at NCAA's highest level.

One of the bigger storylines of the 2005 roster? It has a heavy senior presence. Of the 46 players on the Leatherneck roster, a whopping 31 of them are seniors, leaving just nine juniors, six sophomores, and zero freshmen to return next season.

Head coach Don Patterson knows there will be a tough road ahead, but trusts in his program.

"We may not have the depth that some of these bigger schools have, but our roster has a lot of football experience," said Patterson, who previously served various roles with Iowa before taking his first head coaching job with WIU. "As for the future, we are hopeful that we will be able to bring in some solid groups of recruits over the next couple of years."

There certainly will be some change as the 'Necks will field nearly a different roster entirely next season, but for 2005, the upperclassmen should help get Western Illinois through what looks to be a tough season.

Western Illinois Leathernecks Depth Chart - 2005
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Terrence Hall (Sr.)	Marco Thomas (R-So.)	David Akers (Sr.)
TE	Jermaine High (Sr.)	Randall Moore (R-So.)
LT	Jeff Goldstone (R-Sr.)	Quartez Moore (R-Jr.)
LG	Jason Baksas (Sr.)	Frank Melchert (R-Sr.)
C	Ryan Solie (R-Sr.)	Chris Newby (Sr.)
RG	Fred Layne (Sr.)	Dusty Wyllie (R-Sr.)
RT	Perry Cox (R-Jr.)	Quartez Moore (R-Jr.)
WR	Reggie Gray (Jr.)	Kendall Gant (Sr.)
QB	Russ Michna (R-Sr.)	Steve LaFalce (Sr.)	Zach Wells (R-Jr.)
FB	Nick Christian (Sr.)
HB	Travis Glasford (Jr.)	Attley Lawson (R-Sr.)	Charles Hayden (Sr.)
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	Mike Tetzel (Sr.)	Charlie Bodiford (R-Sr.)
LDT	Mike O'Brien (Sr.)	Jon Warren (Sr.)
RDT	Brett Rocchietti (Jr.)	Erik Dillon (Sr.)
RDE	Johnson Brave (R-Sr.)	Alfred Conley (R-Sr.)
WLB	Lee Russell (Sr.)	Pat Crosby (R-Sr.)
MLB	Jason Riddle (Sr.)	Drew Kocsis (Jr.)
SLB	Wyatt Green (R-Jr.)	Shannon Fitzhugh (R-Sr.)
CB	Victor Campbell (R-Sr.)	Fu'ad Khaleel (R-So.)
SS	Travis Washington (Sr.)	Orlando Baylark (R-So.)
FS	James Wright (R-So.)
CB	Vinceson Campbell (R-Sr.)	Kyle Gares (R-So.)
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Justin Langan (R-Sr.)
P	Aaron Kimpton (Jr.)
PR	Terrence Hall (Sr.)	Victor Campbell (R-Sr.)
KR	Terrence Hall (Sr.)	Victor Campbell (R-Sr.)
LS	Chris Newby (Sr.)

On a relatively weak roster, there are a few players that will stand out and be impact players for the Leathernecks this season.

Senior QB Russ Michna is one of WIU's better quarterbacks in recent memory. The two-time All-Gateway Conference First Team selection should give the 'Necks some stable play at the position as they try to find their quarterback of the future. Junior HB Travis Glasford is easily the biggest playmaker on offense. He will give WIU a rushing attack they can rely on and is one of the few players they will have the following season as well. The fastest player on the roster, senior WR Terrence Hall, will be the surefire #1 WR for the 2005 season. The 6'0" wideout doesn't have blazing speed, but his sure hands will make him a reliable target for Michna.

On the defensive side of the ball, there aren't as many stars, but senior DT Mike O'Brien is unquestionably the best defender. His 6'3", 280 lb. frame helps stuff the run up the middle and push the pocket back on the opposing quarterback. Cornerbacks Victor and Vinceson Campbell bring veteran leadership to the younger secondary, as they are the #1 and #2 corners. Slot corner CB Fu'ad Khaleel, a redshirt sophomore, is one of the more intriguing young players on the roster who will look to contribute to the future as WIU builds up a competitive squad in Division I-A.

