Wed, Sep 14th, 2022 - 8:43pm
October 18, 2023 - 3:27pm | By Grant Hubbard
(Fargo, ND) -- North Dakota State hopes to put the UND embarrassment behind them as they take on the winless Leathernecks of Western Illinois.
The now 15th-ranked Bison of North Dakota State held a players-only meeting on Sunday after the blowout loss to North Dakota and expect a more focused team on Saturday as they look to get back on the winning path against a team looking for their first win of the season, Western Illinois
The Leathernecks are in their final season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference as they are headed to the Ohio Valley Conference after the season. They have lost 17 consecutive games dating back to 2021. Last season the Bison won 56-17 in Macomb as they ran for 453 yards and averaged 8.2 yards per carry.
The Western Illinois offense scores only 18.83 points a game which is 94th in FCS they are led by quarterback Matt Morrissey who is a gunslinger, he has thrown for 1,471 yards and nine touchdowns but has thrown five interceptions. His leading receiver is #3 Jaylin Jackson, he leads the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns. Morrissey has two other receivers that have over 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns in #1 Jay Parker, and #2 Donald McKinney. The Leathernecks don't run the ball well but their leading rusher is #24 Ludovick Choquette, he has rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense Western Illinois is dead last in scoring defense as they give up almost 45 points a game. Their best defensive player is defensive back Bradyn Smith, he has 49 tackles, one pass breakup, and one interception.
This is the kind of opponent that NDSU needs to take advantage of to get back on track as they should be able to run the ball effectively and stop the opposing defense.
Kickoff between the Bison and the Leathernecks is set for 2:30 p.m at the FargoDome.