2005 Western Illinois Football Schedule
8/27 | at #19 Arizona State | 8:00 pm
9/10 | at Wisconsin | 12:30 pm
9/17 | vs. Toledo | 12:30 pm
9/24 | vs. Western Michigan | 12:30 pm
10/1 | at Bowling Green | 6:00 pm
10/8 | at Maryland | 12:30 pm
10/15 | vs. Kent State | 6:00 pm
10/22 | at North Texas | 6:00 pm
10/29 | vs. Miami (OH) University | 6:00 pm
11/5 | at Appalachian State (I-AA) | 8:00 pm
11/19 | at Navy | 12:30 pm
11/26 | vs. Illinois State (I-AA) - WIU/ISU Rivalry Game | 8:00 pm

With Western Illinois spending its first Division I-A season as an independent, it will play a schedule featuring two games against I-AA opponents, including its yearly game against former conference rival Illinois State that will continue even through WIU's transition. The Leathernecks will also play five MAC schools, one PAC-10 school, one Sun Belt school, one ACC school, one Big Ten school, and a fellow independent (Navy). The schedule features five home contests and seven road trips.

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Author's Note: With a senior-loaded roster and no freshmen, this dynasty may have a rough start. I decided to stick with this initial roster and see where things go, as I am up for the challenge!

[TheAStev]

2005 NCAA Season Preview
Heisman candidates Leinart, Bush lead USC to #1 in preseason polls

NCAA Football Rankings - Coaches Poll - Updated: Aug 22, 2005
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	--	USC (41)	0	0	1505
2	--	Tennessee (20)	0	0	1432
3	--	Iowa	0	0	1361
4	--	Oklahoma	0	0	1291
5	--	Florida State	0	0	1223
6	--	Texas	0	0	1156
7	--	Michigan	0	0	1091
8	--	Louisville	0	0	1028
9	--	LSU	0	0	966
10	--	Virginia Tech	0	0	906
11	--	Miami	0	0	8476
12	--	Ohio State	0	0	790
13	--	Florida	0	0	734
14	--	Georgia	0	0	680
15	--	Purdue	0	0	628
16	--	Alabama	0	0	577
17	--	Boston College	0	0	527
18	--	Boise State	0	0	479
19	--	Arizona State	0	0	433
20	--	Auburn	0	0	388
21	--	Texas Tech	0	0	345
22	--	Virginia	0	0	304
23	--	Pittsburgh	0	0	264
24	--	UTEP	0	0	225
25	--	Georgia Tech	0	0	188

Heisman Watch - Updated: Aug 22, 2005
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
Matt Leinart (R-Sr.)	QB	USC		-
Adrian Peterson (So.)	HB	Oklahoma		-
Reggie Bush (Jr.)	HB	USC		-
Vince Young (R-Jr.)	QB	Texas		-
Ted Ginn Jr. (So.)	WR	Ohio State		-

PRESEASON CONFERENCE FAVORITES
ACC - Florida State
Big Ten - Iowa
Big 12 - Oklahoma
Big East - Louisville
C-USA - UTEP
MAC - Bowling Green
Mountain West - New Mexico
Pac-10 - USC
SEC - Tennessee
Sun Belt - North Texas
WAC - Boise State

Week 1 National Broadcasts
Western Illinois at #19 Arizona State - Game of the Week

[johnstone1987]

You're gonna have a rough first year off your QBs alone. All 3 are upper Classmen. 2 Graduating and a third maybe entering the Draft.

Good luck!

[Careless Whisper]

Love the title and game choice! Should be a fun project building this roster with all those seniors departing, but that could be to your benefit with a possible influx of high-impact transfers after the season. Good luck and I'm following!

[TheAStev]

Quote: Originally Posted by johnstone1987

You're gonna have a rough first year off your QBs alone. All 3 are upper Classmen. 2 Graduating and a third maybe entering the Draft. Good luck!

Michna has an overall rating in the 70s, and then it dips into the 40s for the other two QBs on the roster. Definitely will need to target a few QBs along with a lot of other guys in this first recruiting class. Thanks and I appreciate you checking in!

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

Love the title and game choice! Should be a fun project building this roster with all those seniors departing, but that could be to your benefit with a possible influx of high-impact transfers after the season. Good luck and I'm following!

Thank you! NCAA 06 has always been my favorite NCAA game so it was an easy choice. It will be tough for sure with the sheer volume of players leaving after year one, but I'm hoping after a few recruiting classes I can build up a solid roster. Glad to have you aboard

[TheAStev]

'Necks name team captains
Redshirt senior QB Russ Michna and senior DT Mike O'Brien have been named offensive and defensive captains for the 2005 season. Head coach Don Patterson said that they were chosen by their teammates, commending them both as locker room leaders. "Mike (O'Brien) and Russ (Michna) have both put in the work for years and are great guys on and off the field. They are both very deserving of captain status and that's why we left it up to their peers to vote for captains."

WIU set to make I-A debut in primetime
The only Division I-A teams kicking off this weekend will be Western Illinois and #19 Arizona State, as the two teams will face each other on Saturday night in primetime at 8:00 pm. As the only game this weekend, it is also ESPN's Game of the Week by default. This should be a strong test for WIU, as it will be just its second game in program history against a top 25 ranked Division I-A opponent, with its first being a 7-35 loss against eventual BCS champion LSU in 2003, who was ranked #11 at the time of the matchup. The Leathernecks have a total of six wins against Division I-A programs since 1986, with four wins against Northern Illinois, one win against Ball State, and one win against Eastern Michigan.

WIU sends out 12 scholarship offers to in-season recruiting prospects
Coach Don Patterson and staff have begun to build their first group of recruits as a Division I-A program, sending scholarship offers to twelve potential recruits in hopes of making them into future Leathernecks. The following prospects have been placed on WIU's board and become in-season recruiting targets:

QB Victor Bennett | 3*** | 6'3", 215 lbs. | Lansing, IL | Luther East
FS Justin Jackson | 3*** | 6'0", 212 lbs. | Palos Hills, IL | Stagg
HB Beau Hawkins | 3*** | 6'0", 190 lbs. | Woodridge, IL | Downers Grove South
MLB Sam Oliver | 3*** | 6'6", 229 lbs. | Coralville, IA | Iowa City West
OLB Josh Johnson | 3*** | 6'1", 232 lbs. | Chicago, IL | Brother Rice
C Ryan Ford | 3*** | 5'11", 294 lbs. | Washington, MO | St. Francis Borgia
FS Walter Franklin | 3*** | 6'1", 195 lbs. | Lawrence, IN | Lawrence Central
TE Jamaal Simpson | 3*** | 6'5", 265 lbs. | Ft. Leonard Wood, MO | Waynesville
CB Aaron Bates | 3*** | 6'2", 180 lbs. | Knoxville, IA | Knoxville HS
WR Ryan Williams | 3*** | 6'2", 175 lbs. | Bellefontaine, MO | Riverview Gardens
WR John Watkins | 3*** | 6'4", 205 lbs. | Wheaton, IL | Wheaton North
DE Omarr Young | 3*** | 6'3", 230 lbs. | Waukesha, WI | Waukesha West

[TheAStev]

2005 college football season kicks off Saturday night with Western Illinois at #19 Arizona State

Western Illinois travels to Sun Devil Stadium for Division I-A debut

Matchup Preview *|* August 27, 2005
	@
Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-0, 0-0 Away)		#19 Arizona State Sun Devils (0-0, 0-0 Home)
Injury Report NONE NONE

The highly anticipated 2005 college football season is upon us. This Saturday night, we may not be getting a clash of high ranked teams, but we will see a team playing its first snaps as a Division I-A member. Western Illinois is one of three programs (Florida Atlantic, FIU) making the jump from Division I-AA to I-A this season, and what better way to kickoff than in primetime against a ranked opponent?

"We are certainly excited for this new endeavor as a program," said head coach Don Patterson after practice earlier in the week. "We know the odds may be against us, but these guys are gonna go out there and play football just like they (Arizona State) are."

Western Illinois will play in just their second game against a ranked Division I-A opponent in school history, which was just two season ago against eventual BCS champion LSU. While the season is likely to be full of ups and downs, Patterson has confidence in the Leatherneck squad.

"A lot of these guys have been here for three, four years now. They know the game of football and they know how to win. We are looking forward to what this season has to offer, but right now we're just focused on Arizona State."

The Leathernecks went 24-13 in their last three seasons of Division I-AA play, including a school record 11-win season in 2002. Many of the senior players were freshmen on that team, and now have a chance to pave the way for the future of Leatherneck football - in the highest level of college competition. The journey begins Saturday night.

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TOP 5 PLAYERS
Western Illinois
DT Mike O'Brien | Sr. | 80
LG Jason Baksas | Sr. | 76
HB Travis Glasford | Jr. | 76
WR Terrence Hall | Sr. | 76
LE Mike Tetzel | Sr. | 74

#19 Arizona State
WR Derek Hagan | Sr. | 94
TE Zach Miller | So. | 94
C Grayling Love | R-Sr. | 94
MLB Dale Robinson | Sr. | 90
QB Sam Keller | Jr. | 88

Scouting Report: Arizona State
Arizona State's passing attack can be lethal, and it all starts with junior QB Sam Keller. Keller now has full control of the QB position after the graduation of Andrew Walter, who was drafted in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. His top targets are Preseason 1st Team All-American WR Derek Hagan, 2004 PAC-10 Freshman of the Year TE Zach Miller, and redshirt junior WR Terry Richardson. This trio gives Keller multiple targets that will look to give the WIU defense trouble early. The young RB group is led by redshirt sophomore RB Rudy Burgess and redshirt junior RB Randy Hill.

On defense, the line is led by DE Kyle Caldwell, who tied for a team lead last year with seven sacks. The anchor in the middle is MLB Dale Robinson, who was a co-recipient of the PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year award last season. #1 corner CB RJ Oliver brings a veteran presence as a sixth-season redshirt senior, looking to come back for one final run after missing all of last season due to injury.

[TheAStev]

Western Illinois falls to #19 Arizona State in Division I-A debut
Glasford, Hall shine for Leathernecks despite loss

The Western Illinois Leathernecks made their NCAA Division I-A debut Saturday night, falling to the #19 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils 55-10. The Arizona State offensive attack was too much for Western Illinois to handle, while the defense created pressure all game long. While many expected this outcome against a ranked opponent, the Leathernecks showed flashes of potential throughout the night.

The Arizona State offense overpowered Western Illinois, starting from the opening drive, where QB Sam Keller found WR Derek Hagan on a 32-yard strike for six to cap a quick six-play drive. The Leathernecks would respond with a three-and-out followed by a badly shanked punt, giving the Sun Devils great field position, but the defense would hold and ASU would miss a field goal attempt to keep it a one score game.

Arizona State would hold this 7-0 lead heading into the second quarter, where the offense would really open things up. It began when WIU HB Attley Lawson fumbled on a catch and run up the middle of the field, ending the first Leatherneck drive to cross midfield in the game.

The Sun Devils would score 3 touchdowns over their next three drives, as WIU struggled to keep drives going and it was quickly a 28-0 Arizona State lead. HB Travis Glasford, who had an outstanding night otherwise, would then fumble on his own 5-yard line, leading to a quick tip drill touchdown pass to Hagan (third TD on the night) to put the Sun Devils up 35-0. After K Jesse Ainsworth connected on his second field goal attempt of the game, ASU went into the locker room for halftime with a 38-0 lead.

Western Illinois would finally find the endzone in the second half, as their longest drive of the game thus far was capped off by a Glasford catch and run in the left flat that went 15 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing ASU drive, HB Rudy Burgess would find the endzone for the second time, extending their lead to 45-7.

Western Illinois had much more offensive success in the second half, as a 46-yard throw from QB Russ Michna to WR Terrence Hall got the Leathernecks into the redzone on consecutive drives. On a third-down and goal play, Michna was knocked out of the game with an elbow injury, and would not return. The drive ended with a Justin Langan field goal, making the score 45-10 in favor of the Sun Devils heading into the fourth quarter.

Backup QB Steve LaFalce, who entered the game in relief of Michna, would also end up leaving the game with an injury (knee), which brought redshirt junior Zach Wells into the first game action of his career. ASU's backups would score ten more points before the clock hit zero, and Arizona State will move to 1-0 on the season as Western Illinois drops to 0-1.

"Obviously we aren't happy with the outcome of the game, there's things we need to work on and improve on but these guys fought all night long against a very good team in Arizona State tonight," said head coach Don Patterson following the loss. "The turnover battle was a big factor and we also lost two quarterbacks but we were able to put some points on the board there in the third quarter. It gives us something to work on heading forward."

WIU coughed the ball up five times (three fumbles, two interceptions) while Arizona State had zero turnovers. The Leathernecks will not play next week, giving them some extra preparation for another tough matchup as they head to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in their second game of 2005.

Western Illinois Leathernecks at Arizona State Sun Devils
Aug 27, 2005	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-0)	0	0	10	0	10
#19 Arizona State Sun Devils (0-0)	7	31	7	10	55

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		WIU	ASU
7:12	(ASU) 32 yd pass from Keller to Hagan (Ainsworth kick)	0	7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		WIU	ASU
5:59	(ASU) 42 yd run by Burgess (Ainsworth kick)	0	14
4:27	(ASU) 90 yd pass from Keller to Richardson (Ainsworth kick)	0	21
3:30	(ASU) 29 yd pass from Keller to Hagan (Ainsworth kick)	0	28
1:42	(ASU) 5 yd pass from Keller to Hagan (Ainsworth kick)	0	35
0:04	(ASU) 36 yd field goal by Ainsworth	0	38
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		WIU	ASU
5:53	(WIU) 15 yd passa from Michna to Glasford (Langan kick)	7	38
4:35	(ASU) 15 yd run by Burgess (Ainsworth kick)	7	45
2:31	(WIU) 38 yd field goal by Langan	10	45
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		WIU	ASU
6:48	(ASU) 39 yd run by Hill (Ainsworth kick)	10	52
4:14	(ASU) 21 yd field goal by Ainsworth	10	55

Western Illinois Leathernecks PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Russ Michna 15/25 219 1 1 Steve LaFalce 3/5 9 0 0 Zach Wells 1/3 14 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Travis Glasford 31 123 3.9 0 Reggie Gray 1 -3 -3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Terrence Hall 6 120 20.0 0 Travis Glasford 8 58 7.2 1 Reggie Gray 1 39 39.0 0 Marco Thomas 1 13 13.0 0 Attley Lawson 2 10 5.0 0 Jermaine High 1 2 2.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Travis Washington 8 0 0 0 Victor Campbell 6 0 0 0 Vinceson Campbell 6 0 0 0 Mike Tetzel 3 1 0 0 Johnson Brave 2 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Justin Langan 1/1 1/1 4 38 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Aaron Kimpton 9 284 31.5 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Terrence Hall 2 39 19.5 0 Victor Campbell 1 17 17.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Terrence Hall 2 4 2.0 0

Arizona State Sun Devils PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Sam Keller 19/33 292 4 0 Rudy Carpenter 3/5 28 0 0 Rudy Burgess 0/1 0 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Randy Hill 6 99 16.5 1 Rudy Burgess 8 61 7.6 2 Lee Burghgraef 2 19 9.5 0 Jamaal Lewis 3 17 5.6 0 Derek Hagan 1 -1 -1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Derek Hagan 7 117 16.7 3 Terry Richardson 3 108 36.0 1 Zach Miller 5 37 7.4 0 Moey Mutz 3 20 6.6 0 Randy Hill 1 19 19.0 0 Lee Burghgraef 1 10 10.0 0 Jamaal Lewis 2 9 4.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Dale Robinson 11 1 0 0 RJ Oliver 7 0 0 0 Robert James 6 2 0 0 Emmanuel Franklin 4 0 1 0 Will Kofe 3 2 0 0 Derron Ware 2 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jesse Ainsworth 2/3 7/7 13 36 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Chris MacDonald 5 207 41.4 3 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Terry Richardson 2 45 22.5 0 Rudy Burgess 1 26 26.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Rudy Burgess 3 17 5.6 0 Keno Walter-White 2 10 5.0 0